Game Preview: NYG at DAL

The MATCHUP

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-7) at DALLAS COWBOYS (5-3)

Game time: Sunday, 3:25 p.m. CST

TV/radio: ESPN-WFAA 8 / Compass Media, Westwood One Radio, Sirius XM-NFL, 105.3 The Fan, KMVK 107.5 La Grande (Spanish)

Broadcast teams: National TV – Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews (sidelines), Tom Rinaldi (sidelines); National Radio (Compass) – Kevin Ray, Danny White; Local Radio (English) – Brad Sham, Babe Laufenberg, Kristi Scales (sidelines); Local Radio (Spanish) – Victor Villalba, Luis Perez, Carlos Nava (sidelines)

Head Referee: Brad Rogers

Officiating Crew: Ramon George, Kent Payne, Kevin Codey, Aaron Santi, Anthony Jeffries, Tyree Walton, Durwood Manley, Chad Wakefield   

Last 5 Meetings:

09/10/2023 – Cowboys 40, Giants 0

11/24/2022 – Cowboys 28, Giants 20

09/26/2022 – Cowboys 23, Giants 16

12/19/2021 – Cowboys 21, Giants 6

10/10/2021 – Cowboys 44, Giants 20

All Time Head-to-Head: Cowboys lead 74-47-2

WHAT’s at STAKE

The Cowboys will again have to avoid a losing streak if they want to stay in touch with the NFC East leading Philadelphia Eagles. Good thing the New York Giants come to Arlington with an undrafted rookie quarterback making his first career NFL start. A loss to a Giants team that appears to be folding up for the season would be devastating for their postseason chances. A win would push the Cowboys to 6-3 on the season with another must-win game on the schedule next week in Carolina, before facing Washington in another big divisional game.

WHEN the COWBOYS HAVE the BALL

The Cowboys offense has been one of the best in the NFL over the past three games and that shouldn’t change on Sunday against the Giants. New York comes into the game as the 21st ranked defense in the NFL and hopefully the Cowboys can take advantage. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been uncoverable since Week six, grabbing 30 of 37 targets for 466 yards and two touchdowns. With cornerback Adoree Jackson out, Lamb will certainly see double coverage throughout the game from cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins and safeties Jason Pinnock and Xavier McKinney. If the Giants can take Lamb out of the game, then the emergence of tight end Jake Ferguson could prove pivotal in keeping the Cowboys offense humming on all cylinders. In the end, the Cowboys offense will find success if the offensive line plays well, and quarterback Dak Prescott continues to make the right decisions in and out of the pocket.

WHEN the GIANTS HAVE the BALL

The Giants will turn to rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito to lead an offense that features running back Saquon Barkley and little else. DeVito, a rookie free agent, is making the first start of his NFL career, after the Giants had to place Daniel Jones (knee) and Tyrod Taylor (ribs) on the injured reserve. That leaves running back Saquon Barkley to carry the load for the Giants offense. With that in mind, the Cowboys will most definitely stack the box in hopes of shutting down Barkley and forcing DeVito to beat them through the air. DeVito does have a few weapons in the passing game that he can rely on in Barkley, Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson. But the Giants are missing their biggest weapon through the air in tight end Darren Waller, who is also on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. It all adds up to a long day for the New York offense, and that should be just fine with a Cowboys defense that could see some of their top players pad their stats before taking a seat late in the game.

KEY COWBOYS to WATCH:

QB Dak Prescott – Despite some bumps in the road and on the road, the Cowboys quarterback is playing at a high level. Prescott has been nearly perfect over the last three games – completing 75 of 105 passes for 950 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception, while adding another 73 yards rushing and one touchdown with his legs. It has been his best stretch of football for the Cowboys since his ankle injury in 2020. In the first matchup against the Giants this season, Prescott was playing just his first game in the revamped offense head coach Mike McCarthy implemented in the offseason. Prescott was just 13 of 24 for 143 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions in the game. His last snap in that night came on a handoff to KaVontae Turpin with 11:39 to play in the game. It was a 7-yard touchdown run for the final points in a 40-0 blowout.

RB Tony Pollard – Going into the season, Pollard was being asked to be the No. 1 running back for the Cowboys offense. He has answered the call, averaging 18.6 touches per game this season, good enough for seventh in the NFL among running backs. Pollard has the 12th most carries this season with 120 and is tied for fifth among running backs with 29 receptions. He is ninth among NFL running backs with 85.9 yards per game from scrimmage. Pollard has totaled over 100 yards from scrimmage in three games this season – wins over the Jets and Chargers and the loss to Arizona. He now has 15 career games with over 100 yards from scrimmage. Pollard has picked it up in pass protection, where his 55 pass block attempts are tied for second among NFL running backs, and his 99-percent pass block efficiency is the highest of his career. Pollard was sharp in the first game against the Giants, where he rushed for 70 yards on 14 carries and had two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 12 yards.

FS Malik Hooker – Since arriving in Dallas, Hooker has been a consistent piece of the Cowboys defensive secondary. This season is no different. He has 28 tackles through eight games, and on pace for 59, which would be the second-best statistical season of his seven-year career. Hooker also has three tackles for loss, two passes knocked down, one forced fumble and one interception this season. In the first meeting with the Giants, Hooker set the tone early when he and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch laid a big hit on Giants running back Saquon Barkley on the opening play of the game. He was responsible for another three tackles on that opening drive for New York, while on his way to a five-tackle season opener.

KEY GIANTS to WATCH:

WR Wan’Dale Robinson – After suffering a knee injury in Week 11 of the 2022 season, Robinson made his season debut in Week 3 at San Francisco and has since been one of the league’s most efficient receivers. In his seven games this season, he has caught 27 passes on 33 targets an 81.8-catch percentage, which is second among all wide receivers in the NFL. Robinson had been held off the score sheet until Week 9, when he scored his first touchdown pass of the season on a 9-yard pass from Tommy DeVito. In just his second season and because of injury, this will be the first time Robinson will play against the Cowboys.

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux – Now in his second season, Thibodeaux is showing why he was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft. He leads the Giants in sacks with 8.5 this season, all coming since Week 3, which is tied for second most in that time span with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby and just a half sack behind Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack. Thibodeaux has recorded 26 tackles, with eight tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, one pass knocked down, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In the season opener, Thibodeaux was credited with four tackles, just one solo.

S Jason Pinnock – In his third season, Pinnock is one of the best players on the Giants defense. Paired with Xavier McKinney, Pinnock is fourth on the team in the tackles with 46, including four tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, three passes knocked down, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception. He has the Giants defensive highlight of the season, picking off Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailova and returned 102 yards for a pick-six. It was the Giants first takeaway of the season, and it came in Week 5. Pinnock is now third in the NFL in interception return yardage with 102, behind Dallas corner DaRon Bland (116 yards) and Indianapolis corner Kenny Moore II (115 yards). He had five tackles in the first meeting between the teams this season.

The BOTTOM LINE

The Cowboys beat the Giants by 40 points in the season opener and New York had all their starters available and were at home. This time the Cowboys host them at AT&T Stadium with rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito making the first start of his young career. It should be the perfect opportunity for the Cowboys to take out some of their frustration from losing in Philadelphia last week. With the way the Cowboys offense has been clicking, and the Giants offense being led by a quarterback with all of 27 professional passes under his belt, this one should be over by halftime.

Prediction: Cowboys 42, Giants 6