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New York Giants: 3 ways the offense can attack a spotty Dallas defense

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

It is no secret that the New York Giants have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, and there’s plenty of blame to go around for their demise. In 2019, the Giants were by no means an elite unit, as quarterback Daniel Jones threw 24 touchdown passes and over 3000 yards, but this year under Jason Garrett, his numbers have seen a massive drop off. He only has nine touchdown passes and 2714 yards over 13 appearances. He’s also been sacked 43 times, indicating a lack of WR separation and poor pass blocking.

The offense currently averages 17.1 points per game, and their only saving grace is the running game lead by Wayne Gallman and Alfred Morris. Losing Saquon Barkley in week two against the Chicago Bears was a massive blow, but that has led us to a week 17 matchup against a surging Dallas team that averages 25.1 points per game. Finding ways to compensate for the lack of playmakers or injuries has been the storyline for the Giants on both sides of the ball, and it might be time to unleash the playbook for Garrett and put everything on the line.

Ultimately, Garrett’s playcalling selection has dwindled down to short-yardage options and quick reads, trying to avoid more Jones sacks and potential fumbles. Unfortunately, that has stalled the offense’s progression, and his inability to find receivers downfield has severely limited his potential. You could make the argument that the Giants simply don’t have the wide receivers to get the job done, but that doesn’t erase the fact that Darius Slayton had eight touchdown catches and over 700 yards in his rookie season. This season, he only has three touchdowns, as Garrett simply isn’t pushing the ball downfield and taking chances. That must change against Dallas if they want to keep up with their high-octane offense.

Three ways the New York Giants’ offense can find a spark:

1.) Daniel Jones surprise read-options

Daniel Jones was surprisingly conservative regarding his injury this week during a media session. He mentioned that he has been limited the past few games, sticking to the pocket and refraining from taking off running. Head coach Joe Judge said he was a bit forthcoming with the way he answered the questions and preferred he would’ve been a bit vaguer, but Jones has been moving around well during practice and could have been covering up their game plan.

I believe that DJ has the ability to activate read-options against Dallas, and we should see a little bit of his running mixed in after a few weeks of standing in the pocket like a traditional passer. This would really open up the field and force the Dallas to allocate more resources toward stopping Jones, which should help the receivers in the passing game.

2.) Dante Pettis

Last week, Pettis hauled in two catches for 33 yards, showing off some speed and agility from multiple spots on the field. One thing that I loved about Pettis was his desire to run second routes when Jones escaped the pocket.

This season, Giants receivers have often stopped running and trying to get open once the quarterback was flushed from the pocket unless it was a designed rollout. Pettis showed that extra bit of energy and heads up awareness to help DJ complete a pass downfield, and was one of his best throws of the season.

I would also like to see Dante return some kicks or punts since Dion Lewis has fumbled twice over the last three games on returns. Pettis was known for his ability as a return man in college, and while the 49ers didn’t manage to extract his value and potential, the Giants should offer him an opportunity in week 17 since he could be a potential receiving option for them in 2021.

3.) Target downfield against spotty Dallas secondary

While the Cowboys’ defense has been playing better as of late, their secondary is still spotty and can be taken advantage of. Their run defense is where they really struggle, so expect the Giants to rely predominately on that portion of their offense. They only average about 228.7 yards through the air allowed per game, which indicates a tougher matchup for the Giants in their passing attack. However, as we know, establishing the run opens up the passing game and forces defenses to commit to the box.

The problem is, opposing teams have been playing cover 1 and cover 0 to stop the Giants because they simply don’t respect the receivers’ abilities to get open in man coverage. If the receivers are unable to get separation and give Daniel Jones some solid options, the offense will again be trounced.

Pushing receivers downfield on verticals and taking shots against man coverage is exactly what the Giants should be trying to do. However, it also relies on Jones’ ability to progress through his reads and find open receivers. The playcalling is the focal point here, and the Giants are going to need to score over 20 points to keep up with Dallas in this contest.

New York Giants: 3 causes of concerns against Dallas Cowboys

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are facing one of their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys in week 17. The Cowboys are one game ahead of the Giants. If the Giants want to make the playoffs, they need to beat Dallas first. If they beat Dallas, they need some help from the Eagles to beat the Washington Football Team.

The Giants are facing a team that is trending in the right direction. This game against Dallas will not be easy, here are the three concerns for the Giants in Week 17.

Giants trending down, Cowboys trending up

The Giants went on a four-game win streak before losing against the Arizona Cardinals on Week 14. Since that Week 14 loss, the Giants are on a three-game losing streak. While the Giants are trending downwards the Cowboys are on the rise. The Cowboys have won their last three games and putting up points on the opponent’s defense.

The Giants had a top 10 run defense going into last week. In the last three games, the Giants have given up on average 171.3 per game on the ground. With Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard picking up steam over the last couple of weeks, the Cowboy’s run offense has significantly improved.

Giants pass defense

Whatever side James Bradberry chooses, I am not worried about. The side that has Issac Yiadom could and will likely be a weak point, especially with the weapons that Dallas has in Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and rookie CeeDee Lamb.

The Cowboys went from a Dak Prescott/Zeke centric offense to a Mike McCarthy/spread centric offense with Andy Dalton at the helm. Since Dalton has come back from his concussion and Covid-19, he has gone 4-2 and brought the Cowboys all the way back to the playoff picture. Over the last three games, the Cowboys are averaging 36 points per game, and the Giants are averaging 8.6 points per game.

The Giants secondary is gonna need to create turnovers if they want a chance to play in the playoffs with home-field advantage.

Simple, Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones will be playing in the biggest game of his young career. If Jones can beat Dallas and get a little help from Philly, he could remove all the talks about him potentially getting replaced.

Jones spoke to the media this week about his previous injuries and admitted he is not a hundred percent. Jones also said that he would be a pocket passer and not use his legs until he is a hundred percent healthy. Jones technically just told Dallas that he will stay in the pocket and throw. Dallas has to prepare less now.

One thing that we love about head coach Joe Judge is that he keeps his opponents guessing. With Jones telling the media about staying in the pocket, that’s not keeping your opponents guessing.

 

New York Giants defense needs to shut down high-scoring Cowboys offense in Week 17

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New York Giants, DeAndre Baker

The New York Giants are still in the playoff hunt. With a Giants win over the Dallas Cowboys and an Eagles win over the Washington Football Team, the Giants will make their first playoff appearance since 2016.

First and foremost, the Giants need to beat the Cowboys. A loss against Dallas would officially eliminate the Giants from playoff contention. But if the Giants want to beat Dallas and go to the postseason, they need their defense to step up in a major way.

The Giants’ offense has struggled to put points on the board all season long. New York has only topped 30 points in a game once this season (their Week 5 loss to the Cowboys). The Giants’ offense also averages the least amount of points per game, averaging only 17.1 points.

The Giants’ offense has been particularly bad over the last three weeks. During their current three-game losing streak, the Giants have scored a total of 26 points, an average of 8.6 points per game. Dallas on the other hand has lit up the scoreboard over the last three weeks.

Dallas Cowboys offense

The Dallas Cowboys are on a three-game winning streak in which their offense has exploded and propelled them to consecutive victories. The Andy Dalton-led Dallas Cowboys are putting points on the board with ease. Over their last three games, the Cowboys have topped 30 points in each game. Dallas’s offense is averaging 36 points during this winning streak.

This incredible offensive display by Dallas is not exclusive to this three-game winning streak. The Cowboys have been scoring a high volume of points all season long.

If the New York Giants want to win this game, they absolutely have to contain the Dallas Cowboys’ offense and hold them to under 30 points (ideally under 20, given the state of the Giants’ offense). The Cowboys have scored 30 or more points in every single win this season. They have topped 30 points in eight of their fifteen games this season.

The Cowboys are averaging 25.1 points per game this season. The Giants, though, do have one of the better defenses in the NFL. New York has allowed opposing offenses to average only 22.5 points per game this season (tenth-best in the NFL). The Giants have held opposing teams to 20 or fewer points in eight games this season. Keeping Dallas’s offense under the 20-point threshold will go along way toward winning this crucial Week 17 matchup.

New York Giants’ offense needs to step up against Dallas Cowboys

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New York Giants, Austin Mack, Jason Garrett

The New York Giants are entering a must-win, Week 17 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. With a loss, the Giants will be eliminated from the playoffs. With a win, New York will need some help from Philadelphia, but they could earn their first playoff birth since 2016.

First and foremost, the Giants have to beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 to make the playoffs. Despite Dallas’ 6-9 record, this will be no easy task for the Giants. The Giants narrowly lost their last matchup with the Cowboys by a score of 37-34 in Week 5. This game is significant for the Giants because it is the only game this season in which New York was able to top 30 points.

The Giants’ offense has been terrible this season. The Giants are averaging only 17.1 points per game this season, the second-worst average in the NFL behind only the New York Jets. A functioning offense has been rare in New York this season.

The Dallas Cowboys, on the other hand, have a pretty high octane offense. The Cowboys are only 6-9, but their record is not a reflection of poor offensive play. Dallas is averaging 25.1 points per game this season. Andy Dalton and the Cowboys’ offense has been on a hot streak over the last three weeks, though. Over this three-game winning streak, Dallas is averaging 36 points per game.

The Dallas Cowboys are bound to put up a high volume of yardage and points in Week 17. The New York Giants have an excellent defense, but there is only so much they will be able to do against Dalton and Dallas. The Cowboys are bound to put points on the board and the Giants’ offense is going to need to match and surpass that total.

If Jason Garrett and the Giants’ offense cannot keep up with Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys’ offense, then the Giants will not be playing football in the second week of January.

New York Yankees Analysis: Why is everything with the Yankees so damn important?

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Why, because the New York Yankees are the New York Yankees. The Yankees are the most valuable, wealthiest baseball franchise in the world. The Yankees, because of that, are under more scrutiny than any other team. The Yankees are in New York City, USAToday says that New York is the best sports city globally, Forbes says it’s Boston, but that is irrelevant; if you’re from the tri-state area, you know its New York. For these and other reasons, all eyes are on a team that is supposed to win a World Championship every year, but they don’t.

Maybe a better question is why the lowly Tampa Bay Rays, a team from a much smaller market, a team with one-quarter of the payroll, wins the ALCS, but the Yankees haven’t been able to in years?

To put it plainly, the New York Yankees are not the DesMoines MudDogs (no offense, Iowa); they are the Yankees, a team that is supposed to be victorious every year. If the MudDogs or any other team comes in third or fourth in their division, they likely feel their season was successful. Not the Yankees, if they don’t reach the World Series and win it, they are failures.

Based on that, all eyes are on the Yankees in the offseason to see what they will do to improve the team. Some of it seems ludicrous, the Yankees have one of the most powerful lineups in baseball, yet we try to improve it. The Yankees are known to have one of the best bullpens in the game, but yet with Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman headlining the group, we need to fix it; it’s not good enough.

All of this aside, the Yankees do have some serious problems to solve. Mainly they have no starting pitching. Yes, they made the biggest splash last year when they went to California and spent $324 million on Gerrit Cole, but now they find themselves with only Gerrit Cole. The Yankees have to rebuild their pitching rotation completely. But with the Yankees, you never know what they and their general manager Brian Cashman will do. But all of these things are so damn important because the Yankees must win next season, or it will be the end of the world.

Maybe we should look at the Dallas Cowboys, the wealthiest sports franchise at $5.5 billion (the Yankees are at $5 billion). They haven’t won an NFL Championship since 1996, even longer since the Yankees have won. I wish I could answer why the Yankees can’t seem to put it all together and win their 28th World Championship, If I could Brian Cashman would be out and I would be in.

Nevertheless all of the sports world will be watching the New York Yankees this offseason to see whose tires they will kick or what blockbuster deal they will be pulling off, or if they again patch up the team and hope for the big win. In my experience when you do the same thing and expect a different result, you’re playing the fools game.

 

 

 

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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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

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.

Can the New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys in week 5?

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

After starting the 2020 regular season 0-4, the New York Giants are preparing to face off against the Dallas Cowboys in week five. As always, this is an anticipated matchup between two divisional rivals, but the Giants haven’t been able to overcome a strong Dallas team in recent years.

Both have their deficiencies, and they are exact opposites of one another. The Cowboys currently ranked third in total offense, averaging 31.5 points per game. They rank first in yards per game at 509.5. Comparably to the Giants, they are head and shoulders above the competition.

Big Blue currently ranks 31st in the NFL in yards per game at 278. They are last in points per game with 11.8. Only the Jets are better with 16.3, which is a significant difference considering it’s an average of four games.

Defense is where Dallas struggles, offering a slight glimpse of hope for a Giants’ offense that has been nonexistent.

How the New York Giants can overcome the Dallas Cowboys:

It won’t be easy taking down Dallas, considering their lights out offense. Defensively, if the Giants can’t get in the end zone, they will lose this game by a landslide. They held a superb Los Angeles Rams team to just 17 points in week four, but it would’ve been less if the offense was able to muster any momentum.

Daniel Jones has been running for his life behind a spotty offensive line, and things aren’t going to get much better with the strength of their schedule. The running game finally picked it up in week four, posted 138 yards on the ground. The passing game has been a major issue, which has forced Jones to utilize his legs too frequently. The weakness for Dallas lies in their secondary, with patchwork defenders holding down the fort.

With the Cowboys allowing 36.5 points per game, they have re-tooled their unit with aging stars and skeptical defenders. They are the single-worst scoring defense in team history, so far.

Against the Browns in week four, they allowed 307 rushing yards, and that was without Nick Chubb for a majority of the contest. Russell Wilson put up five touchdowns against Dallas in week three, showing their lackluster secondary.

The Giants have the talent to operate at an adequate level, and Dallas will give them an opportunity to finally break free from their schematic chains. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett must get more creative, as they have seemingly utilized a base, day one scheme with a bit of creativity sprinkled in on occasion. Every play needs to be planned and executed to perfection, but the Giants are a long way from perfecting that reality.

At the very least, scoring a few touchdowns would be beneficial and provide some positive momentum. Dak Prescott has already logged 12 touchdowns through four games, meaning the Giants have a tall task ahead of them on defense.

Do I think the Giants can beat Dallas, yes, but I don’t feel confident the offense can put up more than 20 points regardless. It really boils down to winning the turnover differential and winning the time of possession.

New York Giants: Who’s primed for a better year Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott?

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The NFC East contains two running back’s that have top-five potential in 2020. New York Giants‘ Saquon Barkley and Dallas Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott are the two players that will compete side-by-side for their establishment as the best back in the NFC East.

The question: Who will have a better year and why?

1.) Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott is going through some major changes on offense in 2020. The Cowboys replaced head coach Jason Garrett with Mike McCarthy. Elliott had performed extremely well under Garrett in previous years, but the team did keep Kellen Moore as their offensive coordinator. Their offense was focused primarily around the passing game in 2019, which took away from Elliott’s production as it was the first season in his career he didn’t lead the NFL in rushing yards per game.

The change in scheme and now the drafting of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb should not assist in Elliott’s efficiency moving forward. He will be more valued as a blocker and receiver than as a running back. They have a similar style to the Kansas City Chiefs, who rely on passes and intermediate throws to move the chains. To give you a good example of how the Dallas’ offense could change with McCarthy as their head coach when Ezekiel Elliott joined the team in 2016, their offense ranked 1st, 5th, 10th, and 8th and rush attempts per game.

Comparably, Mike McCarthy’s offenses ranked 29th, 27th, and 30nd during that same time span.

We can project that Elliott will have a far superior year than he has enjoyed in the past, which should give Saquon Barkley a heavy advantage.

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