New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: First Look
The NFL schedule makers probably did the Giants a favor without them realizing it.
New York had its first four games against teams with coaches and systems in place from the previous year and talent that was a lot more established and comfortable within the schemes being asked of it.
So with the Giants, like everyone else in the NFL, having no true litmus test to gauge how far they had come under the direction of head coach Joe Judge and coordinators Jason Garrett and Patrick Graham, they had to figure it out using four games that counted in the standings.
So here we are, Week 5. The Giants are getting ready to face the first of their division opponents this weekend, the Dallas Cowboys and a team that has one win to its name thanks to a “watermelon kick” that saved them against a struggling Falcons team in Week 2.
The game kicks off a stretch of football in which the Giants will see five out of their next six opponents from the division, and is one designed to tell us if the Giants are making more progress than their won-loss record thus far would suggest.
What can we expect? Well, if the Giants have taught us nothing else, it’s to expect the unexpected. So let’s go ahead and see what the Cowboys have to offer.
Cowboys on Offense
Despite having some injury issues along their All-World offensive line--center Joe Looney is not expected to play due to a knee injury, La'el Collins is on IR with a hip issue, and left tackle Tyron Smith was held out of Wednesday's practice for undisclosed reasons--the Cowboys are still third in the NFL in scoring (31.5 points per game).
They have a legitimate running threat in Ezekiel Elliott, who leads a rushing offense ranked 25th in the league, and arguably two No. 1 receivers in CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper, who have combined for 58 receptions for 710 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cowboys top three receivers—Lamb, Cooper, and Michael Gallup—are all carrying ratings of 125 or higher, as they have burned opposing defenses. Quarterback Dak Prescott is currently ranked fourth among signal-callers who have attempted at least 30 deep passing attempts this season, as he’s completed 12 out of 25 deep attempts for 438 yards and four touchdowns to just one interception.
The Giants haven’t been tested deep by opponents thus far this season; I would expect that to change this weekend, especially given the injuries at safety (Jabrill Peppers, Julian Love, and Adrian Colbert are all banged up).
And have I mentioned quarterback Dak Prescott, who has been something of a thorn in the Giants side given his ability to extend plays with his legs since taking over as the starting quarterback?
In eight games against the Giants, Prescott holds a 6-2 record. He's completed 61.3% of his pass attempts--176 out of 287 for 2,201 yards--and has thrown 17 touchdowns to just three interceptions. As a runner, he has 119 yards on 30 carries this year, the Giants better be ready for this dual-threat.
"This offense is very explosive," head coach Joe Judge said. "I think (offensive coordinator) Kellen’s (Moore) done a great job of taking this offense and adding his spin to it, mixing in a large combination of misdirection, RPOs, and things that really help the quarterback.
"Obviously, with Mike’s (McCarthy) influence, they’ve put enough changes on it from previous years that it keeps you on your toes."
Cowboys on Defense
Thus far, what the Cowboys have put on the field defensively cannot be what team owner/general manager Jerry Jones envisioned.
The Cowboys defense is ranked 30th overall (430.5 yards per game allowed), 31st against the run (172.5 yards/game), and 23rd against the pass (258.0 yards/game).
They are coming off a franchise-record setting 307 rushing yards allowed to Cleveland last week and are ranked dead last in points allowed as a defense, having allowed 36.5 points per game to opponents.
So what's going on with Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's group? Well, as Cowboys Maven Mike Fisher reports, head coach Mike McCarthy has reaffirmed his confidence in Nolan and has declined to identify scheme, talent, or coaching as being the root cause of the Cowboys defense's struggles.
So what have the Cowboys been doing well on defense?
"In terms of the defense, it all starts with the edge rushers right there upfront," said Judge. "They’ve done a good job of really putting pressure on opponents. It starts with really trying to make you one dimensional and let the pass rushers go at your quarterback and try to put pressure on your passing game right there."
Edge rusher Aldon Smith has been a big reason why the Cowboys defense hasn't gone quiet in the night. Smith has four sacks, and seven quarterback hits through four games, putting him third in the league in both categories.
That's not good news for a Giants offense that so far has allowed 74 pressures in four games, including 14 sacks.
Fortunately, the Giants' running game started to show signs of life last week (though the one thing you'd rather not see is the starting quarterback leading the team in rushing, as he currently does right now with his 137 yards on the ground.
The Giants have been striving for balance on offense, and they came close to finding it last week against the Rams.
Given the Cowboys struggles in their defensive secondary--the Cowboys released cornerback Brandon Carr after only 21 snaps played despite being shorthanded in their secondary--if the Giants, who last week found a way to keep defensive lineman Aaron Donald from wrecking their birthday party--can do the same against Smith, perhaps there might be some opportunities to take a few more shots down the field than the two per game the Giants have averaged thus far.
