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Giants Maven Writers Roundtable: Giants vs. Cowboys | Week 9 Predictions & Picks

How does the Giants Maven team see tonight's game playing out?

Rob Lep

Let’s be honest. The Dallas Cowboys are a better football team than the New York Giants in 2019. Their respective records, the eye test, etc. all tell you this.

The Cowboys are a complete football team. You can say what you want about quarterback Dak Prescott but he makes smart decisions, manages the game, and doesn’t turn the ball over. 

Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, thus far, has been a turnover machine who takes more risk, is the opposite to Prescott, who has nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last three games. 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season.

Jones was spectacular last week against the Detroit Lions but not including his four-touchdown, zero interception performance at Ford Field, he's had just three touchdown passes and five interceptions in those previous three versus the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, and New England Patriots.

The Giants have been outscored 38-0 in the first quarter the last four weeks including 14-0 the previous two to the Lions and Cardinals. Dallas is not a team you want to fall behind against.

The Giants defense (ranked 28th) compared to Dallas (eighth-best) and their unreliable offensive line gives me plenty of reason for concern.

The Cowboys have won five straight versus Big Blue, including a 35-17 win in the season opener. Subtract Eli Manning, put in Daniel Jones and this is pretty much the same team on offense.   

On defense, the Giants will play newly acquired defensive lineman Leonard Williams, whom they acquired from the Jets in exchange for two draft picks (third-round pick in 2020 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2021).

Since 2016, Williams ranks third among interior defenders for most tackles for loss. Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald ranks first with 47.  Even with all that, I just can’t do it. Sorry. Cowboys march into MetLife and take care of business.

Pick: Cowboys 31, Giants 14

Emily Iannaconi

The Giants desperately need to snap their four-game losing streak, but I do not think the 4-3 Cowboys will let that happen. 

Dallas is coming off of a 27-point win over the Eagles and has much more at stake in this game between two NFC East rivals.

New York is a different team since it first faced off against Dallas in week one of the season. Now, rookie Daniel Jones will get the start, Saquon Barkley seems to be in full form and Golden Tate has made some impact plays since joining the team earlier this season. 

Jones did not give up an interception against the Lions last week for the first time since his first start at Tampa Bay, but it’s too soon to trust that he has solved all ball security issues. 

And if the Giants make mistakes and beat themselves against offensive powerhouse’s Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot, a win seems increasingly unlikely.

Pick: Cowboys 30, Giants 17

Ahmed Shifa

If you take a quick glance at this upcoming matchup between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, one might argue this is a mismatch on multiple levels. 

The Dallas Cowboys have arguably the best offensive line in football, while the Giants have one of the worst defensive lines in the league. The Cowboys also boast a glut of talent across the defense, while the Giants have an average offensive line and a rookie quarterback. Finally, the Giants are a rebuilding team, while the Cowboys are in the thick of the playoff hunt.

The Giants played the Detroit Lions last week; in that game, quarterback Daniel Jones was spectacular, throwing for four touchdowns in a close game. Were it not for a questionable fumble returned for a touchdown, the Giants might've won the game. 

The Giants also traded with the New York Jets for defensive lineman Leonard Williams, which should help bolster their defense.

As for the Cowboys, they're coming off a bye week, before which they whooped the rival Philadelphia Eagles 37-10. They played their desired brand of football: run the ball with superstar running back Ezekiel Elliott, use as much time as possible, and play good defense. 

I think this game is closer than the spread might suggest. The Giants are a much different team than when these teams met in week 1. That was a 35-17 thumping by the Cowboys, but Eli Manning was the Giants quarterback, and the defense allowed Prescott to have a career game. 

I see this being a close game going into the fourth quarter before the Cowboys pull away. 

Pick: Dallas 34, New York 24

Patricia Traina

Monday Night Football has never been kind to me, especially when it's a home game. But just when I think I have it bad, I remember the Giants have it worse when it comes to Monday Night games. New York holds a 25-38-2 mark on MNF, and a 9-10 record at home. 

The Giants are a much different team than they were in Week 1, but I'm not so sure that "different" equals "better." I look at a defense that has undergone so many tweaks and is still in search of an identity. And I have concerns that Dak Prescott, who is engineering offensive performances to the tune of 400+ yards per game, is going to light up this Giants defense as it continues to find itself.

I also see a game against a Cowboys team that is likely still riding the wave from its big win over the Eagles two weeks ago and which is well rested coming out of their bye. 

I really want to believe again. But until I see it from all three phases of the game, I just can't.  

Pick: Cowboys 38, Giants 24