The (2-0) New York Giants will look to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2009 when they take on the (1-1) Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
This will be the 121st meeting between these two storied franchises, with the Cowboys having a 71-46-2 edge in the regular season, but New York won their only postseason meeting 21-17 in the 2007 Divisional Round.
The atmosphere will be electric on Monday night as Big Blue will induct seven new members into their Ring of Honor (Leonard Marshall, Joe Morris, Ottis Anderson, Jimmy Patton, Kyle Rote, and SVP of medical service Ronnie Barnes), and Azeez Ojulari and fifth overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux are expected to make their season debut.
The Giants have shown in their first two games that they have what it takes to make a big play when it matters most. Now head coach Brian Daboll will once again try to dial up a winning formula against a bitter rival.
Here are five keys to victory for the Giants.
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Don’t let Micah Parsons be a disruptive force
New York feels very confident about their two offensive tackles, Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal. Pro Football Focus had Thomas as their highest graded tackle coming into the week, and Neal is already showing why he was the seventh overall pick.
But this week they’ll be facing one of the best pass rushers in the league in Micah Parsons. Although he’s been battling an illness this week, Parsons is expected to play. He has four sacks this season, and he was a primary reason why the Cowboys upset the Bengals last week.
If Thomas or Neal can’t hold their own against Parsons, the Giants will need to have a tight end or running back help chip Parsons on third downs.
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Get Saquon Barkley 20+ plus touches
Although he was held in check last week against the Panthers, Barkley was able to make a couple of nice runs in the second half to keep the down and distance manageable.
Barkley is by far New York’s best offensive player, and he needs to be heavily involved as a runner and pass catcher. He needs to have the ball in his hands a minimum of 20 times on Monday night.
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Stop the Cowboys’ ground game
The Cowboys’ offensive line isn’t what it used to be, but they still have one of the best offensive guards in the league in Zack Martin, and they pride themselves on being able to run the ball.
Dallas will look to get Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard a combined 25 carries or more, and it will be imperative for New York’s front seven to be able to contain. That might be easier said than done if Leonard Williams is unable to play.
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Blitz when Tony Pollard is lined up in the backfield
Tony Pollard is the quicker of the two Dallas running backs, but he struggles in pass protection whereas Elliott is one of the best backs in blitz pickups.
When Pollard is lined up in the backfield on passing situations, look for Wink Martindale to dial up the blitz even more than usual to get pressure on quarterback Cooper Rush.
If Thibodeaux and Ojulari play, the blitz will be even more effective, and New York’s defense may have its best performance so far this season.
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Win the turnover battle
Last week quarterback Daniel Jones did not have a turnover, and New York was plus two in turnover differential against the Panthers. A repeat performance of this on Monday night will lead to another victory for Big Blue.
Prediction
These two teams are very similar as they rely on their defense and running game to carry the team. But perhaps the biggest edge New York has in this game is kicker Graham Cano who has been clutch throughout his tenure with New York. The Giants have shown they can make the deciding play at the end of games and come away with a win. Look for New York to squeak by Dallas on their way to another hard-fought win. Giants 19, Cowboys 17.