The New York Giants have a tall task ahead with the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington next weekend. Dallas has won their last three games, sitting at 3-1 on the year, with their only defeat coming against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.
Over their last three contests, they have scored a combined 97 points, finishing with just a minimum of 36 points over the last two games. In their most recent victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, Dallas won the turnover battle, intercepting Sam Darnold twice and keeping the ball protected. While they did lose time of possession, they were efficient with the ball in their hands, punting four times and scoring touchdowns on five possessions.
The Giants are going to have to match fire with fire as they travel to Dallas, but let’s take a look at a few keys that help them in this match-up.
Three keys for the New York Giants to beat the Dallas Cowboys:
1.) Get Kadarius Toney MORE involved
Teams are still trying to figure out a way to stop Giants rookie receiver Kadarius Toney, who had his best game of the season, hauling in six receptions for 78 yards against New Orleans. Coordinator Jason Garrett got him more involved with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton missing the game with hamstring injuries. Toney showed flashes of brilliance, using his quick-twitch abilities and insane lateral movement to dodge incoming tacklers and pick up extra yards.
Getting the ball in Toney’s hands should be a priority moving forward, and as he further incorporates himself into the offense, quarterback Daniel Jones will begin to rely on him as one of his favorite explosive play makers. The best part about Toney is that getting the ball in his hands from short range is all it takes to curate a big play. He rarely goes down on first contact and has already been coined the “human joystick.â€
Designing a few plays around him will keep Dallas’s defense on their toes. Having speed on the outside with John Ross should clear out the underneath for Toney to have more open space, which the Giants should consider if they use him on drag routes and shorter concepts. Bunching him with Golladay and Shepard (if he plays) might also be a unique strategy — something Garrett used more against the Saints to create confusion, running different routes from similar sets.
2.) Control the clock
While Dallas managed to overcome Carolina despite losing time of possession, the Giants would be smart to try and control the clock, which would help control momentum. Dallas has such a fantastic offensive scheme capable of dominating any opponent, slowing the game down is their only shot at keeping this game within reach. Despite a great performance against the New Orleans Saints, the Giants’ offense hasn’t proved they can be a high-octane unit on a weekly basis, so trading blow-for-blow will be difficult.
Garrett should still incorporate explosive downfield plays into his strategy, but if the Giants want to win this game, the run blocking needs to be far better than it has been through four weeks, and Saquon Barkley needs to have his best game of the season on the ground.
3.) Win the turnover battle
The Cowboys’ defense has been curating turnovers at an astronomical rate, as young corner Trevon Diggs intercepted Darnold twice this past weekend. In each of the last three wins, the Cowboys have won the turnover battle, forcing two turnovers in each game. The Giants have been far better protecting the football, which should provide them a bit more efficiency. Nonetheless, Dallas has a stingy defense, but they are missing a few key pass rushers, including Demarcus Lawrence, so the offensive line should be able to protect Daniel Jones well for the second consecutive week.