When the 2024 NFL schedule initially came out, NFL fans surely thought they were going to watch Prescott against Jones. Instead, Thursday’s game was Rush for the Cowboys because of Prescott’s hamstring injury and Lock for the Giants because Jones is now on the Minnesota Vikings following his release and Tommy DeVito (forearm) was out.

Lock initially looked like someone who should have been playing earlier in the season when he led the Giants on a 13-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on their first possession. The biggest play came when he broke free as a runner to get the ball to the Dallas 1-yard line before Tyrone Tracy Jr. punched it in.

And then Lock looked like anything but someone who should have been playing earlier this season for the rest of the game, including when he threw a pick-six on a screen pass. DeMarvion Overshown batted the ball in the air, caught it and returned it to give the Cowboys the lead heading into the second half.

Halftime did nothing to stop Lock’s struggles, as he lost a fumble on New York’s opening drive of the third quarter.

That set up Rush’s touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks before Dowdle’s touchdown run later in the quarter opened up a commanding 17-point lead and put even more pressure on the Giants’ fill-in signal-caller.

Lock did at least make a play with his legs with the rushing touchdown to add some late drama, but the Giants defense couldn’t make the necessary stop on the ensuing possession.

Ultimately, the Cowboys defense ended up with six sacks in a much-needed performance for a unit that has struggled for much of the season. It entered play 31st in the league in points allowed per game (29.0) but looked like a completely different group Thursday.

Much of that can be attributed to Lock and the Giants offense, and things will likely get far more difficult for the Cowboys defense the next time out against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.