Strikingly, the New York Giants (5-10) in the final week of the NFL regular season are still battling for the NFC East title and the no. 3 overall choice in the 2021 concept.
The Giants play host to the Dallas Cowboys (6-9) at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Despite the tumultuous 2020 campaign for Dallas, Mike McCarthy’s group will also want an unlikely NFC East crown.
New York opened the week as a 2.5-point underdog at home, though the line has since moved to New York for +1.5.
This movement is a product of the recent game of both groups. Joe Judge’s team rides on a striking three-game losing streak and falls to the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.
Dallas has won three in a row, albeit against weaker competition, especially at quarterback. The Cowboys defeated Brandon Allen and the Cincinnati Bengals, Nick Mullens and the San Francisco 49ers, and the Philadelphia Eagles in Jalen Hurts’ second career series.
Dallas took the first game, 37-34, in Week 5 at AT&T Stadium. Both teams had a defensive attack and Dak Prescott was injured during the game.
Shockingly, the Giants have not beaten the Cowboys since 2016.
Let’s take a closer look at this surprisingly important Week 17 game and make some silly predictions.
1) The Giants will meet Andy Dalton
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The Giants defense (No. 10) is stronger at pace than the run, so it’s safe to say they’ll make Andy Dalton uncomfortable all afternoon.
New York’s D fell back in the middle of the losing streak, but they faced off against Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson – all competing for the playoff position.
Yes, Dallas has better protected Dalton over the past few weeks, allowing him to throw seven touchdowns and one interception during their finish line. His trio of receivers, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper, were also hot.
New York, however, has the coverage that matches. With that said, expect the Giants’ secondary safety conditions Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan, along with cornerbacks James Bradberry and Isaac Yiadom, to give their chance to rattle the red rocket quickly.
2) The Giants will control the game on the ground
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Dallas has one of the most generous defenses in football. They allowed 2,416 yards to race in 2020, the second most in team history (ESPN). Overall, the Cowboys have conceded a worst league season of 161 yards per game this season. They have improved over the past few weeks, but not significantly.
They had one of their best performances against New York in Week 5 (89 meters), but it will not be repeated, especially without the lineout player Leighton Vander Esch.
The Giants have struggled on the field since week 13, but that trend is likely to come to an end on Sunday. Seek attacking coordinator Jason Garrett to meet with Wayne Gallman Jr. (along with Alfred Morris and Dion Lewis) to keep the game low while controlling the clock.
Gallman leads New York by 617 rushing years, and he needs to see space against Dallas. On top of that, the Giants were not built to erase deficiencies and play from behind.
Furthermore, the Cowboys defense did a much better job of enforcing late-time turnover (10 in three games), and Giants QB Daniel Jones is still recovering from thigh muscle and ankle injuries.
Jones is the Giants’ second leading rusher, but he has only jumped once in the last two games. Before that, he averaged 7.3 meters per rush.
Jones spoke to the media on Wednesday, admitting he was not 100 percent, and he pointed out he did not want to run the ball out of the bag. Hmm … classic gameplay, or an honest assessment of its limitations?
The Giants have been sacked twelve times in the past two weeks, and the team’s struggling O-Line is facing the Dallas trio of DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory and Aldon Smith.
All things considered, Garrett will be extraordinarily careful with his QB and attacking line and let the backfield do the hard work. If he does not pass the ball, you can expect Jones to hit Evan Engram, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard on quick throws.
3) Logic will not be a factor
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There is no reason the Cowboys would lose this game. They is in better shape and have more talent.
The New York attack has failed to score 20 points in each of the last five games, and they have scored 26 points in the past three weeks. New York is 31st overall and its 257 points is the second lowest in the NFL. The Cowboys scored 36 points per game during the period.
But …
It’s a must-win pseudo-playoff game for two divisional opponents who know each other well. In general, both groups are equal, and it’s hard to imagine that this one will not be played in the fourth quarter by a controversial call, a fee pass, or a special team.
It’s been a damn season for Dallas since training camp, and it’s coming to an end in East Rutherford.
On that note …
4) The Giants will make history
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New York, Dallas and the Washington Football Team are still running for the division. Here is the breakdown (excluding some multi-tie scenarios) entering week 17:
- Dallas concludes with a win over New York and a loss or draw in Washington.
- New York concludes with a win and a loss in Washington.
- Washington concludes with a victory.
In other words: the winner of this game will pick up the playoff game if Washington loses on Sunday Night Football against Philadelphia.
The recent play of both teams will prove to be very scheduled, and McCarthy will make at least one big clock error. The playoff hope of his team will be shattered by … Jason Garrett.
Later, the Eagles will spoil Washington’s hopes for the national season, and the Giants become the first playoff team with six wins in NFL history, leading to a game of Wild Card against – who else? – Tom Brady.
