New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys, Week 17 | How and What To Watch
This is it for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.
The winner of this regular-season finale will be glued to the television tonight to see how the Washington-Philadelphia game unfolds as if the understaffed Eagles beats Washington, the winner of this afternoon NFC East showdown at MetLife Stadium will win the division.
Meanwhile, the loser will head into the off-season looking to break down what went right and what went wrong.
Besides the playoff implications being the main story, from the Giants' perspective, quarterback Daniel Jones has a golden opportunity to quiet his critics once and for all with a strong showing. Jones has never been in this kind of pressure position before where it’s literally “sink or swim.”
With the way the coaching staff has been singing his praises over the last several weeks—his toughness, his progress, his grit, his intelligence, and all else—it certainly would be reassuring if Jones can deliver in a big-time spot as only a true franchise quarterback can.
Can Jones put the Giants in a position to be the scoreboard watchers this evening?
Keep it here at Giants Country, where Jackson Thompson will be running the gameday blog covering all the Giants-Cowboys action. We'll also have complete postgame coverage featuring analysis, quotes, and much more.
TV: FOX (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, & Erin Andrews)
Game information: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
Current Records: Giants 5-10 / Cowboys 6-9
Date/Time: Sunday, January 3 at 1:05 p.m. ET
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Streaming: Yahoo! Sports (mobile browser or app) – Check local listings - Data charges may apply. NFL Sunday Ticket
Radio: WFAN 660 AM (Bob Papa, Carl Banks)
Referee: Brad Allen
Money Line: Cowboys -118/ Giants +100 (via BetMGM)
Spread: +1.5 Giants / -1.5 Cowboys
Over/Under: O 44.5 (-110), Cowboys / U43.5 (-110), Giants
The Series
- Series Meetings: 117
- Giants’ Overall Record: 45-69-2
- Home: 25-31-1
- Away: 20-38-1
Giants Injuries:
- WR Golden Tate (calf) – Doubtful
- OLB Cam Brown (illness) – Questionable
*FB Eli Penny (illness) was placed on injured reserve
Cowboys Injuries:
- CB Rashad Robinson (knee) – Out
- LB Leighton Vander Esch (ankle) – Out
- S Xavier Woods (ribs) – Questionable
Giants - What to Watch For:
- Look to improve to 6-5 all-time in the month of January. The last time the Giants played a regular season game in January was in 2017 when they defeated the Washington Football Team 19-10.
- With a win against Dallas, the Giants can finish 3-0 versus the NFC East at home for the first time since 2005.
- QB Daniel Jones needs 15 yards (685) to reach 700 rushing yards for his career.
- TE Evan Engram needs 4 receptions (61) to surpass his career-high of 64 (2017).
- WR Sterling Shepard needs 9 receptions (58) to surpass his career high of 66 (2018).
- K Graham Gano needs 1 more converted field goal (29 in a row) to move into first all-time in franchise history for consecutive field goals made. (Josh Brown, 29).
The Last Time: Cowboys 37, Giants 34 (10/11/2020)
In the third quarter of the Week 5 matchup between the Giants and Cowboys played at AT&T Stadium, kicker Graham Gano converted a 55-yard field goal. It was his third 50+ yard field goal of the game.
Gano became the first player in Giants history to kick three field goals of 50 or more yards in a game. The first-year Giant kicked field goals of 55, 50 and 54 yards, plus a 28-yarder.
Goal to Go: Perspective
The whole reason why coaches spend hours upon hours planning the tiniest of detail, why players go through hours of intense training and film study, and why organizations sink millions of dollars into their football programs is for one thing and one thing alone.
To be crowned the best in the league.
The Giants? Well, they're still in the postseason hunt despite not many people believing they'd be in this position by Week 17, where if they win and Washington loses, the Giants, who'd have a 6-10 record, would be crowned NFC East champions.
But if the Giants come up short of winning the division and the right to challenge for the ultimate prize, that won't necessarily mean the season has been a disappointment, according to head coach Joe Judge.
"I think there are a lot of things in terms of what we set out to accomplish this year that no one game is going to go ahead and define the season," Judge said in keeping things in perspective.
"I’m proud of the culture and the foundation we’ve laid and the work ethic and urgency we’ve instilled in these players going forward. That being said, there are many things we need to do better as an organization across the board going forward. We have to keep building this thing in the right direction.
"But I know there’s a vision going forward and there are a lot of people pointing in the right direction right now. So yeah, absolutely."
But if they do manage to win, well, again, that's what it's all about, and there's no doubt that if that happens and they make the playoffs, Judge, who's been reluctant to talk about that, will only be too happy to share his true feelings about whoever does end up next on the Giants' schedule.
This Week on Giants Country:
- Giants Transactions | Kyler Fackrell, Madre Harper Activated Off Injured Reserve
- Weighing the Good and the Bad of General Manager Dave Gettleman's Tenure
- How Giants O-line's Chemistry Was Challenged in 2020
- Dante Pettis Reveals Why He's Been Slow to Crack into Giants Lineup
- Why the Giants Will Beat the Cowboys, Why They Won't and What Will Happen
- Are Giants Playing a Cat-and-Mouse Game with Cowboys Regarding Plans for Daniel Jones?
- How Saquon Barkley and Dak Prescott Have Inspired Their Respective Teams Behind the Scenes
- How the Lower Body Injuries Have Affected Daniel Jones, Designing the Right System for His Talents, and More
- New York Giants Week 17 Matchup: First Look at Cowboys' Defense
- New York Giants Week 17 Matchup: First Look at Cowboys' Offense
- Giants Think They Can Keep Up with Dallas Cowboys in a Scoring Showdown
- Daniel Jones Offers a Candid Admission About His Injury-Related Limitations
