Cowboys at Giants: How Can Dallas Stop TE Darren Waller?

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy outlined the challenges that come with stopping New York Giants tight end Darren Waller.

The Dallas Cowboys found themselves in the midst of an arms race heading into the 2023 season.

Dallas added receiver Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore to boost its skill positions. The Philadelphia Eagles are returning much of their Super Bowl-caliber roster and added two Georgia Bulldogs in the draft’s first round. The New York Giants will attempt to stave off regression by improving their pass catchers, namely through the acquisition of tight end Darren Waller.

The Cowboys will visit the Giants to cap off Sunday’s slate of Week 1 games. There’s little question as to who they’re prioritizing on defense. Head coach Mike McCarthy spoke about the threat Waller poses in the season opener.

“He’s obviously a focal point,” McCarthy said on Thursday. “His catch radius, his athletic ability, yards after the catch [are all] very impressive.”

Waller played in just nine games last season, largely due to a hamstring strain. He was held to just 28 catches for 388 yards and three scores in 2022.

He’s had trouble staying on the field since his Pro Bowl season in 2020, where he caught 107 passes for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. A former receiver, his size and speed combination present a matchup nightmare for defenses whenever he’s been on the field. New York hopes some good fortune keeps Waller active on Sundays.

“Really trying to anticipate how they’re going to use him is probably the biggest challenge, because obviously you know what he can do physically,” McCarthy added. “His utilization of where they line up and how they use him, that’s definitely a focal point for us.”

The name we would emphasize here? In addition to do-everything defender Micah Parsons, keep an eye on Dallas' 6-4 safety Jayron Kearse, who prides himself on being a tight end stopper.

Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka had the privilege of supervising an offense with an elite tight end before. Working with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2017 through 2021, Travis Kelce’s supremacy allowed the league’s most lethal offense to dictate coverages and dominate on third downs.

With another talented tight end back in the fold, Kafka is in a position to use Waller in a similar fashion. He very well could spend time as the isolated receiver in 3x1 sets and projects as a threat up the seam, too. There’s a decent chance Waller dominates the Giants’ target share through both designed looks and Daniel Jones’ checkdowns.

Assuming Jones and Waller are comfortable in their first season together, which all reports out of camp indicate, the tight end is going to get a ton of targets. It’s up to a versatile Cowboys defense to mitigate his skill set and force the ball to less proven receivers.