Cowboys

Thanksgiving Day game has major implications for New York Giants’ season

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New York Giants, Cam Fleming

The New York Giants are not playing on Thanksgiving this year. However, two of their division rivals are playing. And the game that they are playing is crucial for the Giants and their playoff aspirations.

After a wild Week 11 in the NFL, the Giants found themselves in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East, despite not playing during their bye week. The Giants, Football Team, and Cowboys are all tied with a 3-7 record. Washington and Dallas both picked up clutch victories last week to narrow the gap between themselves and the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia is a half-game ahead of everyone else with a 3-6-1 record.

With the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team facing off in this Thanksgiving matchup, Giants fans should watch closely as this game could have major implications on New York’s season. The Giants have a tough schedule to close out the year, playing playoff-caliber teams like the Ravens, Seahawks, Cardinals, and Browns before season’s end. The Giants might struggle to string together more wins this year, but some of their divisional rivals’ schedules are not as difficult.

The Cowboys, in particular, have a much easier schedule. The Cowboys will face one legitimate playoff contender, the Baltimore Ravens. The rest of their matchups are quite manageable. Dallas will play the 49ers, starting Nick Mullens, their backup quarterback. Outside of that, they will play the Bengals who just lost Joe Burrow for the season, as well as the struggling Eagles and one final matchup with the Giants. If Dallas continues to play the way they did last week, that season-ending matchup with the Giants could be an additional playoff game.

Root for Washington or Dallas?

For Giants fans, Washington needs to beat Dallas today. The Giants have the tie-breaker over Washington, beating them twice this season. New York has already lost one of its two matchups against the Cowboys and will play their next game against Dallas in Week 17. Dallas has a favorable schedule leading up to that game and could string together some wins to take the lead in the divisional race.

The Washington Football Team, however, plays a much harder schedule to close out the season. They will face the undefeated Steelers and the Super Bowl-contending Seahawks, making their schedule instantly harder than Dallas’s. For Washington to stay alive in the playoff race, they need to win today’s matchup. Additionally, in order to keep Dallas from picking up steam and taking a lead in the division, Washington needs to win today’s matchup. The Giants should hope to see Dallas crumble like the crust of an apple pie during today’s afternoon Turkey Day matchup.

New York Giants: A Thursday Night win could keep playoff hopes alive

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New York Giants, Joe Judge

The New York Giants‘ season got off to a disastrous 0-5 start. Thankfully, the Giants were able to pick up their first win of the season against the division-rival Washington Football Team on Sunday. Now, at 1-5, the Giants are actually still very much alive in the playoff hunt.

The NFC East is laughably bad. The Giants’ division has a combined record of 5-18-1. The Giants sit one game back from first place in their division. Currently, the Dallas Cowboys own the title with a 2-4 record. If New York can pick up a clutch win on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, they can move into first place in the NFC East.

The Dallas Cowboys will need to lose as well if the Giants are going to move into first place in the east. Dallas is traveling to Washington this week to play another divisional game. Washington’s lone win of the season came against the rival Eagles. With a Dallas loss and a New York win, the Giants would find themselves with the same record as Dallas, 2-5, at the end of the week.

But beating Philadelphia will be no easy task for the Giants on Thursday night. If the Giants want to keep their playoff hopes alive, they need to come out of Philadelphia with a win.

The Road To First Place In The NFC East

The Giants will travel to Philadelphia to play their third divisional-matchup in a row on Thursday night. A primetime game against Philadelphia is typically a daunting task for the Giants, but things could be different this time around with the Giants coming off their first win of the season.

Luckily for the Giants, things have also gone from bad to worse in Dallas. The Cowboys are playing without their starting quarterback, Dak Prescott, after he suffered a season-ending injury in Week Five. Now, after the team’s embarrassing Week Six loss to the Arizona Cardinals, players have spoken out against their own coaching staff.

This is the perfect moment for Washington to pick up a win and throw its name in the playoff race. Washington is coming off of a disappointing 19-20 loss to the Giants. They fought hard and nearly won the game, but ultimately lost on a failed two-point conversion after an impressive comeback.

With Dallas hitting a low point and Washington showing week-to-week improvement, the Football Team could get its second win of the season in Week Seven. This would put Washington in a tie for first place in the NFC East. If the Giants win this week too, then there will be a three-way tie at the top of the division. In this scenario, it is essentially the start of a new season for every member of the NFC East. The playoff race would begin in Week Seven between every single team in the NFC East.

If the Giants lose this week, it seems like their playoff hopes will be over. Considering how they played the first five weeks of the season, the Giants are not likely to go on a big winning streak to rise to the top of the division. No 0-5 team has ever made the playoffs in the NFL. Winning on Thursday will be the Giants’ first step towards making history.

New York Giants: Why the offense could break out in week five

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The New York Giants are about to play their first division-rival game of the 2020 NFL season on Sunday. At 4:25 p.m., the Giants and Cowboys will kick off their Week Five matchup in Dallas.

Through the first four weeks of the season, the Giants’ offense has been one of the worst units in the NFL. The Giants are averaging just 11.8 points per game on offense, the worst in the NFL by about 5 points. New York has not scored a touchdown in their last two games and never even found their way into the red zone in Week Three.

That pattern should change this week, as the Giants are about to face one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Playing the Cowboys could be exactly what the Giants need to see their offense break out this season.

The Cowboys’ Shaky Defense

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense is arguably the worst in the NFL right now. Through four games, the Cowboys’ defense ranks as one of the worst units against both the pass and the run. Opposing offenses are averaging 430.5 yards per game against Dallas, the third-highest total in the NFL.

The Cowboys’ opponents have been raking in a serious amount of points. Dallas has allowed opposing offenses to average 36.5 points per game against them. Against the Cleveland Browns in Week Four, Dallas allowed their opponents to rush for 307 yards. Dallas fell to 1-3 on the season after their loss to Cleveland, just one game better than the Giants who sit at 0-4.

New York is in desperate need of a win. Unfortunately, their offense has not been able to do enough to get them across the finish line, despite the Giants’ defense being one of the NFL’s top units through four weeks. New York has allowed only 24 points per game. They have also allowed only 328.3 total yards per game (fifth-best in the NFL).

But the Giants’ defense will face a tall task in Dallas this week. The Cowboys’ offense has somehow been just as good as their defense is bad. Dallas is currently averaging 31.5 points per game and a league-high 509.5 total yards per game.

This game is likely to be a shootout or a blowout. The Giants’ offense will need to keep up with Dallas’ high-powered offensive machine. Fortunately, New York has a favorable matchup on offense, facing Dallas’ struggling defense. If the Giants’ offense can exploit this matchup, Giants fans could finally see their team break out and put some points on the board.

Are the Cowboys Pursuing Trade For New York Jet’s Cornerstone?

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New York Jets, Jamal Adams

The Cowboys went down to the wire with the Jets at the trade deadline in negotiations for star safety Jamal Adams. The New York Jets wanted a 1st Round Pick and 2 Seconds. The Cowboys wouldn’t budge on their offer of a 1st and a day 3 selection. The Jets kept Jamal and after briefly being a cause of unrest among the Jets faithful, he went right back to bringing the energy to the defense and team as a whole.

Now, the New York Jets are in an offseason where they’ve spent a small amount of money on short term deals. They’ve invested in the offensive line and are seemingly going to invest a bulk of their draft picks into the offense as well. The Jets are preparing to rebuild this team into a contender in the future, not next season. This means they need to keep the talent they do have on defense for the long haul, so the Jets need to either lock up Jamal for the future or trade him and get compensation for him.

What Could A Deal Look Like?

I and many Jets fans would prefer he remains in Green and White, but the Cowboys are reportedly monitoring the situation between the Jets and Jamal and may be prepping to attempt a trade again. If the Cowboys did make an offer, it would likely include their 1st rounder, their 2nd or 3rd rounder and maybe another pick. The Jets would hypothetically then have a selection to add one of the top offensive linemen at 11 and add a receiver with the Cowboys selection. This would give them much more flexibility and help build for the long term with more guys on less expensive deals.

Is It Really Worth It?

Although some people discredit Jamal’s impact because of how the safety position is valued, he’s more than just a typical safety. Adams is an absolute monster on defense. He led the team in sacks last year with Jordan Jenkins. He’s also masterful in coverage and tackling. Adams is not just a force on the field but also in the locker room. Adams actively recruits players, is the voice of the team and the captain of the defense. He’s well regarded within the Jets community and the league as a whole. The Jets struck gold with Jamal Adams. No matter who they could add with the Cowboys picks, those players couldn’t have the same impact Jamal has had. Jamal Adams needs to remain a Jet, not just for now, but for a very long time.

Report: New York Jets In Running For CB Byron Jones

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New York Giants, Byron Jones, Dallas Cowboys

Byron Jones is a freak athlete at corner who has been a very good player in the NFL. As the Cowboys plan to prioritize Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper over him, he’s heading to free agency. The former all-star is expected to have lots of interest.

Jets In Running

Per Adam Schefter: The Jets, Eagles, Giants, and Raiders are all in the running for Byron Jones. Jones would immediately become the Jets number one cornerback and if paired with back issues. Jones would be an absolutely perfect fit with Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye because of how athletic the three are. Jones would be an ideal Gregg Williams player and if the Jets are going to splurge on a defensive player in free agency, Jones wouldn’t be a bad guy. The only concern that I have about making a move for Jones, is that the last big contract that the Jets handed out for a corner, didn’t end to well. If the Jets feel confident that Jones is an exception and will not come back to bite them in the butt than I am all for this move.

Where Will He Go?

Byron Jones is going to command a hefty deal. With Joe Douglas likely going to prioritize offensive line and building around Sam, I can’t see him in the green and white, although I would be thrilled. I do see him landing in Philly because they are in dire need of a number one corner and have the money to afford Jones.

New York Jets: Containing The Cowboys Key Pieces Is Essential

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Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys’ defense is young and talented. To go along with that, so much of the preparation and headlines regarding this game have been centered around Sam Darnold and the New York Jets offense. Reportedly Adam Gase hadn’t been using the regular playbook in order to not over expose it without the franchise guy at the helm. Now Darnold is back and the Jets offense is going to be expected to come out and perform a hell of a lot better than they have to this point.

The Jets can win this game on offense by scoring points but the Jets can easily control the momentum in this game with their defense. Their defense will not only get a lift from Sam being back on offense but they also get Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland back. Jenkins and Copeland are both two of the best edge rushers on this squad and their additions will help immediately. The biggest key to this game is going to be controlling the 4 key pieces of the Cowboy offense.

Amari Cooper:

Despite being injured Amari Cooper has been great for the Cowboys this year. He’s been a true number one wide receiver for this squad. The Jets are going to have to find someone capable of covering him in this ballgame. The best case would be a swapping of Hairston, Johnson and Roberts throughout the game. Allowing them to rotate may be able to contain Cooper. The added benefit of his injury will assist the corners to keep up with him.

Michael Gallup:

The big bodied receiver is a huge part of the Dallas offense. He’s a mismatch and hard to cover. Brian Poole has been the Jets most reliable corner this season and I think this should be his matchup all day. Gallup has been able to torch just about every defense since Thanksgiving last year. He’s got it all figured out now and he’s a dangerous weapon. If the Jets can keep him in control that’s huge.

Ezekiel Elliot:

The Jets run defense has been solid and their front 7, despite injuries has been pretty good. This matchup is evidently a rough one but with two of their starting offensive linemen questionable and a solid defense this matchup could be a lot more in favor of the Jets than expected. The key is gonna have to be if Tyron Smith and La’el Collins play. If they don’t then this could be a big thing for the Jets.

Dak Prescott:

Dak is a glorified game manager. However, he’s also a bonafide leader. He’s by far not one of the most talented QBs in the game. His leadership skills and above average skill set make him a good QB. Pressure rattles Prescott and the Jets will be able to apply that this time around. Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland are excellent edge rushers and will hopefully apply pressure and rattle Dak or else it could be a long day.

If the Jets offense is even remotely good and the defense can contain Dallas than this is a game the Jets could fare better in than expected. If the key pieces are electric than it could be a long day. Gregg Williams better be ready because if he and his defense aren’t prepared it’ll be a terrible loss.P

The New York Giants Pass-Rush Has A Lot To Prove In Week One

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New York Giants defensive lineman, Dexter Lawrence.

The New York Giants have not had a player record double-digit sacks since 2014. The hope is that this changes in 2019, but it does not seem likely. The Giants do not look to have a strong pass rush heading into the new season.

Last season, the Giants struggled to get after the passer. The team recorded only 30 sacks and allowed 371.4 yards per game. The Giants’ defense needs to improve in 2019, and that obviously starts in week one against the Cowboys.

Why The Pass Rush Might Struggle

In week one, the Giants pass rusher needs to prove the doubters wrong. Unfortunately, they have an extremely tough matchup to start the season. The Giants will be traveling to Dallas in week one to face off with the division rival Cowboys.

The Cowboys possess one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. The line features three All-Pros: Tyron Smith at left tackle, Travis Frederick at center, and Zack Martin at right guard. This creates a difficult matchup for the Giants’ young and inexperienced pass rush.

Last year, Zack Martin allowed only three sacks and only committed one penalty. Tyron Smith allowed zero sacks and committed ten penalties. If that is any indicator, Lorenzo Carter probably will not be getting his first sack of 2019 in week one.

Why The Pass Rush Has A Chance To Surprise

It also means it will be arduous for Dexter Lawrence to get a sack in his first career game. The Giants’ 17th overall pick in the 2019 Draft is an underrated pass-rusher. In 2018, Dexter Lawrence totaled an impressive 33 pressures (Pro Football Focus). Dexter was often in the face of opposing quarterbacks. He also added 10 sacks in three collegiate seasons.

Lorenzo Carter is the Giants’ lead pass rusher this year. Unfortunately, he was disappointing in the 2019 preseason, recording not a single sack after tons of hype in training camp. But he is still the team’s best pass rusher and it is never good practice to read far into preseason play.

The Giants do not have one single standout pass-rusher, but they do have multiple solid rushers. Markus Golden is only two years and one injury removed from a twelve sack season. Oshane Ximines was the Giants’ third round pick and he was impressive in the preseason.

Most importantly for the Giants’ pass-rush in week one is defensive coordinator James Bettcher. The Giants’ defense has holes all over, but a great coach can cover up those holes. It will be up to Bettcher to scheme pressure against the Cowboys. If the Giants fail to pressure Dak Prescott, they will lose. It is crucial for the Giants to get after the quarterback and get off to a strong start in week one.

New York Giants: Previewing Week 17 Matchup Vs. Dallas

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Coming off of a late game collapse in Indianapolis last week, the 5-10 New York Giants will be hosting the Dallas Cowboys at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday for the week 17 season finale. The Cowboys are, of course, a division rival in the NFC East. This means that this is the Giants’ second matchup with Dallas this season.

In week two, the Giants traveled to Dallas to play the Cowboys in a primetime Sunday night matchup. The Giants lost this game 13-20. This was when the Giants offense was at an extreme low point. The final score was only a seven point difference, but this was because of a garbage-time touchdown by the Giants. The Cowboys owned them this game, but the Giants will have a chance to get revenge in week 17.

Taking A Look At The Cowboys

The Cowboys have clinched a playoff spot by winning the NFC East. They are sitting at 9-6 and will be looking to reach double digit wins after coming up a game short last season. Dallas is being lead by third year running back Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot leads the league in rushing yards this season.

The Cowboys offense has added a new weapon since the Giants last played them. They received wide receiver Amari Cooper in a trade with the Oakland Raiders. Since joining the Cowboys in week nine, Cooper has totaled 694 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. Elliot and Cooper are two key players that the Giants defense will need to stop in order to win.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have had a rookie emerge as the leader of their defense. The first-year linebacker out of Boise State University, Leighton Vander Esch, has totalled 131 tackles this season, third in the NFL. On top of that, Vander Esch has added two interceptions and seven passes defended. Edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence is also having a good season. He has an impressive 9.5 sacks and 61 tackles this season. The Giants’ offensive line will need to give Lawrence a lot of attention in order to keep quarterback Eli Manning upright.

Injury Report

For the fourth time this season, superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been ruled out. His season is over after just twelve games and he will not play in the season finale. The Giants have also ruled out defensive end Mario Edwards, middle linebacker Alec Ogletree, tight end Rhett Ellison, and wide receiver Russell Shepard.

The Cowboys will be without two defensive linemen this week. Defensive tackle David Irving and defensive end Tyrone Crawford will not play on Sunday. On top of that, the Cowboys have four players questionable. Left tackle Tyron Smith, right guard Zack Martin, linebacker Sean Lee, and cornerback Anthony Brown are all questionable.

The Giants’ Game Plan

The Cowboys have already clinched a playoff spot and have no room for improvement for a higher seed. With this in mind, it is likely that many of the Cowboys’ starters will see minimal to no playing time. The Giants will lean heavily on running back Saquon Barkley this week with multiple defensive linemen and linebackers either out or questionable for Dallas. Eli Manning had a good day passing the ball last Sunday against the Colts, and Giants fans should expect more of the same from the veteran quarterback against a mediocre Dallas defense.

The Giants will look to improve to 6-10 against the Cowboys, but many fans will argue that they shouldn’t. The Giants currently hold the 8th pick in the draft. With a win this week, the Giants could fall all the way back to the 12th pick in the draft. With a loss, the Giants could stay where they are, or potentially move all the way up to the 4th pick. For the Giants’ future, a loss would be ideal. However, head coach Pat Shurmur has already spoken out against tanking, so expect the Giants to give this one their all.

New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning Uncertain About Future

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On Wednesday morning, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was questioned by reporters near his locker room. Following the week 16 loss against Indianapolis, Pat Shurmur confirmed that Manning will start the final game of the season against Dallas. Despite this, there has still been no status update on the 15 year veteran’s future with the Giants.

What Has Eli Said About His Future?

While being questioned by his locker on Wednesday, a reporter asked the quarterback if he “expects to be here next season as the starting quarterback.” Manning responded with “I don’t know.” He then elaborated on that statement. Eli said he has not got into that or thought much about that yet.

With one game left this season, it is just about time for Manning to begin to think about his future. The Giants have had a disappointing season at 5-10. They are expected to be picking in the top ten again in this year’s draft. The uncertainty surrounding Eli Manning leads many to believe the Giants will select a quarterback in the first round this year. (Quotes provided by @art_stapleton on Twitter).

What Has Coach Shurmur Said About Eli’s Future?

Head coach Pat Shurmur was asked on Wednesday if he gives any thought at all to the possibility that this will be Eli Manning’s final game as a Giant.

Shurmur responded by saying:

“No, not really. Eli’s our starter. Eli gives us the best chance to win and he is going to play on Sunday. That’s where we’re at. I think when the game is over we start talking in-depth about what’s going to happen moving forward… I’m not worried about that. Again, you’re talking to the coach. I’m not worried about that, I’m worried about the game” (via @RVacchianoSNY on Twitter).

Pat Shurmur gave a traditional coach’s answer. All he will admit to being focused on is the upcoming game. With a week left in the season, it will be interesting to see how Pat Shurmur responds to this question following this week’s game.

The Giants will be closing out this disappointing season at home against the Cowboys. With the possibility of this being Manning’s last game as a Giant, all eyes will be on number 10.