5 Takeaways from Cowboys’ Week 1 Giants defeat – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Rain wasn’t the only thing that fell on me 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 capitalize on easy points that increased the lead.

Let’s dig deeper into the analysis through five points:

One time play momentum changer

New York started with the ball, drove 48 yards down the field in 11 plays (the last of which was a fumbled snap on third down that lost yards) and used up seven minutes of the clock. Until the unfortunate incident occurred, the Giants had been coordinated and confident. Graham Gano’s next field goal attempt was then blocked and returned 58 yards for a touchdown by Noah Igbinoghene.

New York has never looked so coordinated and confident again. And Dallas never looked back.

Daniel Jones suffers in Forgotten Night

Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract 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 give.

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 did not appear to be the case in the first week.

Post-Ezekiel Elliott life starts strong in Dallas

For the first time since 2016, Dallas started a game without Elliott in the backcourt. 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 quick 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 passing, no touchdowns and no picks — 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 is simply not good enough.

The Cowboys’ excellent defense looks at Super Bowl level

Defenses win championships, and Dallas seems 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.