The New York Giants had several opportunities to pounce on a struggling Dallas Cowboys team, but they came up short on many occasions and ultimately were defeated 20-15 on Thursday Night Football. Giants fall to 1-3 on the season while the Cowboys improve to 2-2.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll acknowledged the loss as a “tough one” but took note of their fight against a team that has owned them in recent years. New York trailed most of the game but had chances to tie or take the lead on most of their drives.
“The result stinks, but I thought there was improvement,” Daboll said (h/t ESPN’s Jordan Raanan).
Giants star Malik Nabers left the game with a concussion
The biggest storyline of this game is the health of star rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who departed the game late in the fourth quarter after suffering a concussion on a fourth down incompletion in which he face-planted the MetLife Stadium turf.
With the Giants’ next game still about 10 days away, the hope is that Nabers can clear the concussion protocol in time for their Week 5 game against the Seahawks. Nabers was a cog for the G-men’s offense once again against Dallas, hauling in 12 receptions on 15 targets for 115 receiving yards.
The Giants can’t afford to miss Nabers for a significant amount of time, as he is a crucial part of their offense and has blossomed into a top receiver already. It is unclear if the concussion could require a stint on injured reserve, but New York will hope that it is nothing more than a mild concussion and that he can return to the field quickly.
The Giants were unable to establish a strong running game in Week 4
Despite the Cowboys coming in as the lowest-graded run defense in the NFL, the Giants couldn’t take advantage of their weak run defense and were silenced on the ground. They recorded just 26 rushing yards on 24 attempts, an average of 1.1 yards per carry.
After averaging at least 3.7 yards per carry in each of the first three games, running back Devin Singletary was shut down in this one, generating just 24 rushing yards on 14 carries, with his longest run being just a gain of five. Singletary, along with the Giants team as a whole, failed to score a touchdown against Dallas, the second time this season that the Giants did not reach the end zone in a game this season.
What is more stunning about the Giants’ inept running game was that Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons was quiet, recording just two tackles and no sacks. The Giants’ offensive line did a solid job at containing the Cowboys’ physicality defensively, but New York was unable to capitalize off of the opportunity given to them.
Quarterback Daniel Jones had another solid game against the Cowboys
It wasn’t a perfect game for quarterback Daniel Jones, as a few under-thrown passes proved to be costly during key drives down the field. However, he performed solidly for the third week in a row, throwing for 281 passing yards and completing 73% of his passes. His lone turnover was an interception thrown on a Hail Mary pass in the final seconds of regulation.
Jones’ offensive line gave him proper pass protection for him to make plays, and he delivered strong results. Perhaps they would have liked to score a touchdown and do better in the red zone (0-for-2 on red zone trips), but it was nonetheless encouraging to see him continue to play well after a horrific season opener earlier this month.
Daboll praised Jones for his play over the past few weeks, which is a big development given the storylines surrounding the Giants’ quarterback situation this season.
“I’m proud of the young man. He’s made good decisions, he’s thrown the ball where he needs to throw the ball,” said Daboll (h/t SNY).
The Giants now have suffered two crushing losses to divisional opponents so far this season. They are now in last place in the NFC East with a tough schedule ahead of them. They will now gear up for their Week 5 game against the Seattle Seahawks, which is set for next Sunday, Oct. 6.
It is still unclear if they will have Nabers for that game, and it will be a big loss for them with their season currently on the ropes.