By Michael Stewart/@TheTruthNYG
The New York Giants will be hosting the Dallas Cowboys in a game that will only be about pride for the Giants. The Cowboys dismantled the Giants earlier in the season 44-20 and the score really didn’t indicate how poorly the Giants played in that game and how the score could have been a lot worse. The Giants will be without quarterback Daniel Jones once again as reports have him seeing a spine specialist this week, so it’s unclear if Jones is done for the season. The odds are stacked against the Giants in this game, but here are my top 5 ways the Giants could upset the Cowboys.
- Giants rushing attack: The Giants must commit to the running game as they can’t expect to win with backup Mike Glennon slinging the ball around. Last week against the 2nd worse run defense (Chargers) the Giants failed to run the ball consistently and keep the ball away from Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense; and the results was a 37-21 loss. Dallas defense has some talent, but they are yielding yardage and the Giants must exploit this and run the ball with Barkley and Booker at the very least 70% of the offensive plays.
- Giants Defense plays lights out: The Giants defense has had an up and down season, but they must somehow dip into their bag of tricks and have the game of their lives collectively. Defensive front 7 must pressure quarterback Dak Prescott; while also limiting Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys running attack. The Giants secondary will have their hands full with wide outs Amari Cooper, Cee Dee Lamb and Michael Gallup, I don’t expect the Giants secondary to shout down this trio, but if they can limit the big plays and keep the play in front of them; it will definitely give them a fighting chance.
- Miss Opportunities: This is a category with many stat lines included such as: Red Zone efficiency, 3rd down conversions/turnover ratio and special teams play. The Giants have been well below average in all of these categories, so in order for them to win this game; they must somehow turn these misfortunes around and win many of these stat lines.
- Time of Possession: Here’s another category the Giants have taken to another level in a bad way. In their 13 games this season, the Giants have only won the time of possession twice and in both games, they won the game: Coincidence? I think not. If the Giants don’t control the clock and keep the ball out of the hands of the Cowboys’ offense for at least 35 minutes of the game, it’s going to get ugly really quick for the Giants.
- Pride: Here’s one I have never listed before, but I feel it deserves to be among the top 5 in this game. The Giants have nothing to play for in terms of the playoff picture, but this is the Dallas Cowboys and to allow them to come into your home field and win this game; shouldn’t be acceptable and a major motivator for this team. Each player needs to look in the mirror and challenge themselves and give their best effort and leave it all on the field.
The Cowboys are currently 10.5 points favorites in this game and this could be higher as we get closer to game time. I expect a very physical and emotional game from both teams as these two teams really don’t like one another. Expect the Cowboys defensively to load the box and put the ball in Mike Glennon hands to beat them. Expect the Cowboys offense to throw the kitchen sink at the Giants and stretch the field vertically. I expect the Giants defense to play with a lot of heart and their offense to struggle scoring points. In the end, the results will nearly mirror their first meeting:
Final Score: Dallas-35/Giants-17.