New York Giants - Dallas Cowboys Matchups to Watch

The Giants need a strong showing across the board to avoid yet another loss, but in particular, they could use wins in these two matchups.

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Nov 11, 2023 3:00 PM EST

In this story:

New York Giants

Dallas Cowboys

The New York Giants will face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10 of the 2023 season, hoping it won't be the same result as Week 1's 40-0 blowout loss.

This battle has several talented players matched against one another, making for some great entertainment. Still, these two particular matchups are among the key ones that could influence Sunday's outcome.

When the Giants Have the Ball

Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito couldn't have asked for a much more challenging first start, as Dallas is sixth in average points allowed per game with 18.5 and third in yards allowed per game with 288.

This Cowboys defense has created a lot of turnovers over the first half of the season and is hungry for more after their loss to fellow NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, last week.

Dallas brought the pressure and then some against New York in Week 1, as they didn't allow a single point, hauled in two interceptions, recovered a fumble, and scored two touchdowns of their own. Giants running back Saquon Barkley was perhaps the only light that went back into the MetLife tunnel despite what would be his lowest rushing yards total so far (51 yards on 12 carries).

DeVito will very likely utilize Barkley in the passing attack on short routes due to Dallas' impenetrable secondary, but also to get more acclimated to the game and league itself. The running back has shown throughout his Giants tenure that he's more than capable of advancing the ball by catching it and getting into open space.

This will be an effective way for New York to move the ball down the field, but as previously stated, this defense has a lot of players capable of shutting Barkley down quickly. Two-time All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons is the Cowboys' leader in the behind-the-line-of-scrimmage department, as he's top-10 in the NFL in sacks (7.5), quarterback hits (17) and tackles for loss (10).

Parsons, who is only in his third season, is on pace to break his personal records in each of the aforementioned stat categories. He's been the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in each of his first two years, and he's in the running once again.

Stopping Barkley with his elite speed and strength should not only easily hand the Cowboys the win, but a big game by Parsons could give him more momentum in the prestigious award race. However, if Barkley breaks away from Parsons' zone off the edge or in the second level, New York could score points and raise some eyebrows.

When the Cowboys Have the Ball

The Cowboys have been thriving in the scoring department this season, as their 27.5 points per game is the third-most in the NFL. They've mostly contributed to the scoreboard through the air with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, but not nearly as much on the ground.

Running back Tony Pollard is having a fairly solid season, but he hasn't been used like he was last year when he made his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance. That being said, it appeared during Week 1 that he'd only gotten better, but that's arguably been his best game of the season.

Those 14 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns just so happened to be against the Giants. The game got so out of hand that he and the rest of the starters spent the fourth quarter on the sidelines, meaning he could've tallied even more yards and scores.

Pollard has the opportunity for a resurgence against a Giants' defense that has struggled against him and several other running backs throughout the first half of the season. He's more than capable of taking advantage of this on the ground again, and he can also be a threat as a receiver.

Nevertheless, New York has some players capable of stopping Pollard from breaking free, but linebacker Bobby Okereke might be the top candidate.

Midway through the season, it appears that the Giants have struck gold with the free agent signing of Okereke this offseason, as he leads the team in tackles (80) and tackles for loss (8). He's in the top 10 in the NFL for both of these stat categories.

Okereke is tied for the league lead in a combined stat that will be crucial in stopping Pollard: tackles for loss and no gain (14). The Dallas running back has averaged 4.0 yards per carry this season, which is a full 1.2 less than last year. There have been many snaps this season where opposing front sevens have reached him quickly.

Okereke's seven tackles against the Las Vegas Raiders last week were his lowest in that category since he played the Cowboys in Week 1. The Giants can't afford to lose many more games this season, and the tackling machine is aiming for a rebound.

If Okereke can continue his league-wide dominance in the tackle department, Pollard may be in for another rough outing. However, the Giants are in trouble if Pollard plays like he did against New York in Week 1 and last season.