Five Dallas Cowboys things to watch in Sunday’s must-win game against the Giants
It’s kind of fitting for the Dallas Cowboys to be facing the New York Giants while in the midst of the worst season since 2010.
That is the year Wade Phillips was fired as head coach after starting 1-3 en route to 1-7 and replaced by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who was fired after last season’s 8-8 campaign and replaced by Mike McCarthy.
Garrett finished 8-8 four times in nine full years as Cowboys coach but never started 1-3 like McCarthy in 2020.
Now, he returns to AT&T Stadium Sunday as offensive coordinator of the winless New York Giants with questions swirling around his former team.
Owner Jerry Jones took time to wax nostalgic about his long-term relationship with the Garrett family. Garrett was a former Cowboys quarterback. His father, Jim, was a long-time scout with the Cowboys and his brother Judd also worked in the scouting department.
“It’s great to have Jason Garrett, good to have him back in town,” Jones said. “You know, this is the first year in my time with the Dallas Cowboys that I haven’t written a check to a Garrett — either him, his brother, or his daddy. First year ever in my time with the Cowboys. I appreciate everything Jason Garrett brought to the table with the Cowboys and the Garrett family.”
Garrett had a direct role in the drafting and development of some of the team’s biggest stars in quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, guard Zack Martin and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
But don’t look for any pre-game sentiment between the Cowboys and their former coach.
“We are all very thankful for our time with coach Garrett,” Elliott said. “We are thankful for what he did for us in the past. Right now, we are focused on getting better as a team this year and going to win a football game. Right now we are a 1-3 football team. We got to go win a football game. I love coach Garrett. Right now, I got to focus on our guys. I can’t let my attention stray.”
Here are five Cowboys things to watch for Sunday’s game against the Giants:
Make a statement in NFC East
As bad as things have been for the Cowboys so far, the opportunity is there for them to turn things around quickly, especially as it relates to the NFC East, which is their primary focus.
Three of the next four games are in the division against the Giants (Sunday), at the Washington Football Team (Oct. 25) and at the Philadelphia Eagles (Nov. 1).
The Eagles lead the division at 1-2-1 with Washington and Dallas at 1-3 and the Giants at 0-4.
McCarthy has already made it known to the Cowboys what’s at stake, starting Sunday against the Giants.
“The division games are, to quote what coach said, a little bit more important for obvious reasons,” receiver Amari Cooper said. “So, yeah, we know our division opponents a little bit better than the other teams we play. It’ll definitely be a momentum shift for us to go out there and be able to get a victory against a division opponent.”
Guard against pressing on offense
Quarterback Dak Prescott is leading the NFL in passing yards, attempts and completions.
But Prescott and the offense have played a role in the team’s struggles due to early turnovers.
The Cowboys’ minus-7 turnover differential ranks last in the league, contributing to a disappointing 1-3 record.
The turnovers on offense have been due in part to players pressing and trying to do too much.
“You can’t press. You can’t press the wrong way, I should say,” Prescott said. “You’ve got to put your foot on the gas and go in the right direction, but you can’t worry about what’s behind you at this point. We’re going to look forward and look at what’s ahead of us and right now it’s one game. It’s the New York Giants, a division opponent and it’s a must win. It’s something we want to go out there and not only get a win, but show the team that we are from beginning to end. Starting fast, finishing strong, playing together.”
Offensive tackle shuffle
The Cowboys will have to go the rest of the way without their two starting tackles.
Right guard La’el Collins opened the season on injured reserve and had season-ending hip surgery last week.
Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith will have season-ending neck surgery next week after missing two of the first four games with stingers.
Brandon Knight will start left tackle. But there is a question about who goes at right tackle.
It could be Terence Steele, Jordan Mils or the newly-acquired Greg Senat. Another option is moving either left guard Zack Martin or right guard Connor Williams out to tackle as a long-term answer for the season to get the best five linemen on the field.
The Cowboys will also be without center Joe Looney against the Giants. He has started the first four games but is out with an injury. Rookie Tyler Biadasz will start at center.
“It’s very unfortunate with the injuries we have had and are having, but also it’s guys that are coming up and playing that’s exciting because you have a lot of talent in the O-line room,” Biadasz said. “We would love to have La’el Collins and Tyron Smith and Joe Looney not hurt obviously. But we are just as much excited for the challenge that we get to prove ourselves, even though it comes with unwanted circumstances that we’ve been having.”
Inept Giants offense to the rescue?
The Giants offense might be the best tonic for the Cowboys ailing defense, which is last in the league in points allowed and 30th in yardage.
The Giants offense may be worse than the Cowboys defense. The Giants have scored just three touchdowns all season and are averaging just 11.6 points per game.
Not only are their last in points scored but they are 30th in yards and 31st in rushing.
Coach Mike McCarthy takes no solace in the Giants’ ineptitude. He said the Cowboys need to focus on themselves and correcting their own mistakes and issues.
“To me I would classify that mindset as false confidence,” McCarthy said. “We have to improve in a number of areas on the last time we have taken the field as a football team. I am not counting on them for anything. I’m just counting them to be the opponent. I am counting on our football team to take a step in the areas that we need to and to build off the areas that we are playing well in and get this victory.”
Effort of angry defense
The Cowboys defense has been under intense scrutiny for its struggles all season.
But the effort was questioned after giving up a team-record 307 yards rushing against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. And then the unit had to answer for comments made by safety Xavier Woods, who said you can’t expect guys to go full speed for 70 plays.
Per several Cowboys, there was a new level of anger and intensity at practice this week from the defense.
“We gave up 300 yards rushing, we’re all on the same page to get that bad taste out of our mouths,” defensive tackle Antwaun Wood said. “We wear that every single day and we’re not going to stop until Sunday. That’s not acceptable. Anytime you get hit in the mouth especially like a performance like that the whole world is going to be looking at how we’re going to respond, you’ll see.”
