Grading the Giants' Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys
Giants head coach John Harbaugh looks on against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Offense: B
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy called an excellent game where the Giants picked apart the Dallas secondary with Jaxson Dart’s passing. They were complementary by running the ball 37 times for 165 yards. Dart didn’t complete a pass longer than 19 yards but didn’t turn the ball over. Going 3-for-3 in the red zone was a great sign of finishing drives with touchdowns instead of field goals. The Giants’ three second half drives lasted 8:01, 8:21 and 5:21 and were grinders that wore down the Cowboys. Four fumbles could've led to this being a bad night but three were recovered. But Dart’s decisiveness and the offense’s execution (394 yards) were top notch in making an opening statement.
Defense: B
The Giants’ run defense was one of the NFL’s worst the last two years. They got off to a better start holding the Cowboys to just 69 rushing yards. The Cowboys had just 244 yards of offense and despite CeeDee Lamb scoring a touchdown, he had just five catches for 44 yards. George Pickens had just three catches for 28 yards as both receivers weren’t dominant factors. The defensive front constantly brought pressure on quarterback Dak Prescott and that led to Jevon Holland’s interception being a game changer to set up a scoring drive just before halftime. Penalties, however, extended all three Cowboys’ scoring drives and the Cowboys also finished 8-for-11 on third down. Despite that, a strong impression for Dennard Wilson’s bunch.
Special Teams: A
Kicker Dominic Zvada only came on for PAT duty but he didn’t miss. A perfect 4-for-4 made for a solid debut for the rookie, especially when Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey missed one. Braxton Berrios had a 28-yard kickoff return and Banks had two returns for 37 yards. The Giants didn’t allow All-Pro returner Kavontae Turpin to run wild, so an excellent day all around.
Coaching: A
John Harbaugh had his team committed to wear down to the Cowboys and they did just that. They weren’t phased by Tyrone Tracy’s lost fumble nor when the Cowboys scored on what would be their final drive. However, 10 penalties isn’t good for a Harbaugh-led team. That needs to be fixed but Harbaugh showed why the Giants hired him. To lead and mold a better team and for one game, that happened.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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