Key Opponent Matchup: Giants Pass Rush vs. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be under the pressure of playing for a new contract this season. The Cowboys placed the exclusive franchise tag on their 26-year-old quarterback to keep Prescott in Dallas for one year on a $31.4 million salary.
Now the pressure is on Prescott to show he's not only worth that money but worthy of a new long-term extension that might rival what Patrick Mahomes recently received from the Chiefs.
Prescott's performance against the Giants in recent years alone has done nothing but bolster his case for a big payday. He's thrown for 16 touchdowns to just one interception dating back to 2017 and has avoided taking any sacks in four of his last six meetings against the Giants.
The only time the Giants ever had their way against Prescott was in his rookie season in 2016 when the Giants handed Prescott a loss in his first start. In that game, the Giants stifled Prescott and the Cowboys offense with strong interior run defense and top-end play from their secondary.
That combination opened opportunities for a pass-rush group that wasn't elite, but serviceable and experienced enough to put pressure on Prescott, and contain him in the pocket.
All the players from that defense are no longer on the Giants; however, general manager Dave Gettleman has put together a squad that at least resembles the defensive strengths of the 2016 team.
The Giants defensive line has been bolstered with run-stopping talent that hopes to make the Cowboys' offense more one-dimensional. Defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson, Leonard Williams, and Dexter Lawrence combined for 82 run defense stops of zero or negative yards after Williams was acquired in the middle of last season.
However, the unit will have to step up its game if it is going to put pass-rush pressure on the slippery Prescott in 2020. The Giants did not record a single sack on Prescott in either game last season, and their interior defensive line as a whole only racked up 11.5 total sacks between six contributing players.
There is reason to believe these numbers will improve in 2020. While the sack numbers may not reflect it, the defensive line could force a respectable amount of quarterback pressures.
According to Pro Football Focus, no player had a significant difference between their pressure rate and sack rate rank than Williams. He ranked 13th in pressure rate at 11.3 percent (out of 87 defensive linemen) and tied for the lead in quarterback hits (19) with Calais Campbell.
Meanwhile, Lawrence, who is entering his second season, recorded 30 total pressures in 412 total pass-rush snaps, resulting in 2.5 sacks. Lawrence primarily worked inside as the nose tackle but showed some intriguing promise to move along the interior and attack gaps.
Even if they can't get to Prescott themselves, absorbing as many blockers as possible will open up gaps for the Giants' edge rushers.
In 2020 the Giants edge rusher group will look very similar to last year's after Gettleman added just one player in free agency and didn't use any of his picks on the first two days of the draft to address the position group.
But the Giants are hoping for overall improvement from the group, and their best hope includes young edge rushers Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines, who each tied for second on the team in sacks last year with 4.5.
While the unit may not boast the elite pass rush ability by NFL standards, the defensive pieces that surround them upfront and in the secondary could create opportunities to rush a quarterback already under the pressure of having to justify the coin he's due to receive in 2020.
