It has not been the season for Dallas that many long-time fans have hoped for after starting the season with a 1-2 record with back-to-back losses to the Saints and Ravens.
In fact, the Cowboys sit at the bottom of the NFC East, tied with no one other than the New York Giants, who Dallas will face Thursday at 8:15 p.m. EST. This is a must-win game for the Cowboys, who are on the verge of losing three straight games, and an individual seed at the bottom of the NFC East with a loss to the Giants.
While New York is also 1-2 to start the year, they are trending in the opposite direction. It captured its first win of the season in Week 3 over the Browns after suffering losses to the Vikings and Commanders in Weeks 1 and 2.
Unfortunately, with both teams knocking off Clevland within the first three weeks and not facing any of the same opponents, this seems to set Dallas and New York on a pretty similar playing field. While Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones has thrown for 250+ passing yards less than Cowboys captain Dak Prescott, the Giants make up for their lack of yards through the air by recording just under 100 more rushing yards than Dallas.
Dak Prescott hasn't lost to the Giants since 2016 🤠
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) September 26, 2024
The Cowboys are currently 6-point favorites vs. New York. pic.twitter.com/1oacRMRTxX
The biggest caveat, however, is not either team's offense but their defense, which will make this game interesting. Each team has allowed a total of roughly 560 yards through the air (Dallas 561: New York 559) from their opponents, but Dallas has given up 162 more rushing yards than the Giants, showing a vulnerable position in what is considered by some to be one of the better defenses in the NFL, behind linebacker Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys also give up an average of one more touchdown per game (29.7 Opp PPG) than the Giants (21.3 Opp. PPG). Dallas’ 29.7 opponent points per game puts them second to last in the entire NFL in opponent points per game behind the 1-2 Los Angeles Rams (30.3) and Carolina Panthers (31.7).
While the Giants only score an average of 15 points a game, it seems anything is possible against this Dallas defense, which has consistently given up points and rushing yards the entire season. In fact, Dallas's leading scorer is none other than their kicker Brandon Aubrey, who is a perfect 10/10 from the field and 5/5 in extra points on the season, recording 35 of the Cowboys' 77 points. Dak Prescott, who has five touchdowns through three games, has accounted for just 30 points for the Cowboys.
It is clear what Dallas needs to do to win this game. Stop the run and put the ball in the endzone; however, that is easier said than done. Tune in to Amazon Prime at 8:15 p.m. EST to see if the Cowboys can capture a division victory against the Giants.
