5 bold predictions for New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys in week 5

If the New York Giants put up fewer than 12 points, which their average through four games suggests, they will undoubtedly lose the Dallas Cowboys by a fair margin.

Despite the Giants’ defense ranking 13th in scoring allowed and fifth in yards per game allowed, Dallas has a high-octane offense capable of tearing apart any defense. Last week against the Browns, the Cowboys put up 38 points, with Dak Prescott throwing four touchdowns and 502 yards.

For Big Blue to overcome the Cowboys, their offense must find a spark and attack their weakness secondary. Allowing 36.5 points per game through four weeks, the current Dallas defense is the worst in team history, giving Daniel Jones and his struggling unit a slim advantage.

Five bold predictions for the New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys in week 5:

1.) The pass rush will be dominant against a thinned Dallas O-line

Dallas will be without their starting left tackle, right tackle, and center, giving the Giants’ pass rushers a fantastic opportunity to dominate the line of scrimmage. The Giants currently ranked 11th in running yards allowed by opposing offenses, which is a solid number and matchup considering the Cowboys’ issues regarding their injuries.

However, the Giants are dealing with injuries of their own, with Oshane Ximines being placed on injured reserve Friday afternoon. That means Markis Golden, Lorenzo Carter, and  Kyler Fackrell (questionable) will be expected to harness the load.

I expect the interior defensive line to play a significant role in stopping Dallas on offense. Overwhelming their backup center and creating confusion in the interior should allow the outside linebackers to enjoy 1V1 situations with the Cowboys backup tackles.

Brandon Knight, reserve right guard, has been playing at the RT spot, which is a significant weakness for Dallas in week five.

2.) Daniel Jones will score three touchdowns

Second-year quarterback Daniel Jones hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in over two games, but the Dallas defense is welcoming. Having just handed out 49 points to the Cleveland Browns, the Giants enter the game with “breakout” in mind.

Jones has been a different quarterback this year under Jason Garrett’s thumb, mainly failing to progress through his reads at an optimal rate. He has tended to stick to his first read and shy away from taking risks downfield. His ability to throw outside the numbers has also been problematic, which resulted in an interception late in the game against the Rams in week four.

Dallas has two reserve corners in there starting secondary, so we can expect the Giants to take shots of them early and often.

3.) Leonard Williams will have 2.0 sacks

Through four weeks, defensive tackle Leonard Williams has two sacks and four quarterback hits. He has been solid for the Giants this year, as is currently playing on the franchise tag at $16.1 million.

I believe this will be his opportunity to showcase his abilities, overwhelming fourth-round pick Tyler Biadasz at center and leaving his mark on the contest. Getting after Prescott is the only way the Giants can stop their offense, so overwhelming the line and dominating the trenches is necessary. This is exactly why the Giants retained Williams and slapped him with the tag.

4.) Devonta Freeman will have one rushing and one receiving touchdown

When the New York Giants signed Devonta Freeman a little over two weeks ago, nobody expected him to be this prevalent in their scheme. His snap counts have gradually increased through two weeks, starting at 29% and jumping up to 54% in  week four. He hasn’t been able to get much going on the ground, but Freeman is a talented back who can run rampant at times. He’s also a fantastic pass catcher, and the Giants must get him more activated in their screen game. So far, he has four receptions, averaging 8.75 yards per catch.

However, he’s only averaging 2.7 yards per rush, but I believe that number will increase as the Giants saw a significant improvement in their run blocking last week. They finally broke the 100-yard marker on the ground, posting 138 yards against Los Angeles. With Freeman taking a more prominent role in Garrett’s offense, I think they will try to get him the ball early and often.

5.) The defense will hold the Cowboys to under 20 points

The Giants’ defense has been fantastic through four weeks, especially the free-agent signings. Both Blake Martinez and James Bradberry rank in the top 10 other positions in the NFL, and they will be an integral piece to the puzzle in week five against Dallas.

Nonetheless, the Cowboys currently rank third in points per game at 31.5. Through the air, they rank first with 407.8 yards per game. Holding down Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup will be extremely difficult, especially with Ryan Lewis slated to start at CB2 for the Giants.

We know that Bradberry will do his job and limit Cooper, but the remainder of the secondary is problematic, and the matchups simply are in favor of Dallas.

The key to stopping them is putting Prescott on the turf, and I think defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will dial-up some creative play calls to throw him off his game force low probability throws.