ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cowboys welcome the Giants for their annual Thanksgiving Day football feast. But this matchup isn't nearly as appetizing as the feast my lovely wife has prepared for the Trahan family. The Cowboys and Giants have a combined 1-11 record in their last 12 games. This is a chance for the Cowboys to notch their first home win of the season and string together consecutive victories.
Here are 5 Things to Watch in the Cowboys vs. Giants game on Thanksgiving Day at AT&T Stadium:
1. Big Mike Vibes
Thank you, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, for dismissing Jerry Jones’ latest outlandish statement. On his radio show this week, Jones suggested it wouldn’t be crazy to consider the notion that McCarthy could get a contract extension. The statement was intellectually dishonest, and I hope Cowboys fans have heard enough of Jones’ marketing ploys to see through it.
The Cowboys have been non-competitive on far too many occasions this season for McCarthy to keep his job. Can he make a run and make things interesting? Sure — especially considering their next four games are against teams with losing records. But if Jones didn’t extend him after three straight 12-5 seasons, why would he do it after a season that has resembled a dumpster fire for most of the first 12 weeks?
So, I’m glad McCarthy didn’t further the ridiculous notion, instead saying he’d accept the positive vibes and move on. Well done, Big Mike, well done.
I’ll be looking to see how McCarthy doubles down on his best game plan of the season. Against the Commanders and former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, McCarthy stayed a step ahead, relying on a rhythm passing game and enough of a ground attack to keep Washington’s rushers honest. The fact that he pulled it off with a couple of starting offensive linemen out of the lineup is a much-needed feather in McCarthy’s cap — but that’s all.
2. Rush to Judgment
Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush made McCarthy’s game plan work and, in doing so, threw his hat back into the ring as the Cowboys’ backup QB of the future. Regardless of what the owner tries to sell to the fanbase, the remainder of this season is about trying to string together wins and evaluating talent for the future. Rush struggled mightily in his first couple of starts, appearing to disqualify himself from future consideration as Dak Prescott’s understudy. That all changed with his performance against the Commanders.
Time and again, Rush was on time and on target. He was decisive, accurate, and protected the football. The result: 24-of-32 passing for 247 yards. His QB rating was 117.6.
Here’s the big question, though: Can Rush keep it up? Were his early season struggles an indicator of slippage in his play? Will he falter down the stretch? Or can we expect more of what we saw against the Commanders? There’s pressure on Rush because his football future depends on it. Many may have rushed to judgment after his slow start, but now the upcoming evaluation should provide a clearer answer.
3. Free Turpin
Receiver/returner KaVontae Turpin is human electricity. His 99-yard fourth-quarter kickoff return in Washington featured one of the most devastating spin moves ever seen in the NFL. With the Commanders’ coverage team converging, Turpin stuck his left foot in the ground, whirled around, and then went untouched for the next 89 yards to the end zone.
Remarkable!
But here’s the issue—and Turpin addressed it after the game: Don’t expect him to see many more kick return opportunities this season. Opposing kickers would do well to boot it out of the end zone and not give Turpin a chance, especially when factoring in the lack of explosive plays generated by the Cowboys’ offense.
That’s what I’ll be watching for on Thursday. How will McCarthy further incorporate Turpin into the offense? Against the Texans, Turpin turned a simple slant route into a 64-yard touchdown—his first such route of the season. I’d like to see Turpin on more slant routes and shallow crosses. Getting him the ball behind the line of scrimmage with end-arounds and wide receiver screens isn’t enough. McCarthy should leverage Rush’s accuracy to get Turpin the ball on the move and generate the kind of explosive plays this offense has struggled to create.
4. Trey Lance Update
Would you look at that? The Cowboys actually broke out a red zone package featuring backup QB Trey Lance—and even used him a second time later in the game. It wasn’t enough, but because Rush was so efficient, I won’t downgrade McCarthy too much. I will nitpick the red zone play, though.
The Cowboys had a first-and-goal on the 3 and called one of the simplest plays possible: a quarterback sweep. The Commanders, who were focused on Lance, absolutely ate up the play and dropped him for a three-yard loss. Here’s the problem: The call used none of what makes a dual-threat quarterback dangerous. There was no misdirection, no fake to throw the defense off, no movement to put the defense in a bind. The play flowed one way, and Washington’s defense, which was keying on Lance, had no trouble stopping it.
If the Cowboys are going to use Lance, they need to take full advantage of how he can threaten opposing defenses. That play was a safe call, and it failed miserably. The Cowboys can do better.
5. Thanksgiving Tradition
The Cowboys are all too familiar with the quick turnaround required for their annual host role on Thanksgiving. Historically, they’ve excelled on Turkey Day, with a 33-11-1 record. They’ve played the Giants twice on Thanksgiving, winning both times, most recently in 2022.
The Cowboys should be able to make it a fun holiday for their faithful, coming in as four-point favorites. A win versus the Giants could help spark a run — not to the playoffs, but perhaps closer to respectability. None of the Cowboys’ next four opponents have a winning record. Neither do the Cowboys, so take that for what it’s worth. Let’s see if they can seize the opportunity in front of them.
