Tag: Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants

WATCH: Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence causes INT, Elliott capitalizes

The Cowboys defense forced a turnover and Ezekiel Elliott took the opportunity with a touchdown on the second play of the ensuing drive.

The Cowboys’ offense has been pedestrian in the second half of the season and slow starts have become normal for a prolific offense in the first half of the season. On the first drive, penalties and missed blocks stalled a promising start for the offense.

Matching the script of recent weeks, Dan Quinn’s defense stepped up and forced a turnover. This time, it was a big hit from defensive end Demarcus Lawrence that led to a fly ball for cornerback Jourdan Lewis.

Following the interception return, the Dallas offense took over deep in New York territory. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is getting close to healthy with nagging injuries, broke through on the second play of the drive and carried defenders into the endzone for a 13-yard touchdown.

Considering the sluggish starts on offense, short fields might be the catalyst for quarterback Dak Prescott and the offense to start firing on all cylinders. Greg Zuerlein missed the extra point but the Cowboys hold a 6-0 lead after Elliott’s ninth rushing touchdown of the season.

Tony Pollard will play vs Giants as Cowboys announce Week 15 inactives

The Cowboys welcome back Tony Pollard after a week of absence while the Giants are shorthanded at many positions for the divisional tilt. | From @CDBurnett7

The Dallas Cowboys were stretched thin at running back in Week 14 after Tony Pollard tore his plantar fascia and missed the game against Washington while Ezekiel Elliott was still hobbled with injury. After just a single game off, Pollard is back for Dallas and will see snaps against the New York Giants.

Starting left tackle Tyron Smith suffered an ankle injury versus Washington and was ruled out for the game early in the week so Terence Steele and Ty Nsekhe will be taking over for the All-Pro lineman. Rounding out the six inactives for the Cowboys are quarterback Will Grier, wide receiver Simi Fehoko, defensive end Azur Kamara, cornerback Nahshon Wright and safety Israel Mukuamu.

For New York, it’s going to be an extremely shorthanded team on the field with a COVID outbreak during the week but the Giants have just two inactives with quarterback Daniel Jones and left guard Ben Bredeson.

Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm are expected to share snaps at quarterback for New York.

QTNA: Are there any redeemable qualities for Giants as Cowboys come to town?

Good news Cowboys fans. The Giants aren’t ready to abandon the Daniel Jones plan nor the Joe Judge era. | A Week 15 Q&A preview from @KDDrummondNFL, @DanBentonGW

The Dallas Cowboys have been an absolute buzzsaw during their first pass through the NFC East. Having already dismissed the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles by a combined margin of 44 points at AT&T Stadium, the road portion began in Week 14 with a win over the Washington Football Team. Dallas led 24-0 at halftime, further stating their dominance over the division as they held on for a seven-point win after things got sloppy.

In Week 15, they’re right back in the gauntlet as they travel to New York to take on the Giants for Round 2. There were some prognosticators who thought the Giants had what it took to make a leap into playoff contention this season, but it’s been more of the same game out of Gotham. To help us track how bad it’s been, we reached out to Giants Wire editor Dan Benton to shed some light on the latest happenings. In exchange, we provided some inel about what Dallas has in store in their travel bags.

Revenge and Prescott’s dominance among things to know about Giants in Week 15

A dysfunctional offense that has scored more field goals than touchdowns. A COVID outbreak. Dak Prescott’s dominance. Here’s what to know ahead of the Week 15 tilt. | From @BenGrimaldi

The Dallas Cowboys are resting a little easier this week, knowing they have a cushion in the race to win the NFC East. Beating the Washington Football Team in Week 14 gave them some breathing room, but the goals for the Cowboys are bigger than just winning the division.

Cementing their playoff spot, postseason seeding and getting the offense right are among the things the Cowboys need to work towards as they prepare for their Week 15 opponent. Another rival is on the schedule, the New York Giants, who Dallas thoroughly beat way back in Week 5.

On the surface, this looks like a game the Cowboys should win easily, the Giants aren’t very good, with the GM and possibly a coaching staff that won’t be back. Yet this game is rarely easy. The Giants have a lot of pride and they tend to show up for games against the NFC East teams. The Cowboys need to keep their focus and bring the same intensity they had last week.

Here are six things to know about the Giants ahead of the Week 15 game for the Cowboys.

Giants DBs hit hard by COVID as motivated Dak Prescott, Cowboys come to town

The Giants have several players- including three defensive backs- on the COVID list, just as Dallas looks to reignite their passing game. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The New York Giants are taking heavy losses a full 72 hours before their game with the Cowboys even kicks off.

Dallas will enter the Week 15 divisional matchup looking to not only get their offense back on track, but to also do their part in sewing up a postseason berth by notching a win over their longtime rivals. At this point, though, the Giants may need name tags on the fronts of their jerseys just to be able to identify all the new guys.

New York has added seven names to their Reserve/COVID list over the past two days. The secondary has been hit especially hard, just as a motivated Dak Prescott comes to town.

Cornerback Adoree Jackson was added to the watchlist on Thursday after testing positive for the virus. He joins rookie cornerback Aaron Robinson, linebackers Oshane Ximines and Cam Brown, wide receivers Kadarius Toney and John Ross, and offensive lineman Wes Martin, all of whom tested positive.

Safety Xavier McKinney, the Giants’ interception leader, is also on the list after being declared a close contact, of the high-risk variety as an unvaccinated player. It is possible, though, that he’ll test out of the protocols in time for Sunday’s early kickoff.

Jackson and Robinson are both unvaccinated and therefore ineligible to play under the current protocol rules.

According to Giants Wire, Keion Crossen and Julian Love will fill in against Dallas, and practice squadder Jarren Williams is likely to be elevated for the game.

The 9-4 Cowboys come in with their quarterback struggling in recent weeks. Prescott says he’s heard the recent speculation about his being in a slump.

“I do realize I’m not playing my best ball, haven’t been playing it, have made some poor decisions, you could say,” he told reporters Thursday. “I wouldn’t say it’s slump material, but I’m definitely not up to my standards or expectations, and when you play at a high level, that’s what you create. So I’m glad people have the same expectations for my game as I do for myself.”

He is looking at Sunday’s game as a chance to get back to his earlier elite form- not because of anything going on with the Giants per se, but simply because it’s his next opportunity to compete.

“We’ve got confidence in ourselves,” he added. “No disrespect to any opponent that we play. We have these expectations and standards for ourselves regardless of who we’re playing. Whether it’s a division game against the Giants- a team that we’re familiar with- or it be somebody else out of conference, this is the game that, yeah, we’ve got to get things rolling regardless: just because of the time of the season it is, what we’ve done, but more importantly, where we’re trying to go. It’s now.”

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Cowboys Wire Podcast: Is Parsons team MVP? DPOY? Giants are how bad?

An unstoppable defense is something Cowboys fans haven’t dared dream about, but it’s here. What to make of Prescott’s struggles and a W15 preview. From @RyanO_Leary, @KDDrummondNFL

The guys break down another defensive gem by the Cowboys’ defense in Sunday’s win over Washington. Topics include the case for Micah Parsons as the Cowboys’ most valuable player and what to make of Dak Prescott’s recent struggles. Also, a Cowboys-Giants preview with picks against the spread.

How many units should you put on this seemingly lopsided matchup that becomes even moreso without Daniel Jones and with the Giants going through a COVID outbreak? Do you have the deed to your farm handy?  The Cowboys Wire podcast goes in depth on a variety of weekly topics surrounding America’s Team.

Follow the Cowboys Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Hosted by Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) with Cowboys Wire Managing Editor KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL).

McCarthy: Cowboys RB Tony Pollard to be limited but back at practice Wednesday

After missing just the second game of his career, Tony Pollard is working his way back and could be ready to face the porous Giants defense. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is expected to be back at practice on Wednesday after missing Week 14’s outing with a plantar fascia injury. That is not necessarily an indication that he will be available to play in Sunday’s divisional matchup versus the Giants, but it is certainly a step in the right direction for a Dallas run game- and offense- that’s been as flat as the Texas plains in recent weeks.

Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters at his midweek press conference that the third-year back out of Memphis would be “limited,” but was also quick to point out that the entire practice session would be lighter than usual in an attempt to keep players fresh as the season wears on.

“More of a walkthrough-type practice,” McCarthy explained Wednesday.

Pollard tore the ligament in his left foot on Dec. 2 on a 58-yard touchdown sprint against the Saints and was listed as a gametime decision last week, being scratched shortly before kickoff. That was fairly new territory for Pollard, who had previously been inactive just once on gameday, in December of his rookie season.

Ezekiel Elliott, who has been playing through a knee injury for over two months, ended up finishing Sunday’s win over Washington with 12 carries for 45 yards.

“I thought Zeke came out of the game good,” McCarthy said by way of an update on the two-time rushing champ. “His communication has been [that] he’s ready to go. If we were having a full-blown Wednesday practice, I would say he’d be in a full capacity.”

Backup Corey Clement also got some work out of the Cowboys backfield, logging 13 rushing attempts and gaining 44 yards. Even wideout CeeDee Lamb and practice squad call-up JaQuan Hardy were given carries as the team compiled 122 ground yards against Washington.

“It was definitely a big improvement from New Orleans, clearly. We had a good day against the Giants last time we played them, so obviously, that’ll be a bigger challenge this week. Obviously, that’s going to be a focal point for them. We’ve just got to stay the course.”

The Cowboys will look to exploit a Giants defense that’s giving up an average of 125 yards per game on the ground, eighth-worst in the league this season.

Dallas hung 201 rushing yards on their New York rivals back in a Week 5 win. In that game, Elliott amassed 110 on the ground and scored a touchdown. It was his second 100-yard outing of the season; it remains the last time he’s hit that mark. Pollard added another 75 yards that day on 14 carries.

Cowboys fans would love to see both get back on the horse and run roughshod over Big Blue this coming Sunday.

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Cowboys’ Kazee fined for push vs Giants; no punishments for Cox, Kearse

Damontae Kazee was fined $6,264 for the fight with a Giants WR; no evidence could be found of Jayron Kearse’s alleged punch at Evan Engram. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The NFL has handed down decisions on several unfortunate moments from the Cowboys’ Week 5 blowout win over the New York Giants. By and large, the Dallas players involved (or, in one case, alleged to have been involved) came out relatively unscathed.

Safety Damontae Kazee will be a little lighter in the wallet for his shove of Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney. Toney was ejected for throwing a punch at Kazee during the fourth quarter of last week’s game; he has now been fined $12,875 by the league, as per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. He apologized for the incident and avoided a suspension by the league.

Kazee received a $6,264 fine, it was announced Saturday. He was penalized during the game for unnecessary roughness.

Rookie linebacker Jabril Cox made a key stop of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones on a quarterback keeper near the end zone. His tackle of Jones prevented a touchdown on the play, but it resulted in Jones leaving the game on a cart and entering concussion protocol. The hit did not result in a penalty, though, and the league has now determined that Cox will not be fined for a helmet-to-helmet hit. Most observers felt it was actually Jones who lowered his helmet to initiate contact.

Finally, Giants tight end Evan Engram made allegations during the week that Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse threw a punch at him during postgame handshakes. Kearse will not be fined, though, as no clear video evidence could be found to prove Engram’s claim, reported Pelissero.

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3 Stars: Cowboys trident of excellence continues to rack up stats vs Giants

The cream continues to rise to the top as the Cowboys triumvirate of stars play their parts against the Giants. | From @StarConscience

Another week and another Dallas Cowboys win. With their 44-20 rout of the New York Giants, the Cowboys have won four in a row since their Week 1loss and have forged a two-game lead in the NFC East.

The Cowboys continued their formula on Sunday by letting a dominant running game, efficient passing attack, and an opportunistic defense guide them to the winners’ circle. As usual, certain players stand on the frontline and lead the way to a big win, and these three players did just that for the Cowboys against the Giants.

Dirty Work: Selfless Cowboys receivers, tight ends key to two-phase explosiveness

Kellen Moore dusted off variations of Packers’ sweeps to torment the Giants, and was able to do so with great effect thanks to the selfless worth of the pass-catchers’ blocking ability. @DailyGoonerRaf breaks it down.

The 2021 Cowboys’ offense, expected by many to ride Dak Prescott and his trio of talented receivers’ passing attack, has taken a decided turn back to the Triplet’s ’90s. All of a sudden Dallas leads the league in rushing percentage notching their third consecutive 200-yard rushing game this past Sunday.

Part of this turn was necessity. Wideout Michael Gallup injured a calf muscle in the season opener against Tampa Bay and has not returned to fitness. Another is simply that Dallas exudes a flexibility not seen in any prior Cowboys offensive attack. The remaining wideouts — CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper — and the tight end duo of Dalton Schultz and Blake Jarwin all show the ability to make plays down the field.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has therefore stayed with a 12-personnel package that keeps two receivers and both tight ends on the field most of the time.

It’s no surprise, given this balance and explosiveness, that the Cowboys lead the NFL in explosive plays(20-yard or more passes, 10-yard or more runs).  What is a bit surprising is that the Cowboys have far more explosives on the ground than they do through the air. They lead the league with 27 explosive runs, tied with the Cleveland Browns. That number is eight more than the sum of explosive passes.

The hidden reason why Dallas can hurt an opponent on land or through the air? Those four receiving targets are selfless blockers, ready to do the dirty work to help Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard reach the third level after the offensive line has broken them into the second.  It’s this dedication to the blocking part of their jobs that gives them an edge when they go out on patterns.

Today, we’ll look at three variants of the old Packers sweep, which Moore dusted off to outflank the Giants. Each of these calls produced an explosive run, and each was spurred by outstanding edge blocking by Amari Cooper and the two tight ends.