- WHERE: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
- WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video, NFL+
The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants meet Thursday in a game in which both teams likely feel some level of desperation, each sitting at 1-2.
They’ve arrived at those records in different ways, however.
Dallas turned in a dominant Week 1 showing at Cleveland but has fallen hard in two straight home losses. On the flip side, the Giants were overwhelmed in Week 1 but have looked better since, earning a crucial win in Week 3 to avoid an 0-3 start.
The Cowboys overwhelmed the Giants in their two meetings a year ago, by scores of 40-0 and 49-17. In fact, Dallas has now won six straight in the rivalry, and 13 of the past 14 meetings against the Giants.
But this also feels like a game where the Giants are catching the Cowboys in as vulnerable a spot as they’ve been in this series for a long time.
Can prized Giants rookie Malik Nabers deliver an Odell Beckham-like performance in prime time? Or are the Cowboys bound to get back on track with their typical dominance of the Giants?
The loser of this game will sit at 1-3 and will find itself the only NFC East team below .500 after Week 4, with the Eagles and Commanders currently sitting at 2-1.
Here are four things to watch for when the Cowboys visit the Giants on Thursday night on Prime Video and NFL+:
1) Dak Prescott, Cowboys must finish more offensive drives. The Cowboys offense ranks in the top 10 in several metrics, including points scored. But they’ve gone dormant for long stretches or not finished off drives in every game, finding themselves in three-score holes the past two games. Kicker Brandon Aubrey has been tremendous (10 of 10 on FGs), but Dallas has relied on him too much. Prescott leads the NFL in pass yards but also has taken three sacks each game and is currently at a career-low completion percentage (60.7%). Sub-par blocking, a dormant run game and a lack of big-play weapons outside of CeeDee Lamb are limiting factors. Will the Giants provide enough resistance? They’re banged up, with DBs Dru Phillips and Adoree’ Jackson ruled out for Thursday's game. Sunday’s eight-sack effort was the Giants’ best defensive performance in forever, but health will be worrisome in the short week.
2) Malik Nabers, Daniel Jones starting to heat up. Giants fans have gotten a taste the past two games of what their first-round wide receiver is capable of. He helped dig the Giants out of a quick 7-0 deficit last week, catching two first-half TD passes against the Browns -- both spectacular -- and also made another great reception to save Jones from an INT. After a bad Week 1, Jones has rallied alongside his rookie stud. Over the past two games, he’s thrown for four TDs and zero picks, taken only three sacks and scrambled effectively. Nabers has energized Jones, and Wan’Dale Robinson gives him a nice safety blanket and YAC threat. But running back Devin Singletary is the only other Giants skill player who has touched the ball more than 11 times, so their options are limited. Can the Cowboys hem in Nabers? The defense has sprung a few leaks the past two weeks, allowing pass plays of 70, 57 and 39 yards against the Saints and 56, 30 and 23 to the Ravens. Cornerback Trevon Diggs hasn’t been beaten deep much, but rookie CB Caelen Carson has been picked on and safety Donovan Wilson has been out of position on some long plays allowed. Nabers should be Dallas’ prime focus, but he’s been special so far.
3) Micah Parsons, Cowboys’ front must come alive. Parsons was an absolute demon in Week 1, logging nine pressures, five QB hits, a sack and a pass defensed. Demarcus Lawrence had eight pressures of his own, plus two sacks. Since then, they’ve been held in check because of a lack of pass-rush chances. Defending Lamar Jackson last week seemed to wear down the Dallas defense early and slow down the entire rush operation. The Cowboys haven’t received a lot of push from their defensive tackles, and the linebackers not named Eric Kendricks have been underwhelming. The challenge versus Daniel Jones isn’t as daunting, although he’s shown decent escapability. But if the Cowboys can’t generate some kind of pass rush in this game, it will be concerning. Dallas had 12 sacks in two games against the Giants last season. Parsons won’t have Evan Neal to tee off against, instead facing new right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who had a decent game against the Browns’ Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith last week. The Giants have had more continuity up front but remain a less-than-dominant offensive line.
4) Giants hope sack surge carries over. Last week’s eight-sack showing against Cleveland was a bolt out of the blue, but the Giants also had five the week prior against Washington. It has been a shocking development for a team that ranked 30th in sack percentage (5.8%) a year ago; they enter Week 3 ranked No. 2 in that number, at a whopping 15.6%. Incredibly, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux have only 1.5 of the Giants’ 14 sacks. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has been almost unblockable inside, and they’ve compensated with blitzing linebackers and DBs, led by safety Jason Pinnock with three sacks. But the Giants have had trouble taking down Dak Prescott historically for whatever reason. Their last sack against the Cowboys came in Week 15 of the 2021 season, with zero over the past four meetings. Handling Lawrence will be a chore for Cooper Beebe, making his fourth start ever at center, and OTs Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele will have their hands full after allowing five sacks between them the first three games.
