Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants: 5 important things to remember Thursday night

The Dallas Cowboys are in desperate need of a good game after two poor performances at AT&T Stadium. Usually, the New York Giants are the perfect remedy to make all your worries disappear. The Cowboys are 6-0 against the Giants over the last three seasons and 13-1 against them over the last seven seasons. If the Cowboys need a win, the Giants are the closest thing to a sure thing.

With the way the Cowboys have been playing lately, nothing is certain and this Giants team could be a problem. Here are five things to watch for when the Cowboys travel to MetLife on Thursday night.

1. Address your problems

To get back on track, the Cowboys defense needs to start by doing simple things. Better tackling would be a good start. This season, the Cowboys have struggled to break down opponents. They have allowed an additional 241 yards this year on 32 total missed tackles. That’s the third-worst mark in the NFL.

The Giants don’t have great running backs, but they do have effective running backs. Devin Singletary can get you sometimes. He’s coming off three straight seasons with at least 800 rushing yards and that came in situations in Buffalo and Houston where he shared the workload. This year, he leads the way with a career-high 14 carries and three receptions per game. Singletary has forced 19 missed tackles this year, third-most of any player this season.

Whether it’s containing him in the backfield or chasing him and new running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. on those pesky dump-off passes, the Cowboys need to do a better job of closing.

2. Jonesing for some errands

If the Giants have been paying attention to the Cowboys’ defense, they should have a solid game plan to run the ball. Until proven otherwise, that’s the Cowboys’ kryptonite. But like last week, the rushing yards won’t be limited to the running backs.

Daniel Jones isn’t as elusive as Lamar Jackson, but he’s still a player the Cowboys need to keep an eye on. He’s run nine times this season on designed runs. That’s fifth-most in the league. Unsurprisingly, the Cowboys’ defense has given up the most rushing yards on designed runs by a quarterback this season. The defense was embarrassed last week by Jackson. Letting Jones run wild Thursday night would be even more humiliating. The Cowboys can’t let that happen.

3. No love from Naberly for the tower

The Giants’ sixth overall pick, Malik Nabers, has had a stellar start to his NFL career. He has 23 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Those stats rank him second, fifth and first, respectively. No one in the league has been targeted as much as Nabers.

It’s no mystery that he’ll be the focal point of the Giants’ offense, and they love to move him. He’s been on the move on 31 snaps this year (most on the team) and in over half of those, he’s moved at the snap. They’ll look at him on quick routes, use him on jet sweeps, and sometimes get cute and let him take a direct snap. Nabers is a dynamic player and the Cowboys must have a good plan to slow him down because you can bet the Giants will let him go!

4. Steel melts when it burns

The Giants have a pretty solid defensive line. Some names you’ll recognize are veteran All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence and 2022 fifth overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. They also acquired veteran edge rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers in a trade last March and signed him to a five-year, $141 million extension.

But the Giants’ defense is even stronger with several players contributing, including undrafted rookie and free agent Elijah Chatman. Watching him play, you can see why they were so eager to trade Justin Phillips (among other reasons). The Giants run a lot of pass-rushing stunts and that will challenge the Cowboys’ offensive line to see what’s coming and react quickly. New York is second in the league in sacks thanks to 13 sacks in their last two games.

One matchup to watch closely is Burns versus Cowboys right tackle Terence Steele. Burns had 15 pressures on 84 passes rushed (17.9 percent), the highest pressure rate of his career. Overall, the Cowboys offensive line held up well in pass protection, but Steele had his share of dropped reps. If he can’t control Burns, it could be a tough day for the Cowboys offense.

5. It’s time for CeeDee to wake up

The Cowboys’ All-Pro receiver is the team’s best offensive weapon, but through the first three games of the season, he’s been relatively quiet. He’s caught just 13 balls so far, which is his fewest number in a three-game window since last season, when the Cowboys struggled early in the year. It culminated in Lamb sulking on the sideline at the time, and once again, he’s showing his frustration.

The offense has some issues, but it needs to find a way to get its best playmaker involved. Four receptions won’t cut it. Whether it’s dropping passes, running the wrong route or losing the ball in the red zone, Lamb has made a series of mistakes recently. The Giants like to send cornerback Deonte Banks to travel with the team’s best receiver, and he’s coming off a game where he gave up two touchdowns to Amari Cooper. This would be the perfect time for CeeDee to remind everyone how great he is.

What will you watch?