IRVING, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants wanted to find out yesterday which of them looked ready to challenge for supremacy in the NFC East.

The Cowboys won, but the answer to the bigger question might be neither.

Dallas committed four turnovers, missed two field goals and allowed a tying touchdown with 19 seconds left, yet overcame it all with a 45-yard field goal by Jose Cortez on the opening drive of overtime for a 16-13 victory over the equally inept Giants.

"I feel pretty fortunate," Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said.

He should.

Coming off a throttling victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas (4-2) gave New York every chance to put this game away early.

But Eli Manning and the Giants (3-2) couldn't do it. They trailed 7-6 midway through the third quarter after the Cowboys had already committed all of their turnovers. Then New York started giving the ball away: four turnovers in five drives, including a fumble at the Dallas 1 with 1:18 left while down by seven.

"We just shot ourselves in the foot," Manning said. "We were letting them get the best of us."

Keeping with the game's theme, the Cowboys wasted their chances, too. Manning wound up throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey that forced overtime.

Dallas won the overtime coin toss and never gave the ball back. Drew Bledsoe moved the Cowboys 51 yards in eight plays and Cortez made it pay off, giving them consecutive victories for the first time this season — and first place in the NFC East.

"It was luck, totally luck," Dallas receiver Keyshawn Johnson said. "We're entitled to have a bad game and still win, at least once."

FALCONS 34, SAINTS 31

SAN ANTONIO — New Orleans (2-4) still can't get a break.

Todd Peterson's 36-yard field goal won it for Atlanta (4-2) in the final seconds. But only after a miss from 41 yards was negated by a holding penalty on Saints defensive end Tony Bryant, a play that had no effect on the miss.

"I'm telling you it was a flat-out (expletive) call," Saints coach Jim Haslett said.

New Orleans, displaced by Hurricane Katrina, had tied it 31-31 when Aaron Brooks hit Devery Henderson in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard TD with under a minute left.

In overtime, the Falcons' Michael Vick completed four passes and ran for a first down to set up Peterson's winning attempt.

PANTHERS 21, LIONS 20

DETROIT — Chris Weinke was sharp, not rusty.

Playing in his first game since 2002, Weinke threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 32 seconds left to give Carolina (4-2) a victory over Detroit (2-3).

Weinke relieved Jake Delhomme, who was knocked out of the game on the game-winning drive when he escaped a sack, ran up field, slid and was hit hard by safety Kenoy Kennedy.

Weinke took over at midfield with 2:56 left and calmly led the Panthers down the field. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 47 yards.

"I didn't have time to think about it, I had been standing around all day," Weinke said.

BEARS 28, VIKINGS 3

CHICAGO — While Minnesota's season continued to spiral out of control, Chicago might have saved its own.

Brian Urlacher had two sacks to lead the Bears over a Vikings team reeling after allegations of drunkenness and sexual misbehavior on a charter cruise last week. It was the fourth loss in five games for Minnesota (1-4).

"I don't know," Vikings coach Mike Tice said when asked if the incident affected his team. "I'm not a psychologist. I can't tell you how much."

Thomas Jones rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries for Chicago (2-3).