What we learned in the Dallas Cowboys 40-0 season-opening blowout vs. New York Giants
As openers go, the 2023 season couldn’t have started better for the Dallas Cowboys than Sunday’s 40-0 drubbing against the New York Giants before a horde demoralized fans at MetLife Stadium.
It was the most lopsided regular-season shutout in franchise history — the first coming in 1978 with a 38-0 win against the Baltimore Colts, also on Monday Night Football season opener.
Dallas’ 40-point win was its second-largest margin of victory in a season opener in team history. The only other larger margin of victory was in 1968 in a 59-13 win against Detroit (9/15)
Also, it was arguably the most impressive performance of the weekend as it came against a Giants team that made the playoff last season, won a playoff game and had hopes of taking another step forward in 2023.
After going 12-5 in each of the last two years before losing in wild card and divisional playoffs to San Francisco 49ers, Sunday’s dominance was the first step in a journey that the Cowboys hope will end with a Super Bowl for first time since 1995.
“It’s one game, we’re excited,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “We feel good about the way we played. I think we’re still evolving. We know where we want to go. We are fully capable and have an understanding of how to get there. And it’s a long journey. So we took we took the first step the right way.”
The Cowboys took a 17-0 first quarter, spurred by a blocked field goal by safety Juanyeh Thomas and 58-yard touchdown return to the end zone by Noah Igbinoghene and a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback DeRon Bland.
A first-half that also included four sacks, an interception by cornerback Stephon Gilmore and a 2-yard touchdown by Tony Pollard was so thorough and dominant that the home team was booed off the field at halftime, down 26-0.
A 10-play, 75-yard scoring to open the third quarter mandy it 33-0 and sent many Giants heading for the exits on a rainy night.
The Cowboys opened the season with a win for first time under McCarthy.
He didn’t know until guard Zack Martin congratulated him.
“Yeah. I’ll take it,” McCarthy said. “I mean, I never focused on that. It’s important to get that first win. So it’s good to get that first opening win.”
What we learned in the Cowboys opening win vs. Giants:
Streaking Dak Prescott’s easy day
Quarterback Dak Prescott didn’t have a great day but he didn’t need to because of the Cowboys dominance on defense and special teams.
Prescott, however, made history where it counts the most with the continued mastery that the Cowboys and Prescott have had against the Giants.
The Cowboys have now won 12 of their last 13 games against the Giants, including five straight. Prescott has a personal 11-game winning streak against the Giants. He now joins Hall of Famer Roger Staubach with the most consecutive wins against the Giants since 1950.
The best thing Prescott did on the field was manage the game and not turn the ball.
He led the league interceptions with 15 in 12 games last season.
Coach Mike McCarthy said the weather impacted the game plan and the focus to take care of the football.
”Because of weather you had to adjust,” McCarthy said. “Protecting the ball was going to be challenge. You have to be smart in spots. I thought Dak did an excellent job commanding that and smart with decision making.”
Prescott said when the defense plays the way it did, you don’t have to press anything. It allowed the Cowboys to play conservative on offense.
“It starts with the defense. It really starts with special teams,” Prescott said. “It started with the blocked field goal that turned into a touchdown. And then the defense created turnovers and gave us a couple of touchdown lead. It made it easier for us on our side.”
Prescott completed 13 of 24 passes for 143 yards.
A potential touchdown pass in the third quarter was dropped by tight end Peyton Hendershot. Tight end Jake Ferguson also had a dropped pass to kill a potential touchdown drive, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. Ferguson had another drop.
KaVonta Turpin also had a dropped pass.
Free agent additions making immediate impact
Much was made about the veteran free agent additions of cornerback Stephon Gilmore and receiver Brandin Cooks.
Both made immediate impacts against the Giants. Cooks caught two passes for 22 yards. He also drew three penalties; a 37-yard pass interference flag and a flag for holding an illegal contact.
“Brandon, he is a fast receiver that plays super fast all the time and plays with good technique,” McCarthy said. “We didn’t much in the passing game, just being cautious. But Brandon made the most of his opportunities.”
Gilmore was asked to help with coverage of Giants tight end Darren Waller. He had an interception on a pass to Waller, four tackles and a couple of pass deflections in the game.
McCarthy said Gilmore played like he has in practice throughout training camp and compared him to Hall of Fame cornerback Charles Woodson from their days with the Packers.
“The way Gilmore sees the game is exceptional,” McCarthy said. “I look back at Charles Woodson and some of those guys that had had that special trait and he definitely has that.”
Parsons, Cowboys pass rush unblockable
Micah Parsons is the Cowboys best pass rusher and draws a lot of attention but this is a defense with deep arsenal of quarterback seeking defenders.
And once the Giants got behind on Sunday, Daniel Jones was easy prey.
Parsons got the first sack but he would not be the sack leader as defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and defensive end Dorance Armstrong had two sacks each. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and Chauncey Golston had one each.
The Cowboys were third in the league in sacks last season. No team had more on opening weekend.
“That’s who we are,” McCarthy said. “I clearly feel we’ve taken another step. You could see that in training camp. the pass rush was relentless.”
The Cowboys led the league in turnovers in each of the last two seasons, matching the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL mark from 1972-74.
They are looking to make it three straight have notching three turnovers against the Giants, interceptions by Deron Bland and Gilmore and forced fumble by Trevon Diggs.
A special impact
Thomas set the tone early for the Cowboys with his play on defense and special teams.
Thomas was forced into action because safety Donovan Wilson was sidelined with a calf strain.
Thomas proved to be a force on the run game but his biggest play was a blocked field on the opening of the game. Noah Igbinoghene returned it 58 yards for a touchdown.
It was Thomas’ first career blocked field goal in his first career game, and Igbinoghene’s first career touchdown in his first game as a Cowboy.
The last time the Cowboys blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown was against Minnesota on Oct. 21, 2007. Chris Canty made the block, and Patrick Watkins recovered the ball and returned it 68 yards for the score.
Thomas is the first Cowboy to block a field goal in his NFL debut in the last 25 years.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey had a solid day after a disappointing start in his NFL debut. He missed his first extra point but made his next four. He also had field goals of 21 and 38 yards.
Tony Pollard nice debut a RB1
The Tony Pollard era as the team’s featured back officially began against the Giants.
And Pollard and the team’s running back looks to be just fine without former two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott, who was released in March and is now a member of the New England.
Pollard rushed for 70 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns on the ground and caught two passes for 12 yards.
Pollard is the 10th player in team history to rush for multiple touchdowns in a season opener and the first since Marion Barber on Sept. 7, 2008 against at Cleveland.
It was Pollard’s first action since suffered a fractured leg in the playoff loss to the 49ers.
“You know he’s back,” McCarthy said. “I thought he did some really good things.”
The Cowboys supplemented Pollard with Rico Dowdle, who had 24 yards on six carries and receiver/kick returner KaVontae Turpin, who had three rushes for 14 yards out of the back field at 155 pounds.
Turpin added insult to the blowout with a 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make it 40-0.
This story was originally published September 10, 2023 at 10:50 PM.
