ARLINGTON, Texas -- Never count out Eli Manning and the New York Giants -- not in a game, or in the division race.

Down by 12 late in the fourth quarter of a game they had to win for a realistic chance to make the playoffs, the Giants put together two touchdown drives in the final 3:41 and Jason Pierre-Paul preserved it with a blocked field goal for a 37-34 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Just like that, the Giants' four-game losing streak was done. And the NFC East race is cracked open, with New York reclaiming the inside track.

"We needed to have a locker room celebration," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We were starving for this."

New York's recent skid was filled mostly with narrow losses to division leaders. The Giants (7-6) appeared headed to another setback trailing 34-22 with 5:41 left, but a series of clutch plays on their part and meltdowns by Dallas changed everything. The teams are tied, with the Cowboys headed to the Meadowlands for a season-ending rematch on New Year's Day.

"We knew what was on the line," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "But those guys made one more play than we did."

Dallas has gone from winning four straight to losing two in a row, both in dramatic, frustrating fashion that involved missed kicks by rookie Dan Bailey, who'd been so good for so long this season. The Cowboys also lost running back DeMarco Murray to a broken right ankle, ending his record-setting rookie season.

"We certainly know we've got our work cut out for us," team owner Jerry Jones said in a brief statement.