On Sunday, the Giants will face the formidable Dallas Cowboys. Do they stand even the slightest possibility of succeeding?
The week before the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys game is usually exciting and fascinating.
But the excitement usually wanes when one team, like the Giants in this instance, is having a bad season. That’s exactly where we are right now, with a 2-7 Giants squad.
However, we have eight games remaining, including this one, before we can call this injury-plagued, unsatisfactory season a season. To play the team who destroyed them in Week 1, the Giants travel to Dallas. At a disadvantage of 17.5 points, can New York at least keep it close?
Though many may not believe it, stranger things have happened.
The Reasons the Giants Defeat Dallas
I get your thought process: Given the likelihood of a blowout loss, why am I even bothering to add this part when the Giants have little chance of winning?
In addition to having to argue both sides of the issue, there’s always the “any given Sunday” perspective to take into account. You know, in this league, upsets are conceivable and do occur. Just this season, the Bears defeated the Panthers on Thursday night, the Jets handed the Eagles their first loss, and earlier in the season, the Broncos defeated the Chiefs.
Who knows, then? Tommy DeVito starts this week with an attacking game plan that is more suited to his talents; perhaps he pulls off the upset. The Cowboys offense, which according to Sharp Football Stats is averaging a league-high 16.7 plays per game that have garnered 10+ yards, may finally be stopped by the defense.
Perhaps the Giants, who are presently the only NFL team without a first-quarter touchdown, will end that run.
Though May Bees don’t usually fly in November, I can assure you that unexpected upsets do occur occasionally, involving teams who have no business winning games. The Giants may therefore have no business winning this game, but they manage to accomplish it, handing the Cowboys their first two-game losing skid since 2021.
Reasons for the Giants’ Loss
When these two teams last faced off, the Cowboys gave the Giants such a hard mouthful that it’s reasonable to ask if New York was able to move past that humiliating defeat. Beyond that, there are far too many numbers that work against the Giants in this game, including their poor offense, which scores 11.2 points a game on average, and their incapacity to avoid third downs, which has resulted in a touchdown on 58.4% of offensive settings.
The Cowboys defense will throw everything it has at rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito to rattle him and force a few turnovers where possible. The Cowboys have won 12 of their last 13 games against the Giants when New York has turned the ball over, so if DeVito doesn’t play a turnover-free game, that, among other things, could spell trouble for the Giants in this one.To unsettle rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito and potentially cause a few turnovers, the Cowboys defense will exert all of its might on him. If DeVito doesn’t play a turnover-free game, the Cowboys have won 12 of their previous 13 games against the Giants when New York has committed turnovers. This could be problematic for the Giants in this game, among other reasons.
Expectation
Hopefully, this matchup won’t be as embarrassing as the disastrous 40-0 loss in Week 1. Furthermore, it might not even be as terrible as the oddsmakers think. Having said that, it’s difficult to imagine how the Giants, who are severely shorthanded, will be able to compete with the Cowboys. Of course, stranger things have happened, but in all honesty, the Cowboys are the favorites in this one.
Cowboys 33, Giants 13