Cowboys @ Giants
Final Score: DAL 20 – NYG 15
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
It was a sloppy flag-fest, to say the least, but Dallas came into East Rutherford and handled business against a much improved Giants squad on Thursday Night Football.
Three Up
- CeeDee Lamb, WR (DAL) – He faded a bit towards the end of the game, but it was definitely the Lamb Show early to kick the game off. After last Sunday’s theatrics and his statement of apology during the week, Lamb came out like a man on a mission and Dak Prescott was happy to feed the ball to him. Granted, it’s against a Giants secondary that no one would label the jewel of the league, but he got the Cowboys rolling and moved the ball well to the glee of fantasy owners.
- Dak Prescott, QB (DAL) – It’s quite clear that the 2024 Cowboys will only go as far as Dak wills them to. Prescott was precise and decisive on the night, lobbing the ball around through tight windows and getting decent gains early and often. The league leader in passing yards racked up another 221 to go with his two TDs and kept pace with the death-by-a-thousand cuts that was the New York offense.
- Daniel Jones, QB (NYG) – For all the jokes, all the memes, Daniel Jones actually did extremely well on Thursday night. Minus the interception on the final Giants play of the game, he was fairly efficient, taking what the Dallas defense gave him, maneuvering in the pocket to avoid the pass rush, and finding multiple receivers open for solid gains. The fact that he was able to keep the Giants moving with long time-consuming drives was a testament to the improvement we’ve seen from him over the last few weeks. You would like to see some better results instead of five straight field goals, but it was a welcome change for fantasy owners and Giants fans as compared to his typical turnovers.
Three Down
- Injuries – I don’t know what was going on down in New Jersey, but injuries were galore on both sides and it was disquieting to see. Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Malik Nabers, Trevon Diggs, and Zack Martin among a number of others all had to be taken out throughout the game, with a few not returning to finish the contest. Injuries suck no matter what side you’re rooting for, and the hope is all sides came out of this Week 4 matchup healthy. (NOTE: Parsons had X-rays late on his leg that came back negative, and Nabers was diagnosed with a concussion towards the end of the game and has entered league protocol.)
- Ref. Ball – I’m not exactly sure who told the refs that viewers tune in to watch them sling that flag around, but wow, did it sure feel that way here. I understand making good calls, and sure – there were indeed some decent calls made. But 16 total penalties? Yes, these are sloppy teams, but SIXTEEN? Then, to further add insult to injury, the amount of downtime spent picking up incorrect flags, figuring out the call, or placing the ball correctly, was RIDICULOUS. For a prime-time game, with the country tuning in – the NFL needs to put forth a better product.
- Ezekiel Elliott, RB (DAL) – It’s well-known how badly the Cowboys have struggled to run the ball this season. You’d think it’d be all hands on deck until something eventually sticks, but it was clear that Elliott was nothing but an afterthought tonight with Rico Dowdle seizing most of the touches out of the backfield. Time comes for all of us, and it may finally be time to fade Zeke to the bench if you haven’t already done so.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott: 22/27, 221 Yards, 2 TDs | 2 Carries, -1 Yards
With a struggling defense and a nonexistent running game, the ball is clearly in the $60-million-dollar-man’s hands, and he took it in stride on the night.
It wasn’t the usual beatdown we’re accustomed to seeing from Prescott against their division basement-dwelling opponent, but Dak managed a solid game and came out on top with his 13th consecutive win against New York – tying Steve Young for second in NFL history against a same opponent, behind only Bob Griese and his 17 against the Miami Dolphins in the ’60s and ’70s.
It took a drive, but once settled, Prescott led the Cowboys to two quick scores to Dowdle and Lamb and kept the offense in position to continually extend their lead, placing themselves in field goal position a multitude of times to seal the win. There were a few moments on the night when the pass rush caught up to Dak and forced the ball out early. When coupled with an excessive multitude of flags, it put a damper on what likely would have been a better night. Still, the Dallas QB got the win and led the Cowboys to 2-2 on the season with a nice 10 days of rest until their next football game.
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: 11 Carries, 46 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 15 Yards, 1 TD
It wasn’t much, but it was certainly honest work on the road in New York.
Dowdle got the start and was featured heavily for the Cowboys that night. There was a clear focus on trying to get the run game moving, but it never really looked to take off until the second half of the game. At a certain point early, Dowdle was averaging just 2.0 yards per carry. Still, he put in work and scored the game’s first TD on a solid catch and run in the first quarter.
You can’t expect historic games from Dallas’ backfield at this point, but if he’s your only fantasy option, he at least rewarded your faith with some points on Thursday night.
Ezekiel Elliott: 5 Carries, 19 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
The time has come to set aside the old in Big D.
The backfield has clearly been ceded to Dowdle, and though it hasn’t resulted in any real eye-popping production, it’s clear that Dallas wants to rely on the younger running back to revive a struggling facet of their offense as the season trudges on. Things change frequently in this league, but it’s a bad sign that his usage has continued to decrease with each week.
Hunter Luepke: 2 Carries, 14 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
CeeDee Lamb: 8 Targets, 7 Receptions, 98 Yards, 1 TD | 3 Carries, 8 Yards
Lamb clearly wanted to put his past antics behind him, and to start the game off the way he did was a very refreshing sign.
It actually felt like Prescott could only throw Lamb’s way, and was money on each of them in the early game drives – culminating eventually to his 55-yard catch-and-run TD that the elite wideout plucked out of the air and outraced every defender to the endzone for. A week removed from his whining antics on the sideline and the subsequent apology to fans and teammates, Lamb made good on his promise to be better and rewarded those who had faith in him with a very solid game.
His increased usage in the running game was a nice touch as well, though Dallas needs to figure out a less obvious way of doing so in order to better the numbers gained there. My one worry tonight however is this: the Cowboys’ play selection and design. Lamb is athletic and talented enough to break one off every now and then and take it to the house (as evident tonight), but the offensive scheme and plays drawn up are extremely shallow (and I mean that literally). It does not feel like Dallas wants to stretch the field, and would rather dink and dime their way to middling results. For example, take away the yardage Lamb himself gained on his TD, and he only averaged seven yards per reception.
That’s going to need some work going forward.
Jake Ferguson: 8 Targets, 7 Receptions, 49 Yards
If it wasn’t going to Lamb, it was certainly going to Ferguson.
The young, physical former Wisconsin Badger tight end has been reliable since coming back from an early season injury, and continued his streak of safety-net ability for Prescott and the Cowboys on the evening. The yardage wasn’t a ton, nor were there any red zone opportunities for Ferguson – but he made the most of what was launched his way and toughed out multiple first downs to keep drives alive late in the game. He’s been the clear-cut #2 for Dallas when healthy and I expect his numbers to continue to trend upward with every week that goes by.
Jalen Tolbert: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards
Tolbert made some impressive catches, but it was a late second-half reception that caught my eye.
Fellow wideout Brandin Cooks had been targeted one play earlier and denied by Giants CB Cor’Dale Flott on what could have been a solid gain. It was physical coverage, one Cooks couldn’t get a beat on. The very next play, the younger Tolbert lined up against Flott instead and Prescott threw that way again – this time for a solid chunk of yardage where the wideout made it look all too easy. It wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but did feel a bit like an unofficial changing of the guard for the WR2 spot.
Keep a further eye on the former South Alabama Jaguar going forward – he could be a sneaky waiver wire pickup down the stretch.
Brandin Cooks: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 16 Yards
New York Giants
Quarterback
Daniel Jones: 29/40, 281 Yards, 1 INT | 4 Carries, 3 Yards
It was a strangely efficient evening for Jones.
At least early on, Jones was managing to go toe-to-toe with Prescott and the Cowboys offense, missing on only a select number of throws and finding multiple receivers open for chunk gains. The time of possession was ridiculously one-sided in New York’s favor, mainly because Jones was making all of the right decisions to keep the Giants’ drives alive. He wasn’t able to punch a score in which is a mark against him on an otherwise decent night, but it was a welcome change for the sixth-year man out of Duke. The Giants aren’t likely to be anyone’s Super Bowl favorite this year, but they feel miles ahead of what they were at this time a year ago and Daniel Jones is at the forefront.
As improved as he was and as close as the game remained, I still have to fault Jones for a handful of throws he missed late. His connection in the short to medium range with Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson was keeping the Cowboys defense on the field and giving them fits, prolonging drives and wearing them down steadily as they drove towards the endzone on a number of occasions. If certain play calls were better, or the pass had been in a better rhythm, the game likely would have had a different outcome. As good as Jones did for the most part, a loss is still a loss and he has more to work on for the season ahead.
Running Back
Devin Singletary: 14 Carries, 24 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
1.7 yards per carry – woof.
There was a genuine fear among those facing fantasy rosters this week with Singletary starting – that the Giants running back would be the second coming of Derrick Henry against the worst run defense in the league in Dallas. Early on it sure looked like we were heading that way, too. But the Mike Zimmer-lead unit quickly clamped down on the New York rushing attack and Singletary specifically, closing in on gaps in a hurry and roughing up the former Houston Texans running back on every touch. By the end of the game the Giants had all but abandoned the run and Singletary’s production remained capped on the evening. It was certainly an affair to forget for anyone hoping for big numbers here.
Tyrone Tracy Jr.: 4 Carries, 2 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 19 Yards
Eric Gray: 1 Carry, 1 Yard
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Malik Nabers: 15 Targets, 12 Receptions, 115 Yards | 1 Carry, -4 Yards
The future is bright for the former LSU Tiger in New York.
Nabers has hit the stage in stride of late, burning secondaries across the NFL over the last three weeks in a stellar start to his rookie season. This week was no different as Jones went his way time and time again, racking up excellent volume and yardage numbers on the evening. The Giants made it a point to line Nabers up in favorable positions against backup Dallas corners, but even then he managed to produce against shutdown CB Trevon Diggs when fielded across from him. It was a really positive game on a national stage, and hopefully, a springboard for better things to come for the sixth overall pick.
A concussion at the end of the game obviously put a damper on the night, but the hope is that there’s sufficient time before New York’s next game to get healthy.
Wan’Dale Robinson: 14 Targets, 11 Receptions, 71 Yards
As eye-catching as Nabers was, Robinson himself sure had a day.
Early in the game, Robinson was very much open often, and Jones rewarded him with a peppering of targets that kept a number of drives churning. Typically it’s a wide receiver room that one would like to avoid when it comes to the Giants, but the third-year man made a name for himself here with a positive effort and has some solid momentum to carry forward throughout the rest of the season. If you’re hurting at receiver with the plethora of injuries league-wide, Robinson is an admirable pick up after this one.
Darius Slayton: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 56 Yards
Theo Johnson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Jalin Hyatt: 1 Target