Giants rack up franchise-record 160 penalty yards in 40-37 OT loss to Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas — The New York Giants surrendered a franchise-record 160 penalty yards and 21 flags in a chaotic 40-37 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, a breakdown of discipline that repeatedly erased big plays and ultimately proved costly.

The Giants had 14 accepted penalties, including an unprecedented series in which fill-in left tackle James Hudson III was flagged four times on one drive — the first NFL player to be called for four penalties on a single drive in 100 years, according to the Fox broadcast. The drive produced 110 yards, 95 through the air, but the Giants were forced to settle for a 38-yard field goal after repeated penalties.

Hudson, who was not available for comment after the game, was penalized twice for personal fouls and twice for false starts. He also gave up a sack on the game’s opening series and was replaced early by rookie Marcus Mbow after coach Brian Daboll sought to "settle it down a little bit."

"He had a number of them," Daboll said. "I just thought let’s [put] Mbow in and settle it down a little bit."

At one point in the second quarter the Giants were assessed three penalties on the same play — too many players on the field, roughing the passer on Roy Robertson-Harris and pass interference on Deonte Banks — while the Cowboys drew a simultaneous penalty that offset the penalties on the play. On the do-over, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott completed a third-and-9 touchdown.

Several defensive penalties drew sharp reaction from Giants players. Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux said the team must mature. "We just can’t do it," he said. "A lot of lack of discipline out there on the defensive side and a few times on offense. We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. We have to stop making mistakes. We have to grow up all the way around."

Cornerback Dru Phillips, who was flagged for pass interference and for unnecessary roughness on plays involving Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, disputed some of the calls. "I think a lot of the pass interferences were bogus," Phillips said. "I shouldn’t have slammed [CeeDee Lamb] down. I was just making a tackle." One personal-foul call on Hudson was for a helmet swing that Daboll said occurred when the pass rusher slipped.

Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II characterized the mix of calls as a combination of judgment calls and the flow of the game. "Some questionable, some … just the way it goes," he said. "I don’t think it’s a lack of discipline. We played tough, and they just called it."

The final penalty tally showed 13 penalties against the defense, seven against the offense and one on special teams. Hudson appeared heated on the sideline after his penalties, engaging with offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo and needing to be calmed by offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and teammates before returning to the sideline.

The loss extended questions about the Giants’ ability to close games and manage momentum swings created by penalties. New York put itself in position with several productive drives but repeatedly saw those possessions diminished or wiped out by infractions. Daboll and players stressed the need for immediate correction as the season progresses.

The Cowboys secured the victory in overtime as the sequence of reversals and do-overs that marred the Giants’ game plan continued to haunt New York. The Giants will face scrutiny this week as coaches assess personnel and technique, and as the team works to convert production into wins without the penalty-induced setbacks that undermined Sunday’s effort.