New York Giants Vs. Dallas Cowboys
This had the feel of a classic NCF East rivalry game throughout the majority of the contest. There were interceptions, fumbles, and of course, Cowboys’ tight ends scoring touchdowns on the Giants. Both teams got chippy and there were several flags thrown as the game progressed. Things started to open up for the Cowboys in the fourth quarter when Dak Prescott was able to read a blown coverage by the Giants to convert for an easy score through the air. The Giants have several young players to be excited about but still have some work to catch-up with the Cowboys.
New York Giants
Quarterbacks
- Daniel Jones: 26/41, 210 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 6 Carries, 54 Yards, 2 FUM
Daniel Jones started the game off with several nice throws and runs to keep the Giants’ drives alive in the first quarter. He consistently gave his receivers a chance to go up and fight for well-thrown passes when single covered. For his lone touchdown of the game, Jones hit Cody Latimer on a pass where he went through several reads and eventually found his receiver open in the right side of the endzone. Jones showed heart during the game and even took on some lead blocking duties for Golden Tate on an end-around. Ultimately, his efforts fell short of overcoming the Giants divisional rival. During the second quarter, Jones had some passes sail high and threw a pick when he heaved up a deep throw that ended was an easy turnover for the Cowboys defense. In the third quarter, Jones’s turnover woes continued when he lost a fumble on a run. He continually dealt with a good amount of pressure from the Cowboys and had trouble connecting with his receivers as the game went on. Jones had one more fumble to close out the game as the Giants lost for their sixth straight in a row to the Cowboys.
Running Backs
- Saquon Barkley: 14 Carries, 28 Yards | 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 67 Yards
- Wayne Gallman: 1 Target, 1 Target, 0 Catches
Saquan Barkley had one of his quieter games on the ground, trailing his quarterback in yards on the ground by 26 yards. He was tasked with primarily running downhill and was routinely met right at the line of scrimmage by Cowboys defenders. Barkley was kept in tight quarters throughout the first three-quarters of the game and was never allowed to show off his unique skillset in space. That is until he had a career-long 60 plus yard reception in the fourth quarter to breath some life back into the Giants right after a Cowboys score. Barkley brought the Giants up to the Cowboys 15 yard line where the drive stalled and ended with a field goal.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Evan Engram: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 48 Yards | 1 Carry, 2 Yards
- Golden Tate: 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 42 Yards | 1 Carry, 16 Yards
- Bennie Fowler: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 22 Yards
- Rhett Ellison: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
- Cody Latimer: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 8 Yards, 1 TD
- Darius Slayton: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Evan Engram was once again heavily utilized by the Giants. He was often moved around presnap and put into situations where his speed and receiving abilities could be maximized. Tate continued to get a good amount of targets from Jones and caught every ball tossed his way. Tate had one of the most impressive plays of the game for the Giants when he went up and snagged a one-handed pass to set the Giants up on the Cowboys one-yard line. Latimer contributed on offense with a touchdown grab and on special teams where he had several impressive kick returns. On his scoring grab, he beautifully sold a slant and then cut back to the outside for a wide-open touchdown.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterbacks
- Dak Prescott: 22/35, 257, 3 TD, 1 INT | 3 Carries, 12 Yards
Dak Prescott had some early struggles as he was immediately picked off by the Giants to start the game. He settled in during the second quarter when his offensive line was able to give him a pocket to work with. In one of the Cowboys game-breaking plays, Prescott used his legs to escape pressure and found Blake Jarwin on the right sideline for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Prescott impressively navigated the pocket to find Michael Gallup on the sideline for the score. Prescott was in command of the Cowboys offense and often put his team in optimal situations vs the Giants’ defensive schemes. In the fourth quarter, Prescott was able to connect with Amari Cooper for a touchdown when the Giants Deandre Baker ran the wrong coverage and allowed an easy score.
Running Backs
- Ezekiel Elliott: 23 Carries, 139 Yards
- Tony Pollard: 3 Carries, 21 Yards | 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Ezekiel Elliott consistently fought his way to positive yardage and had crossed over the 100-yard rushing mark by the fourth quarter. He consistently ran the ball hard and read his blocks well. He had some impressive single cut runs that showed off his speed and power. Tony Pollard continues to look like a solid back-up running back for the Cowboys. He was able to make several strong runs on the night and was used in a handful of passing situations.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Amari Cooper: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 80 Yards, 1 TD
- Jason Witten: 9 Targets, 8 Receptions, 58 Yards
- Blake Jarwin: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 42 Yards, 1 TD
- Randall Cobb: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 35 Yards
- Michael Gallup: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 33 Yards, 1 TD
The Cowboys spread their receptions out relatively evenly between wide receivers and tight ends. Cooper, Jason Witten, and Randall Cobb were all heavily targeted but it was clear the Cowboys were going after rookie corner Deandre Baker. Cooper scored on a play that was misplayed by Baker, who played zone during a man play call. Michael Gallup had a highly impressive catch and acrobatic 15-yard touchdown jaunt to give the Cowboys an eight-point led in the fourth quarter. Witten was targeted often and Jarwin only once, which resulted in a 42-yard touchdown grab and run.
- Ben Davidowitz