DALLAS — Another week, another NFC East matchup for the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. This is the new normal in the NFL, where the league schedules division rivals in December to make the playoff races more interesting late in the year.
Week 15 means a second go-round with the New York Giants, who the Cowboys thoroughly defeated way back in Week 5. The 44-20 drubbing also brought fireworks, with punches thrown on the field, and allegedly, after the game.
Regardless of what actually happened the first time around, there is no love lost between the Cowboys and Giants, who have a long history of hatred. Each game brings a high level of intensity and the records rarely matter when these two teams meet on the field.
If the 9-4 Cowboys want to continue their winning streak, and to inch closer to winning the NFC East, here are some of the keys to beating the 4-9 Giants:
Don’t overlook a rival
The Giants haven’t had a very good season thus far, with just four wins. However, they have been circling this game on the calendar ever since they were embarrassed in a Week 5 loss that got chippy.
Late in the first meeting, tight end Evan Engram got into it with the Dallas defense because he felt there was a late hit. The pushing and shoving led to a skirmish and Giants rookie wide receiver Kadarius Toney threw a punch at Cowboys safety Damontae Kazee.
Things didn’t end there, the Giants contend that safety Jayron Kearse threw a punch at Engram after the game, which has yet to be corroborated by the league. That hasn’t stopped the Giants from being very vocal about the supposed incident and looking forward to the rematch.
NFC East games are never a slam dunk, especially on the road late in the season. With the Giants feeling extra motivated, and with the Cowboys eyeing a shot at potentially locking up the division and a playoff spot soon, it should be more than enough to not take the Giants lightly.
Score points
This point may sound obvious, but the Giants have issues on offense and have had one of the worst scoring units in the league. If the Cowboys can get out to a lead and force an offense that will be led by backup quarterback Mike Glennon to play catch up, it would give them an easy path to victory.
The Giants’ offense averages under 18 points per game (17.8), which is 28th in the NFL, and they rank 25th in total yards (312.2) per contest. An early barrage of points from the Dallas offense would make it difficult for a team that doesn’t have much scoring prowess to mount a threat.
New York doesn’t have the weapons to stay with the Cowboys if Dallas is putting up points. The Giants are expected to be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones, who has a neck injury, and WR Toney, who torched the Cowboys for 10 catches and 189 yards in the first game, so they’ll already be down a few playmakers.
Don’t get bullied by Barkley
The Giants have players missing on offense, but Saquon Barkley is one of their playmakers who has been on the mend and getting healthier. Barkley is one of the few legit threats on the New York offense and the Cowboys need to make sure he doesn’t beat them.
After hurting his ankle against the Cowboys in the first meeting, Barkley missed the next four games, but since his return, he has been ramping up the workload. Against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14, Barkley received his highest number of touches since he returned and converted those 19 opportunities into 95 yards and a score.
If there’s one player to key in on for the Dallas defense, it’s Barkley. Hold the star running back in check and the Cowboys have a better shot at leaving the Meadowlands victorious.
Re-establish the run
The Cowboys have had issues gaining momentum in the rushing game for several weeks, but the Giants could be the cure for what ails them as they have struggled to stop the run. New York ranks 25th in the league in rushing yards allowed, giving up 125 yards per game.
Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott has been playing hurt, but he declared himself to be the healthiest that he’s been in a while this week. Now might be the time to get back to running the ball with success.
The Giants most recently gave up 152 yards rushing to a Chargers team that split up their rushing attempts between three runners. The Cowboys probably won’t have a rotation that deep with RB Tony Pollard a game-time decision, but Elliott and backup RB Corey Clement could be in position to thrive in Sunday’s game.
Dallas needs to re-establish the running game to help make their passing game, and offense, more efficient. After several weeks of slowing down offensively, the Cowboys can get back on track with an improved run game against a team that’s had trouble stopping it.
Do you think the Cowboys will come away with a sweep of the Giants? Share your predictions with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.