EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Dwayne Harris has been selected the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning performance in the Giants' 27-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Harris scored the deciding points with his 100-yard kickoff return with 7:01 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was the first kickoff return in Giants history that accounted for the deciding points in the fourth quarter of a game in which the Giants trailed or were tied.
Harris' clutch runback – an immediate response to a Dallas touchdown that had tied the game at 20 - was the Giants' first kickoff return touchdown since David Wilson's 97-yard return vs. New Orleans on Dec. 9, 2012. The five-year veteran and first-year Giant tied the franchise record for longest kickoff return touchdown. Pro Football Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell returned a kickoff 100 yards vs. the New York Yankees on Nov. 4, 1951, and Clarence Childs matched him against Minnesota on Dec. 6, 1964.
It was Harris' first career kickoff return touchdown, on his 85th career runback. He has two punt return touchdowns, and four receiving touchdowns, including one this year. Harris played his first four seasons with Dallas before joining the Giants last offseason as a free agent. He is only the third player in NFL history with a kickoff return touchdown vs. a team for which he played the previous season. The others were Bo Roberson (87 yards for Oakland vs. San Diego on Sept. 30, 1962) and Aaron Stecker (98 yards for New Orleans vs. Tampa Bay on Dec. 19, 2004).
Harris had three kickoff returns for 149 yards, as well as two receptions for 43 yards. His 38-yard reception in the second quarter was the second-longest of his career.
This is the Giants' second Player of the Week award in three weeks; quarterback Eli Manning was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 41-completion, 441-yard performance in a Week 5 victory over San Francisco. Manning also accounted for the game-winning points against the Niners, throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Larry Donnell with 21 seconds remaining.
Harris is the first Giants player to win the special teams award since Josh Brown in Week 15 of the 2013 season. He is the first non-kicker since Wilson was honored in Week 14 in 2012, following his kickoff return vs. New Orleans.
Gameday photo timeline from the Giants Week 7 win vs. Cowboys
1:00 PM - Fans tailgating hours before the Giants take on the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium - View Gallery
2:30 PM - Players take the field to begin their pregame warmups - View Gallery
4:20 PM - Giants line up for the National Anthem shortly before kickoff
4:25 PM - Giants are joined by former CB Everson Walls and SVU's Mariska Hagerty as they get set to kickoff against the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium
5:25, 1ST QTR, Dan Bailey kicks a 30-yard field goal, DAL 3 - NYG 0
14:07, 2ND QTR, Eli Manning passes to Rueben Randle for 24 yards - Watch Highlight
11:02, 2ND QTR, Orleans Darkwa runs for a 15-yard touchdown, NYG 7 - DAL 3 - Watch Highlight
7:29, 2ND QTR, Matt Cassel passes to Terrance Williams for a 27-yard completion, which sets up a 48-yard Dan Bailey field goal, NYG 7 - DAL 6
2:17, 2ND QTR, Darren McFadden rushes for a 1-yard touchdown, DAL 13 - NYG 7
1:04, 2ND QTR, Dwayne Harris hauls in a 38-yard pass from Eli Manning to set up 47-yard Josh Brown field goal, DAL 13 - NYG 10 - Watch Highlight
11:19, 3RD QTR, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie intercepts Matt Cassel, and returns it 58 yards for a touchdown, NYG 17 - DAL 13 - Watch Highlight
7:54, 3RD QTR, Brandon Meriweather intercepts Matt Cassel at the NYG 1 - Watch Highlight
6:33, 3RD QTR, Rueben Randle makes a spectacular one-handed catch near Giants midfield for 44 yards - Watch Highlight
5:55, 3RD QTR, Shane Vereen runs for 39 yards to the DAL 11 - Watch Highlight
3:18, 3RD QTR, After two great plays by Randle and Vereen, Josh Brown kicks a 34-yard field goal, NYG 20 - DAL 13
15:00, 4TH QTR, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie intercepts his second pass of the day and returns it for 12 yards - Watch Highlight
7:14, 4TH QTR, Devin Street catches a 25-yard pass from Matt Cassel in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, NYG 20 - DAL 20
7:01, 4TH QTR, Dwayne Harris returns the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, NYG 27 - DAL 20 - Watch Highlight
1:36, 4TH QTR, Giants' Myles White recovers the muffed punt by Cole Beasley at DAL 16
Final Score: New York Giants 27, Dallas Cowboys 20. Coach Coughlin becomes the seventh coach with at least 100 victories and two Super Bowl wins with one franchise - Watch Game Highlights
Coach Coughlin addresses the team immediately following the Giants win against the Cowboys. Coach Coughlin awarded game ball by Eli Manning - Watch Giants Locker Room Celebration
