Aside from the New York Giants’ best players in Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley, Janoris Jenkins, etc…who else will have a significant impact on the game against the Dallas Cowboys in week 2?
Taking a look at three New York Giants players that will make a difference against the Dallas Cowboys:
The Giants boast some of the best defensive lineman in the league at nose tackle. Second-year man Dalvin Tomlinson ranks as one of the most underrated defensive players on the roster, and his influence against Dallas might be the difference in a win or a loss.
Tomlinson is a top-tier run-stopper, and alongside Damon Harrison, they’re one of the best tackle duos in the league. The second-year man finished week 1 with 5 tackles and an 81.7 run defense grade from PFF. He will likely face off against All-Pro guard Zack Martin, which will place Harrison on Joe Looney and rookie Connor Williams. Stopping the defensive duo will be a serious challenge for Dallas’ offensive line, especially with one of the best nose tackles in Harrison facing off against inexperienced players.
The second influential player will be cornerback Eli Apple. The Giants’ third-year corner has had a rough start to his career, and after a serious meltdown in 2017, he’s ready to put his past behind him. Apple finished the 2018 regular season opener with an outstanding performance. He made two key plays to stop the Jaguars on third-down. He seemed to have a better understanding of where the ball was going and turned his head in time to make essential plays.
After the game, former Pro Bowl corner and Fox newscaster, Ronde Barber, lauded Apple for “fantastic execution” on multiple plays. Overall, he finally showed first-round quality after two years of sub-par displays of talent.
Finally, the third player to keep an eye on is left tackle Nate Solder. The Cowboys have a solid defensive front and will be looking to put Eli Manning under pressure has much as possible. Every team’s game-plan should be to keep Manning on the run and under duress. This will be Solder’s first time in the middle of the Giants vs Cowboys rivalry.
Solder will face off against Taco Charlton, a much improved defensive edge rusher. Demarcus Lawrence will likely line up on the right side against Ereck Flowers. Expect to see Shurmur send Rhett Ellison next to Flowers and have Saquon Barkley stand on Manning’s right side in pass-protection.
Solder will need to hold his own in the matchup, as he will not receive much help against a rising player like Charlton. With his experience, the battle should swing in favor of the Giants’ new left tackle.