Rain wasn’t the only thing falling New York Giants Sunday night.
Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard ran into the end zone on a 1-yard run. to run. The scoreboard swelled to 33-0 in the third quarter at MetLife Stadium.
It ended with a score of 40-0.
New York had no offensive response, giving Dallas the perfect platform to take advantage of easy points that increased the deficit.
Let us delve deeper into the analysis through five points:
One time game momentum changer
New York started with the ball and drove 48 yards down the field on 11 plays (the last of which was a fumbled third-down catch that lost yards) and consumed seven minutes off the clock. Until the unfortunate incident, the Giants were coordinated and confident. Then Graham Gano’s next field goal attempt was blocked and returned 58 yards for a touchdown by Noah Egbenogen.
New York never looked so coordinated and confident again. And Dallas never looked back.
Daniel Jones suffers through a forgotten night
Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Giants last season. This equates to $40 million annually. He finished the game with 104 passing yards on 15-for-28 completions, no touchdowns and two picks. He was sacked seven times and added 43 yards on 13 attempts. That’s not what a $40 million player should offer.
Of course, the weather and poor play up front were not optimal for Jones, but those signs were evident in previous seasons unless he made significant improvements as a pocket passer. This does not appear to be the case in the first week.
Post-Ezekiel Elliott life starts off strong in Dallas
For the first time since 2016, Dallas started a game without Elliott in the backfield. It was time to move on anyway, and they didn’t miss a chance with Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Cavontae Turpin to do things their own way. Pollard, in particular, looked sharp with 70 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. Turpin added a rushing touchdown as well.
Their production made the night much easier for Dak Prescott, who didn’t stand out statistically – 143 yards on 13-for-24 passes, no touchdowns, no fumbles – but didn’t need to either.
The Giants’ lack of WR quality is on display
New York made the playoffs last season with Darius Slayton as their most productive wide receiver. Slayton recorded 46 catches for 724 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games. The Giants simply needed more to get to the next level, but this loss made it abundantly clear that they might be regressing.
Darren Waller led the receiving corps on the night, but none of that affected the game in a major way. He had three catches for 36 yards, with the second highest being Isaiah Hodgins with one catch for 24 yards. Yes, that’s simply not good enough.
The Cowboys’ excellent defense looks to be at Super Bowl level
Defenses win championships, and Dallas appears to have a capable unit. New York’s offensive line offered no resistance to the Cowboys’ pressure, but seven sacks and 11 QB hits can’t be overlooked. Not to mention the countless times they knocked the ball out of New York’s hands, even if they never recovered from a fumble in wet conditions.
Dallas also had eight passes defended, with Stephon Gilmore responsible for three himself. Once again, the Cowboys didn’t have much to defend and the real tests will come later, but it’s a promising sign for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
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