DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys have gone through a meandering path since Week 5 that only Odysseus could appreciate.
After the Cowboys vanquished the New York Giants 37-34 – a contest in which they lost franchise quarterback Dak Prescott with a broken ankle – they quickly surrendered first place in the division with a four-game losing streak.
In that span, Dallas started four different quarterbacks, the hallmarks of a team in dysfunction.
The Cowboys have recovered their record to 6-9 and are a win away from capturing the NFC East, pending help from the Philadelphia Eagles against Washington.
They are not the same team they were the first time they faced the Giants. However, the Giants in some aspects are the same team, which makes intel gathered from the Week 5 matchup just as relevant.
“I think you always look at the first game, especially with division games because so much of it is about personnel matchups,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said.
“So I know, obviously it was early in the season but the personnel matchups and really for the players, watching themselves go against their particular matchup I believe is of high importance, very beneficial clearly. So and then frankly you want to make sure you self scout that game as much as you can and you just try to anticipate where the Giants may go.”
Second-year quarterback Daniel Jones is slated to be the starter, just as he was in Week 5. The Giants are still relying on Wayne Gallman to carry the load at running back with Saquon Barkley lost for the year back in September. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams has accrued 8.5 sacks on the season, and second-year defensive end Dexter Lawrence has 4.0 of his own.
Linebacker Blake Martinez is a dynamic force amid the New York front seven with 140 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 2.0 sacks, five pass breakups, an interception, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. In fact, Martinez recovered a botched snap to fill-in quarterback Andy Dalton at Dallas’ 17-yard line that led to New York taking a mid-fourth quarter lead in Week 5 before Dalton led the comeback.
That same underrated but ferocious defense of the Giants will be healthy and available when the Cowboys travel to MetLife Stadium on Jan. 3.
“If you look at their defense, it’s a multiple front defense,” said McCarthy. “They play every front in football and how they play the coverage behind that. It’s no different with their offense just as far as the formation tendencies that they have and the concepts and the shot plays. You’ve got to anticipate the shot plays coming off the common concepts, which is the norm when you get into these division games for the second time.”
The Giants have something to play for, too. The winner of Sunday’s 12:00 p.m. CT showdown between Dallas and New York is the NFC East champion-elect. The results are certified if the Eagles beat Washington on Sunday Night Football. If Washington wins, they secure the division.
Do you think the Cowboys will be able to sweep the Giants to put themselves in position to take the division in Week 17? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
