NFL

Giants ground game sputters

The final numbers did not look too bad. Ahmad Bradshaw in 17 rushing attempts gained 78 yards and scored on a 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. But looks can be deceiving and the Giants struggled mightily to gain yards on the ground in Wednesday night’s 24-17 loss to the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.

Bradshaw in the first half managed just 19 yards on 10 runs, an average of 1.9 yards per carry. On back-to-back plays, he lost two and one yard respectively, after the Giants had first-and-goal at the Dallas 1-yard line.

“We just have to stay strong up front and just attack the holes as running backs and take what’s given to us,’’ Bradshaw said.

“When you are that close you have to score,’’ center David Baas added.

This was not an encouraging start for the ground game, considering that the Giants are eager to wipe away the memory of finishing dead last in the NFL in rushing in 2011.

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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who this summer told fans of his team to come to this season’s game in Dallas to watch the Cowboys “kick the Giants [butts]’’ didn’t gloat about this victory.

“I got the sense that this meant more to us than it did to them,’’ he said.

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LB Michael Boley, coming off a hamstring injury that kept him out of all four preseason games, did not start at weak-side linebacker, as he was replaced by Keith Rivers.

That didn’t stop Boley from making an impact with a second-quarter interception that he returned 52 yards.

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Mathias Kiwanuka on the officials: “The referees are like tires, you don’t realize how important they are until something goes wrong with them. I respect the job the replacement refs are doing. It’s not easy to go out there.’’

If you had Rocky Bernard in the first Giants sack of the season pool, you win.

Bernard, the veteran defensive tackle, beat RG Mackenzy Bernadeau on the first series for an eight-yard sack of Tony Romo.

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In a brief pregame ceremony, Phil Simms, Ottis Anderson and Michael Strahan carried their Super Bowl Lombardi Trophies onto the field, followed by the Giants running out amid smoke and red, white and blue fireworks.

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As expected, Sean Locklear started at left tackle in place of Will Beatty, who was active in a reserve role.

Beatty actually started the game as an extra blocker on the line, a role he filled all game. The Giants did not want to give Beatty a full load after he has been limited all summer with a bad back.

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The Giants inactives: WR Jerrel Jernigan, CB Prince Amukamara, RB Da’Rel Scott, guard Mitch Petrus, DE Adewale Ojomo, tackle James Brewer and DT Marvin Austin. For the Cowboys, NT Jay Ratliff (ankle) and CB Mike Jenkins (shoulder) were inactive.