i knew we had time. we would call a couple shots trying to get the big play. but just check the doundz and don't force anything new. if it is there, take it. we had plenty of time. but, you know, we got down to the 1. it worked out well where we ran it and didn't get it in. we made the cowboys use their time-outs and then finally it was punched in. >> i have to ask you about mario manningham's drop. what were you thinking after that? >> i didn't see the ball come out. i thought he caught it. i thought i heard the crowd cheering a little bit. but luckily we got stepped up and we droech down there and got the touchdown. >> eli, both teams said coming in this was a must-win. how you would put in per inspect whaf this means for the giants? >> this is huge. not a fourth quarter come back and, you know, lafrt week we had something similar. and we couldn't hold on to it. this week we held on it to. we got the win. so going to get that winning

feeling again, especially in the division. first dallas and now we know we have a tough road ahead of us. as we come down to finding ways to win games. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> they finally get a win. >> happy plane ride home. after this, they're at home. redskins, jets. technically a jet home game. and then the cowboys. now if the cowboys can beat the buccaneers and eagles, they can seal that division by winning the last game in new jersey. the packers, of course, at the top. they clinch the by today. they can wrap up home field next week. the saints plinched a play-off birth. the giants are in the fourth overall spot. the cowboys for the moment are on the outside looking in and the wild card race. but could still come back and win the division as we bring in tony dungy. another devastating loss for the

cowboys. can they bounce back from this? >> well they k. bob. i don't think they will. this is two in a row where they should have won the game. they had a chance to really drive the nail in the coffin of the giants tonight. and i think they'll look back at having the ball and tony romo's hands, having to throw to miles austin. if he makes this throw, they're going to make them win the division. and given eli manning a chance for that game winning drive, i don't think they'll go into new york and beat the giants on the last decision. >> sit tight for a second. there is a logjam at the top. because of complicated tiebreaking scenarios, the order could change as the season moves towards its conclusion even if the teams at the top remain tied. the texans wrapped up the afc south today. they will make their first ever postseason appearance. and the jets climb the ladder with a win and losses by the other wild card contenders. we've been asking this question for weeks.

which now is the team to beat in the afc? >> you've got those four teams with the ten wins, bob. houston has quarterback injury. new england has secondary injury. pittsburgh and baltimore are the plmoom cete teams. but now with ben roethlisberger being injured the other night, we don't know if he is going to be healthy. pittsburgh needs ben roethlisberger not just playing but with that mobility and playing the way he can play to be a complete team. i really like what baltimore is doing now. they have a big one next sunday night. i think they're the most complete team of all the teams in the afc. >> thanks, tony. we turn to mike florio. as always, mike will have the big news tomorrow afternoon on nbcsports. mike, right now a number of players suffered injuries today. one coach had a health scare.

run it all down for us. >> well, bob, the green bay packers had an easy time of getting to 13-0. now they have to square out an mri on monday for their leading receiver. jennings has a knee sprain. he was carted off and missed the remainder of the win against the oakland raiders. and for the new york jents, the second straight september, they lost jim leonhard. he'll miss the rest of the season with a knew injury. mri tomorrow to confirm the xebld of the damage. and matthew hasselbeck left early with a calf injury. he said he could have returned business his rookie was able to do more physically. then finally, the falcons had a scare on the team playing after the game. coach mike smith had chest pain. he was taken to a local hospital. everything checked out fine. he's expected to be available for the falcons thursday night game at home. >> all right, mike. thanks for the update. wednesday night on versus, nfl

turning points with dan patrick features tim tebow. here in arlington, the giants came back to beat the cowboys 37-34. al and wris will wrap it up after this. dig in, baby. it's the w, new from wendy's. double beef, double cheese... our best toppings and signature sauce on a buttered, toasted bun. try it now for just $2.99. the w. only at wendy's. ♪ my hair is gone ♪ cheap cologne ♪ motor home ♪ i'm the rocket man! [ both ] ♪ rocket man

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with your photographs. what will you imagine next with the eos rebel t3i and ef lenses ? learn more about project imagin8ion at youtube. we have eli manning throwing for 400 yards. tony romo, four touchdowns. zbh and no interceptions. >> i mean is it just me or

are -- have they been more dramatic, thrilling, unbelievable games in the nfl this season than any time i can remember. what about you? >> it's fantastic. i want to give a tip of the hat to the giants offensive line in this one, too. we came in talking about all the shuffle be up front and playing against demarcus ware and the great pass rush. no sacks on the game for the cowboys and they rushed over 100 yards. a team struggling running the ball. but with this offensive line now, they've been much better running the ball. >> and no road trips for the giants. that one road game is with the jets. so it's jets fans. but it's in the stadium. no plane trips. they control their own path to the playoffs. and for the dallas cowboys, not only have they lost these two excruciating games back to back and four total on the year, goes back to the jets loss and detroit loss, now they manage murray for the rest of the season. >> and a cowboys team that has blown games in the fourth quarter and a giants team that found a way to win the games in the fourth quarter. and it's been the difference in

these two seasons. realistically, can you look at the cowboys and say they could be sitting here with one loss at this point. they have to be absolutely besides themselves right now. >> the giants end the four game losing streak. they haven't won since that win in foxboro. we go to the west coast next week. the ravens against the san diego chargers. football night at 7:00. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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oh, a quarterback. mrr. i'm a robot. mm, mm. ee, er, ee, er. get out of here. [ male announcer ] aaron rodgers got his. how about you? rodgers! discount double check! [ male announcer ] get to a better state. state farm. >> it's meant to be sfort at its purest level. children playing for the love of the game. but with adults foregoing sportsmanship to win at all costs. >> it's kind of crazy at times. >> why youth sports are now

anything but a fun, childhood sdie versi diversion. inside the tumultuous world of youth sports on "xfinity sports sunday." >> what happens when we start treating kids playing games like they're in the pros? good evening. well cop to "xfiniti sports sunday." it's a lot of fun to watch your kids playing sports, but that can get turned joup side down when parents have the delusion of their children being professional athletes. parent parents today are putting their children through regiments that if were treated as a job

would not pass the child labor laws. we focus in on the costs of being in the little big leagues. >> highly invested parents run the risk of losing sight of what's really important. >> it usually has an adverse affect on the kid and the whole outcome and what they ultimately end up being as a player. >> there are pressures and at a younger age than ever before, people are trying too make it into a business. i think we have to go back to the grassroots. >> just as with hobbies, successful high school baseball prom prams can create an environment where the best players are left with a choice between college or the minor leagues. such a division buzz put before joe roth, the younger brother of

tyson ross, who left not for ucla but for the pros. >> educationally, they're not just growing academically, they're growing socially. pro baseball i don't recommend for a lot of kids. most kids again, unless it's a significant amount of money and they're mature enough, it's not a good thing. >> over the year, we watched college sports boom into a big business. with the cost of education rising, youth athletics now provide a gate way to a potential scholarship, a means to an end that's reredefined the meaning of success. >> sports get you places you couldn't otherwise get you. and growing up, i never even considered that. when i was 8, i couldn't wit to play against the 10-year-olds. when i was 10, i couldn't wait to play against the 12-year-olds. and lo and behold, at the end of the day, i made it to the nhl. >> the hockey experiences build the foundation still drawn upon to this day. >> my biggest thing about youth

hockey was it was fun. i had great coaches who made it fun every day to come to the rink. my parents were always supportive. they were never critical. >> ultimately, you have to love it. you have to love the sport. i think that's why, you know, there's 20 guys in here, 23 guys that love the sport and can't get enough of it. you've just got to love something, do the best you can and work hard at it. >> the highest level of youth sports cannot be denied. but in the case of youth hockey, there are several programs in place helping kids give hockey a try. >> ice is expense i. and now you need protective gear, that's expensive. we understand that. what we try to do is offer programs for people to try hockey out with the minimal amount of expense that we possibly can. >> as for how parents can best help guide their kids, sometimes it's a matter of dollars and good sense. >> stop playing baseball, spending $5,000 a year on travel teams and $250 bats.

save that money, put it in an equity account. and ten years later, he's going to have three years of a very prestigious school paid for. >> the research they need to develop, to be exposed to higher level competition. make sure the kid, they agree this is what i want to do. >> for "xfiniti sports sunday". >> and we continue here on nbc bap area, one of the greatest all-time joining us here. sure, you played at the highest of level, but it all began as a kid. how has youth sports changed from the time you played till today? >> i think there's a lot of pressure on the kids. you get big corporations that will come in and donate, you know, jerseys and uniforms and all the other stuff that comes with being an amateur athlete. eni think it puts more pressure on the kids. but when i grew up, we had what i call a t-shirt league. i took some shoe polish and wrote a number on it.

i was number 32. i went out there and played and had fun. the kids get out and have access to the field. if you build it, they will come, that's for sure. >> we did the same thing when i was a kid. we took our dad's t-shrt, drew on the back, had your name and number. that's the way you did things. now it seems so professional for these kids. who's to blame? >> we are. with when i go around and talk to kids about being an athlete, and i always stress to the patients, let them just play and have fun. that's all you want to do. but again, we get the big money and corporation, coming and putting logo on the jersey. a sporting company will come and put a logo on the jersey. i wish i had -- i do think it puts a lot of undo pressure on the kids. it's amateur sport, let them play and have fun. >> and national tv starts to show games that are high school kids. we see the little league world series going on as well. but there are coaches and there are parents who get very involved. maybe overly involved. how do you guard against that?

>> well, you hear the sad stories of how referees get assaulted for calls they make. it's not looking any better. >> let's look at the oakland youth sports nation. and some of the channels you have working with kids in sports. first of all, i identify with what they're feeling and the frustration of being a high school student all about. >> you know, obviously raising money is a big challenge for these programs. i've been unfortunate to have these programs and i've been a part of it.

>> you get a chance to make the ru rules. for players, coaches and referees and the like. so how do you shape youth sport, if you could. >> first of all, you have to maintain that grade average to participate. number two, would try not to use in a corporate money. you've got to have that. in some kind of way, you've got to keep those separate. give us the money but allow us to do what we want to do without sdsh we've got thank yous in our program. we don't need your jam names on our high school jerseys. hopefully, you know, those are two ideas that come off the top of my head right now. other than that, i draw a blank on it. but just let them have fun. it's about the kids have been fun. >> thanks for joining us. the future of kids sports very much in doubt. w dosedefu ase tdeicking time bomb next. ♪

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uh. >> all right, as we focus on kids in sports, we should also mention that some local teams will finish with a chance to win the state title. friday and saturday, your chance to watch the state championship games. time for bank of the west play of the day. it will go hockey. sharks and blackhawks. this one goes to overtime, tied at 2-2. 40 seconds left. marian hossa's shot, biscuit in basket. hawks win 3-2? o.t. that's our play of the day. how overzealousge than good, next. more damage tn goodod, next.

>> concussions, it seems every week we hear about athletes suffering from them or athletes

from the past suffering from their fingering effects, join us next week as we investigate concussions in sports following sunday night football. welcome back in. "xfiniti sports sunday." you always have to have exwhen we talk about sports-related issues. the book "throw like a girl" which is the jenny finch story. that's a great story about girls and sports. >> she says she learned through sports and tries to inspire kids. you know, what can we learn through sports that you can apply to your regular life? and i think that's the thing that, you know, yeah, there are a lot of problems? youth sports, but really it's a great thing for kids. we want them to be healthy, we want them to learn how to participate as a team. we don't want them sitting on the couch playing video games. while there are a lot of problems, at its heart, youth sports teach a lot of valuable lessons. >> it is good, but parents get

into the ekwaegs. are they part of a bigger problem in this whole issue? >> they are the biggest pro-b. the two biggest problems are parents and money. when you look at baseball, for example. when you look at baseball, you see baseball players now days, youth baseball players have more and more become segmented. they're into this whole specialist thing. why aren't there more minorities in babble? well, trickle back to see how much they can afford to have a specialist coach them five days a week or three days a week. >> that gets to the structure question. are kids too structured in trying to just enjoy the game? >> yeah, we run them around from practice top clinics to everything else. and kids at their heart, they just want to have fun. and the parents are the ones who are putting the pressure on kids who are trying to, you know, make it about the end game, the scholarship, the professional career. really, the kid isn't thinking that way. the kid is thank youing, am i having fun? and that's the end game.

let's have fun. >> get parents and money out of the situation and it's all fixed. >> good luck. >> i don't know if we can turn back the clock, though. >> they're all competitive. >> you can't unring the bell. >> and there's a market for parents who are suckers. >> thanks for watching "xfiniti sports sunday."