Giants Methodically Beat Cowboys, 22-9 : NFC: Johnson irate with officials after New York takes advantage of controversial penalties.

The New York Giants got some strange bounces and some strange calls Sunday that helped the Super Bowl champions remain in the middle of the NFC playoff race.

The Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys, 22-9, in a game that included Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson having to be restrained after he screamed at an official.

Jeff Hostetler connected with Mark Ingram on a 35-yard touchdown pass play, Rodney Hampton dove in for a one-yard touchdown and linebacker Lawrence Taylor recovered two fumbles to lead the Giants (6-5).

Johnson vehemently complained about several calls, particularly a defensive holding penalty that prolonged the drive that led to Hampton’s touchdown dive and helped the Giants take a 16-3 halftime lead.

“It was the worst I’ve ever, ever, ever seen,” Johnson said of the officiating crew headed by Gordon McCarter. “The worst I’ve seen since my daddy said, ‘Here’s what you call a football.’ I know I’m going to be fined, but there’s no way I could live with myself if I didn’t say something.

“If the officials had been a coaching staff, I know what would happen to them--they’d be fired.”

The officials did not comment on Johnson’s charges and McCarter said he believes all the controversial calls were justified.

“When you’re struggling, any little thing sets you off,” Giant center Bart Oates said of the Cowboys. “The (Dallas) coaches lost control, the players lost control. It just bothered them.”

The Giants, meanwhile, played their usual methodical game, one that Coach Ray Handley called “the best 60 minutes we played all year.”

After dominating the first half and taking a 16-3 lead on three field goals by Matt Bahr and Hampton’s one-yard touchdown, the Giants prevented the Cowboys from scoring touchdowns on two third-quarter forays that ended with field goals of 31 and 18 yards by Ken Willis.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants’ offense came to life when Handley inserted Lewis Tillman in place of Hampton, who carried 20 times for 48 yards.

Tillman had 12 carries for 63 yards in the fourth quarter, and had runs of eight, 10 and 12 yards in the 75-yard drive capped by Hostetler’s touchdown pass to Ingram.

It was only the fifth touchdown pass this season--and the first in four weeks--for Hostetler, who completed 14 of 22 passes for 182 yards.

Emmitt Smith gained 97 yards in 17 carries and Troy Aikman completed 16 of 25 passes for 150 yards for the Cowboys (6-5), who have lost two games in a row and play at unbeaten Washington next week.

“I knew this was going to be a tough stretch,” said Johnson, whose team lost in overtime to Houston the previous week.