New York Giants Week 5 Loss: By the Numbers
Just when they were gradually climbing their way back up the steep ascent of an 0-3 start following a big comeback win against the New Orleans Saints last week, the New York Giants lost their grip and took a plummeting tumble.
Suffering a devastating 44-20 loss against the Dallas Cowboys (their worst of the season so far), this Giants team also endured a handful of tough injuries that not only cost them this game but might have severely jeopardized their hopes at a playoff berth this season.
Outside of the high-scoring affair, several statistics illustrate influencing factors that shaped the outcome of this matchup and the future of this season.
In this edition, we will analyze the top five most significant numbers from the Giants 44-20 loss to the Cowboys.
Two Touchdowns From Devontae Booker
Frankly, there are not many positives you can take away from the Giants' performance against the Cowboys. But one of them was the red-zone efficiency from running back Devontae Booker.
Though he only ran for 42 yards on 16 carries with just a 2.6 yards per attempt average to show for, Booker delivered when the Giants needed him to, which is a good sign considering the Giants are last in the league in red-zone conversion rate (33.3 percent).
After quarterback Daniel Jones left the game following a 3rd-and-goal attempt, the Giants handed the ball off to Booker, whose 1-yard touchdown run capped a 12-play, 88-yard drive that lasted nearly six minutes.
Despite needing three attempts to finally break the plane, Booker’s grit and determination was a welcoming sight, particularly with running back Saquon Barkley, sidelined with an ankle injury.
For his second touchdown, Booker’s toughness and talent came to life. On what was another 4th-and-goal play, Booker hauled in a 3-yard pass that nearly led him to be downed by contact. But before the Cowboy defender could touch him, Booker managed to get off of his knee, making a superman-stretch-leap to break the plane for a touchdown despite his helmet being pulled off.
Booker finished with a team-high 42 yards on his 16 carries. His fourth-quarter score was his first touchdown for the Giants and first since Nov. 15, 2020, when he scored twice for the Las Vegas Raiders against Denver.
Booker also caught three passes for 16 yards, the last a three-yard touchdown with 3:16 remaining, becoming the second Giants back in as many games to score on a rush and a reception.
In short, Booker showed the heart and fight he has within him. After a brutal loss like that, his performance was an encouraging sign for an offense that might have to count on him a little more in the next week or so.
Penalties
Although the Giants had only five penalties, three were of the disciplinary variety, something that contradicts the team's style of football head coach Joe Judge demands.
The first was an unnecessary roughness call on rookie edge rusher Azeez Ojulari late in the third quarter. On a key 3rd-and-7, Ojulari charged in and unleashed a head-to-head hit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. As a result, the Giants were penalized 15 yards and conceded a big first down.
The second penalty was the unnecessary roughness call against rookie wide receiver Kadarius Toney. Toney took exception to how Cowboys defensive back Damontae Kazee and friends were wrestling him to the ground, and he threw a punch at Kazee, which riled up the Cowboys as well.
Though there were off-setting penalties called, Toney was ejected from the game and now potentially faces discipline from the league and Judge, who condoned the rookie's action.
Last but not least, defensive lineman Leonard Williams was at fault for the third Giants unnecessary roughness penalty, this one occurring late in the fourth quarter.
On the tail end of a two-yard run from running back Tony Pollard, Williams appeared to yank off his helmet despite being unprovoked by the running back. The Giants were penalized 15 yards, and the Cowboys secured another field goal soon after.
515 Total Net Yards
This Giants defense was once a smooth-running machine a year ago, but it's been tricky for it to replicate that success this season.
This week, New York conceded a season-high 515 net yards to the Cowboys and had no answers on slowing down Dak Prescott and company.
Prescott threw for 302 yards while Ezekiel Elliot and Pollard combined for 185 yards on the ground. The Cowboys posted an average gain of 7.0 yards per play, demonstrating an elite level of consistency and balance that overwhelmed a Giants defense that all too often looked deflated and outmatched.
Three Horrible Injuries
Entering into a Week 5 matchup with an already ailing starting offensive lineup--left tackle Andrew Thomas continued to deal with a foot ailment while receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were sidelined again with hamstring strains-- the Giants injury setbacks went from bad to worse.
In the dying seconds of the first quarter, Barkley stepped on the foot of a Cowboys defender, sharply twisting his ankle that caused him to be carted off the field shortly afterward. According to an NFL Network report, Barkley didn't break his ankle, nor did he suffer a high ankle sprain, but he's almost certain to miss at least the next game, if not more, while he recovers.
Later in the second quarter, as the Giants inched closer to the Dallas goal line, Jones took off with the ball, looking to get into the end zone. He lowered his head and tried to drive the oncoming defender back with his shoulder but made direct head-to-head contact before being taken down just short of the goal line.
Despite getting up to his own two feet, Jones had difficulty walking off the field and had to be carted off. He was later diagnosed with a concussion and will enter the protocol this week, his availability for next week a question mark.
Soon after Jones left the game, receiver Kenny Golladay left with a hyperextended knee that he said he twisted in the first quarter. Golladay told reporters after the game that he was to have an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
189 Receiving Yards
Rookie receiver Kadarius Toney had a huge game, catching 10 out of 13 passes for 189 yards. That performance comes on the heels of an impressive showing against the Saints last week.
This week, Toney averaged 18.9 yards per reception while gathering 38 yards off of one catch alone. Leading the team by a mile with his 13 targets, Toney reminded the Giants why he was worth trading up for in the draft at 20th overall and showed spurts of his inner-Tyreek Hill abilities by proving himself to be a viable weapon for this offense.
More from Giants Country
- Giants RB Saquon Barkley Exits Cowboys Game with An Ankle Injury
- Giants Week 5 Inactive Report: Offensive Tackle Andrew Thomas Active
- Giants QB Daniel Jones Exits Game For Head Injury Evaluation
- Giants Receiver Kenny Golladay Suffers Knee Injury
- Giants Schooled by Cowboys 44-20 in a Potentially Costly Game
- New York Giants Fall to Dallas Cowboys, 44-20: Instant Reaction
- Giants Head Coach Joe Judge: Kadarius Toney's Actions Won't Be Accepted
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