Thanksgiving was not so pleasant this year for the New York Giants. They traveled to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on Thursday afternoon and were embarrassed with a 27–20 loss on national television. New starting quarterback Drew Lock was beaten up during the contest, resulting in another loss that dropped the Giants to 2-10 on the season.
The Giants have been officially eliminated from the playoffs
With this loss, the Giants have officially been eliminated from postseason contention. They are the first team in the NFL to have been eliminated this year. The Giants are on a seven-game losing streak and have now lost 10 or more games for the ninth time in 11 years.
The turnover battle ultimately decided the game
Winning the turnover battle has been a struggle for the G-Men this season. Lock turned the ball over twice in this contest, fumbling once and throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Cowboys LB Demarvion Overshown. New York’s defense, meanwhile, did not force a single turnover. They have not recorded an interception since Week 1 — an NFL-record 10-game streak without forcing an interception.
Malik Nabers finally got involved in the gameplan
Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers was critical of the team’s offense following their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. He had gone the entire first half of that Week 12 contest without a single target. After voicing his frustration to the media, Nabers saw himself get far more involved in the gameplan on Thursday.
Nabers finished the day with 13 targets, eight receptions, and 69 receiving yards. He did, however, have a costly drop, which has become a trend in recent weeks. Nabers responded to the drops, saying, “I don’t care about drops. I mean, it’s just part of football. I don’t care if I drop the ball six times. Keep throwing me the ball.”
The Giants’ run defense is tragic
The Giants’ run defense has been among the worst in the NFL this season and that trend continued on Thanksgiving. They surrendered 122 total yards rushing against Dallas with Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle accounting for 112 of those yards himself. That mark set a new career high for Dowdle who also scored one touchdown in the game.
Offensive line struggles continue to plague the Giants’ offense
Lock was sacked six times in the contest and took 14 quarterback hits. The Giants’ offensive line struggled constantly throughout this matchup. Their lack of talent up front is clear and obvious. Playing with backup offensive tackles in the lineup, the Giants could not find a way to slow down Cowboys pass-rushers Micah Parsons and company.
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The pressure clearly got to Lock as he turned the ball over twice and completed just 21 of his 32 passing attempts for 178 yards. The lack of time in the pocket made it difficult for Lock to throw the ball downfield.
Looking ahead to the Giants’ next matchup with the Saints
The Giants will be back at home next week to host the New Orleans Saints in Week 14. Already eliminated from the playoffs, New York is seeking moral victories for the rest of the season as they prepare for a likely tumultuous offseason. Head coach Brian Daboll seems like he is coaching for his job in every game the rest of the way. But he and his squad will have a winnable matchup next week against the 4-7 Saints.
