New York Giants - Dallas Cowboys Week 5 Blog & Discussion

At 0-4, the Giants Week 5 matchup against the 1-3 Dallas Cowboys might as well be the Super Bowl for them at this point.

The Giants have lost six in a row to their division rival and are desperately looking for the first win of head coach Joe Judge's tenure.

With an offense and second-year quarterback that has ranked among the worst in the NFL through the first month, the Giants have an opportunity to finally get into a rhythm against the Cowboys defense, which currently ranks near the bottom of the NFL.

Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who previously led the Cowboys as head coach from 2010-19, will undoubtedly be looking to get his unit going against his former team to help deliver the Giants their first win and make his presence known to his former employer.

On the other side of the ball, the Giants' defense, which has surprised many so far this season ranking fifth in the NFL in yardage allowed, will be tested against a Cowboys offense that leads the league in scoring.

However, that offense will be without its franchise left tackle, as Cowboys veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith is set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. Cowboys starting center Joe Looney will also be out with a knee issue.

Can the Giants finally get into the win column? Join the discussion below with your fellow Giants fans as led by Giants Country's Jackson Thompson (@Jacksonbht), who will update you throughout the game as we find out.

You can also follow senior editor Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) for updates as well.

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Pregame

The Giants could be getting some more help around the division this week, with the Pittsburgh Steelers currently leading the first-place Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams out in front of the 1-3 Washington Football Team.

If Both of those scores hold, the Giants will still just be 1.5 games out of the division lead by kickoff of their game against Dallas, who could be fighting to jump into first place themselves against the Giants.

On the injury front the Giants will have safety Jabrill Peppers available, who will be making his return after missing last week with a low ankle sprain.

Peppers was a limited participant in practice this week and questionable to play, but it appears the Giants will have their special teams captain and ace safety in some capacity, even if not at his typical workload.

First Quarter

The Cowboys get into the red zone on the opening drive of the game, and the Giants have helped them out a bit with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, which was compounded by an offsides penalty by the Giants' defense that was declined.

The opening drive is not a good showing of discipline so far for the Giants' defense.

A rookie battle in the endzone between Cowboys first-round rookie wide receiver CeeDee La,b and Giants fourth-round rookie cornerback Darnay Holmes goes the Giants' way. Holmes breaks up a third-down touchdown pass to Lamb and the Giants are able to stop the Cowboys offense inside the five-yard line to force a field goal try.

However, Giants linebacker Lorenzo Carter appears to have suffered a lower-body injury and is unable to walk off the field under his own power and needs to be carted off. Carter was putting his best season together for the Giants and his loss would be a huge blow to the Giants' defense.

Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein connects on a chip-shot field goal to give the Cowboys an opening-drive score.

Cowboys lead 3-0.

The Giants get a good nine-yard run by Devonta Freeman and a good 12-yard pass from Daniel Jones to Darius Slayton to start their opening drive.

An illegal block in the back wipes out a nine-yard screen pass from Jones to Freeman, then a roughing-the-passer penalty by Cowboys linebacker Joe Thomas gives the Giants a first down. There have been four penalties called so far in the first six minutes of the game.

Giants offensive coordinator and former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett pulls out a trick play with a flee-flicker pass to Slayton for 12 yards and another Giants first down.

Garrett pulls out another trick play at the goal line and runs an end-around to tight end Evan Engram who gets around the Cowboys' edge and gets into the endzone for a Giants touchdown.

Giants lead 7-3.

TOUCHDOWN, @eazyengram ‼️#NYGvsDAL | #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/mI3HTj4IPV
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 11, 2020

That's Engram first touchdown of the season and ends an eight-quarter touchdown drought for the Giants' offense. It's also the Giants' first first-quarter touchdown of the season.

Giants edge rusher Kyler Fackrell picks off a tipped ball off the fingers of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and takes it all the way back for a pick six.

Giants lead 14-3.

Fackrell scores the Giants first defensive touchdown of the season and the Giants have their first double-digit lead of the season.

PICK SIX ALERT! 🚨 Kyler Fackrell takes it to the 🏠 #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/ECgACTxM5E
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) October 11, 2020

Giants edge rusher Markus Golden gets his first sack of the season, sharing it with Holmes on first down.

The Giants will be looking to lean on Golden a lot with Oshane Ximines on IR and now Carter suffering an ankle injury.

Golden led the Giants in sacks last season with 10 in 16 starts and now this is his opportunity to re-establish himself as a core part of the Giants defense as a proven veteran.

Eli Penny gets his first carry of the day to give the Giants a first down on another deceptive play by the Giants' offense.

The Giants have leaned on the run game and short passing plays in the early going and its worked out ideally for the offense. The Giants have already picked up five first downs, are outgaining the Cowboys on the ground 42-14 and are winning the time-of-possession battle 8:48-6:12

The Cowboys defense comes up with its first stop of the game at its own 38-yard line, but Giants kicker Graham Gano is able to connect on a 55-yard field goal attempt to give the Giants a 14-point lead.

Giants lead 17-3.

Second Quarter

The Cowboys are putting together a methodical drive of their own with a nine-play drive that has put them at the border of the red zone with a balanced attack of pass and run plays.

The Cowboys cap off the drive by punching it into the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run by Elliott, cutting the Giants' lead to one possession.

Giants lead 17-10.

The Cowboys' last drive was the longest of the game, as they drove slowly down the field on 14 plays, burning 6:59 off the clock.

Cowboys edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence beats Giants rookie offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and knocks the ball out of Jones' hands. Cornerback Anthony Brown returns it for a touchdown to tie the game.

Game tied at 17.

That's Jones' eighth turnover of the season and another sack given up by Thomas. For the Giants, it's their latest case of costly and untimely mistakes and the cushion that the Giants had built for themselves is now gone.

Whole new ball game

A fake field goal touchdown to tight end Evan Engram is wiped out by an illegal shift penalty on offensive tackle Cameron Fleming and the Giants have to settle for a go-ahead field goal by Gano.

Giants lead 20-17.

It would have been the special teams play of the season, as the Giants caught the Cowboys' defense sleeping and punter Riley Dixon would have had his first career touchdown pass, but another costly mistake nullifies it and puts a hard dent into the Giants' momentum.

Colbert gets called with another untimely personal foul penalty on a helmet-to-helmet hit on Lamb and puts the Cowboys offense at the Giants' 11-yard line with 23 seconds left in the half. The Cowboys are looking for their first lead of the game.

The Cowboys pull out a trick play of their own, running an emulated version of the Philly special on a touchdown pass from Cedrick Wilson to Prescott and the Cowboys take their first lead just before the half.

Cowboys lead 24-20.

Halftime

The Giants' best offensive effort of the season is seemingly wasted by the team's latest handful of untimely mistakes.

A bad fumble by Jones, a pair of unnecessary roughness penalties on Colbert, an absolutely crushing illegal shift penalty on Fleming and back-to-back defensive breakdowns means the Giants will have to fight for their lives in the second half of a game they should be leading.

After a couple of solid early series for the Giants defense, the unit has had no answers for the Cowboys passing game and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will have a litany of adjustments to make at halftime.

The good news for the Giants is they will get the ball to start the half and an opportunity to lead a go-ahead drive.

The Giants offense has looked functional today, but nothing spectacular yet and its left some meat on the bone in terms of points.

How Garrett calls the remainder of the game will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.

Third Quarter

Jones' first pass of the second half is a deep pass for Slayton, who got behind the Cowboys defenders but the pass is just a bit too far and falls out of reach of Slayton. A more accurate pass by Jones would have been a touchdown but another minor mistake costs the Giants.

The Giants nearly overcome the missed pass to Slayton as Jones completes a long touchdown pass to a wide-open Slayton, but a ticky tacky offensive pass interference call against wide receiver Damion Ratley wipes it out and pushes the Giants out of field-goal range.

Then a 12-men-on-the-field penalty pushes the Giants back into field goal Range and Gano capitalizes from 54 yards out.

Cowboys lead 24-23.

Gano is the first Giant in the Super Bowl era to hit three field goals from 50+ yards out.

Gano right down Broadway. Becomes first Giants kicker in SB era with 3 FGs of 50+ yards.
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) October 11, 2020

Prescott is down with what appears to be an ankle and needs the training staff to come onto the field. The injury does not look good and Cowboys backup Andy Dalton is getting ready to come in the game.

Prescott is carted off the field in tears knowing that the injury is serious. Prescott has been a franchise anchor for the Cowboys ever since being drafted in 2016, never missing a start. It's a hard site to see for Cowboys fans.

Dak Prescott is one of the toughest in the business from a physical and mental level and he'll overcome whatever it is.
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) October 11, 2020

Elliott takes the ball in from 12 yards to cap off a 10-play 79-yard touchdown drive and extend Dallas' lead to eight points, their largest of the game.

Cowboys lead 31-23.

Prescott's injury is deemed a right ankle injury and he is on the way to the hospital to undergo further evaluation.

Another long Giants drive stalls inside the red zone as they have to settle for a 28-yard Gano field goal. Gano has scored 12 of the Giants 26 points today on four field goals and the Giants trail by just five.

Cowboys lead 31-26.

Dalton mishandles the snap from rookie center Tyler Biadasz and it is fumbled and recovered by the Giants inside the red zone. The Giants will take over with their best starting field position of the game looking for a go-ahead touchdown.

Devonta Freeman punches it in from four yards out for his first Giants touchdown to give the Giants their first lead since the second quarterter. A two-point conversion attempt on a pass to Thomas of all players gives the Giants a three-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Giants lead 34-31.

The Giants defense bends but doesn't break on the Cowboys' ensuing drive, making the third-down stop at their own 23-yard line, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a 40-yard game-tying field goal by Zuerlein.

Game is tied 34-34.

Jones will come onto the field with a chance to lead a game-winning drive with less than two minutes remaining. The Giants just need a field goal to win.

Jones and the offense is stalled at their own 39-yard line and the Giants a forced to punt. Dalton will get the ball at the Cowboys' 12-yard line with 52 seconds and all three timeouts.

Dalton leads the Cowboys down to the Giants' 16-yard line and Zuerlein connects on a 34-yard field goal to give Dallas the win.

Cowboys win 37-34.

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