Nick Harris: Five things to watch in Cowboys-Giants matchup on Thanksgiving Day
For the second time in three seasons, the Dallas Cowboys will welcome in the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day in a standalone matchup on the NFL schedule between NFC East bottom-dwellers.
With two backup quarterbacks turned starters playing around a halftime performance from Grammy-winning country artist Lainey Wilson sandwiched between, the afternoon festivities could have everything your Thanksgiving table will be looking for on Thursday.
On the other hand, combining one of the most disappointing seasons in the last decade for the Cowboys with a Giants team that seems to be inching closer and closer to total destruction may have your backyard Turkey Bowl kicking off earlier than usual.
Regardless, there are still implications for draft positioning and even a slim chance at making a playoff push for Dallas. Here are five things to watch in Thursday’s holiday action.
Danny to DeVito
The New York Giants have been the topic of discussion over the last week after they shockingly moved on from franchise quarterback Daniel Jones on Friday following a release from the team. Despite signing a four-year, $160 million contract ahead of the 2023 season, less than two years later he is on the streets looking for a new team.
Tommy DeVito, a New Jersey native that garnered love from Giants fans in 2023, has assumed the starting role in Jones’ place. DeVito will return to AT&T Stadium where he made his first career start last season after Jones tore his ACL. The Illinois graduate never found his footing that afternoon, but he rattled off three consecutive wins in the following weeks over the Packers, Commanders and Patriots.
His first start of 2024 went similarly bad as his career debut a year ago, throwing for just 189 yards and zero touchdowns while being sacked four times. He’ll face a Dallas defense that has started to find some momentum in recent weeks although a four-quarter performance hasn’t come since before the bye week.
Hot and cold
There’s a case to be made that both head coaches are on the hot seat entering this week 13 matchup, and a loss in a standalone game on Thanksgiving could be tough to sit on for 10-11 days before the team’s next game.
Does a coach get fired for losing this game? Probably not, but in looking at the job statuses of Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and Giants head coach Brian Daboll, there are a lot of similarities.
Both coaches have been criticized for having teams that lack attention to detail at certain points in the season. Both coaches have had to have one-on-one conversations with key offensive playmakers about public outbursts (McCarthy with CeeDee Lamb and Daboll with Malik Nabers). Both have had changes at quarterback. Both have had underperforming teams.
Daboll is in a third season in New York that has flown off the rails. McCarthy sits in a contract year in Dallas that has seen more downs than ups. A loss makes the extra time with the Thursday game seem a lot longer. A win keeps things at bay, for now.
Interior design
The Cowboys were without two of their three interior offensive linemen in the 34-26 win over the Commanders on Sunday, as right guard Zack Martin didn’t make the trip with the team because of ankle and shoulder injuries while left guard Tyler Smith was ruled inactive on gameday for an ankle issue of his own.
In their place, T.J. Bass (left guard) and Brock Hoffman (right guard) filled in and played lights out against a Commanders defensive front that had generated pressure all season. In the end, the duo of former undrafted players didn’t allow one quarterback pressure all afternoon.
According to a team source, Smith is expected to make his way back in time for Thursday’s game after starting the week by logging a practice session on Monday. On the other side, Martin is not expected to heal up in time to step in at right guard for what could be his final opportunity to suit up on Thanksgiving Day in the final year of his contract.
In looking around at other notable injuries, cornerback Trevon Diggs also began the week by logging a practice after missing the week 12 win with groin and knee issues. He remains on track to step back in.
Wide receiver Brandin Cooks experienced soreness in his injured knee on Friday leading up to the game against the Commanders and remained on the injured reserve list through the weekend as a result. He is expected to make it back for the first time since week four – coincidentally against the Giants. Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) and offensive tackle Asim Richards (ankle) are not expected to play.
Giant ground game
When the Cowboys traveled to MetLife Stadium to take on the Giants in week four, the G-Men were sporting one of the worst run games in the NFL behind starter Devin Singletary. They were 30th in the NFL with just 85.3 rushing yards per game and had failed to sustain drives for the overall offense.
Daboll had seen enough after his offense put together only 26 yards on the ground against a poor Cowboys rush defense in a five-point loss, as he turned to rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. in week five and never looked back.
Since then, Tracy has completely overhauled the New York run game. Entering week 13, the Giants have shot up to 19th in the NFL with 115.9 rushing yards per game behind 558 yards in seven games from Tracy.
With a quarterback that is still young and inexperienced, expect the Giants to lean on Tracy early and often against a Cowboys rush defense that has given up the second-most rushing yards per game (150.5) this season.
Left behind?
Are the Cowboys quietly working rookie Tyler Guyton, the team’s starting left tackle, off the field? Against the Commanders, Guyton was off the field for 22 offensive snaps, including a healthy chunk of the fourth quarter, in favor of Asim Richards following a series of pre-snap penalties from the Oklahoma product.
“It has to stop,” head coach Mike McCarthy said on Monday. “He knows it. He feels sick about it, but we just got to get it corrected. Those are penalties that potentially took points off the board and an opportunity to score more points. We got to get it corrected. We’re far enough down the line, he understands it.”
With Richards expected to miss at least two games with a high ankle sprain, the team could turn to the recently activated Chuma Edoga who was the team’s starter at left tackle in training camp before he went down with a toe injury. He was brought off the injured reserve on Saturday and is an option to rotate in at the position if penalties from Tyler Guyton continue to cripple the offense.
