IRVING, Texas (AP) -Eli Manning had two touchdown passes, Brandon Jacobs converted a fourth-and-goal into a 3-yard TD run and the New York Giants led the Dallas Cowboys 26-7 after three quarters Monday night in a game to determine the NFC East leader.

The Cowboys started the second half by replacing quarterback Drew Bledsoe with Tony Romo, who threw an interception on his first play - a ball swatted at the line by Michael Strahan, who also had two sacks.

Strahan tied Lawrence Taylor for the Giants' career sack lead and seventh place on the NFL list at 132 1/2. Taylor's total doesn't include the 9 1/2 sacks he had as a rookie in 1981, before that was an official statistic.

Lavar Arrington had another sack, resulting in a second-quarter safety, before he was driven off the field on a cart with a torn left Achilles tendon that will require surgery and likely end his season.

Bledsoe was sacked four times in the first half, and threw an interception at the goal line just before halftime. He was 7-of-12 for 111 yards.

Romo entered the game to a standing ovation and chants of ``Romo, Romo, Romo.'' The cheers didn't die down until Strahan swatted the pass and Antonio Pierce intercepted at the Dallas 14, and three plays later Manning hit Jeremy Shockey for a 13-yard TD and a 19-7 lead.

Romo, in his fourth season, completed the only two previous passes in his career. Those were at the end of last week's victory over the Houston Texans, including a touchdown pass to Terrell Owens.

On his second possession against the Giants, Romo threw to a wide-open Owens in the flat on fourth-and-2, but the receiver dropped the pass that would have gone for a first down. The Giants then drove 68 yards in 14 plays before Jacobs scored.

After building a 12-0 lead, the Giants had turnovers on consecutive offensive snaps in the second quarter.

Manning overthrew Plaxico Burress, who caught a 50-yard touchdown on the game's fifth play, in the end zone and was intercepted by Terence Newman. That led to Bledsoe's 1-yard touchdown on a bootleg keeper with 3:51 left - his second running score this year, and only the 10th in his 14-year career.

On New York's next snap, Tiki Barber lost his first fumble of the season and was shaken up on the play. Barber was on the field for a couple of minutes, then walked off on his own power and was back on the next series.

Bradie James recovered Barber's fumble at the New York 14. Five plays later from the 4, Bledsoe tried to hit Terry Glenn in the front left corner of the end zone. But Sam Madison stepped in front of Glenn for the interception and New York ran out the clock before halftime.

Last December in New York, Bledsoe was sacked four times by the Giants and had two interceptions and two fumbles. New York won the game, which also was for first place in the NFC East, and wound up winning the division. Dallas ended up missing the playoffs.

Monday night's game became a battle for the division lead after Philadelphia (4-3) lost at Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Giants and Cowboys came into the game at 3-2.

New York, which already has beaten division foes Washington and Philadelphia, plays its next three games at home. Dallas, which split its games against those two teams, plays three straight road games.

Manning's first TD pass was the longest offensive play of the season for the Giants, and the first time in four games they had scored in the first quarter. It was the first time this season the Cowboys had allowed an opponent to score on an opening possession.

Burress leaped to catch the ball in the end zone in front of 6-foot-5 rookie safety Patrick Watkins. The Cowboys' other safety, Pro Bowler Roy Williams, was behind them on the ground along with the back judge after the two collided.

Then, with the Cowboys backed to their 1 after Jeff Feagles' punt, Arrington rushed through the middle of the line virtually untouched on second down and sacked Bledsoe for a safety - the first for the Giants since 1997.

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