Giants Open as Massive Underdogs vs Dallas
The New York Giants 2023 season officially went to its darkest depths in Las Vegas Sunday, as the team had no luck within the lines amid the return of several starters and got routed by the Raiders, 30-6, to fall to a miserable 2-7 record with eight games still left to play.
However, the grimness of the afternoon had nothing to do with the action on the field. Instead, it was the continued loss of valuable pieces on the roster, notably quarterback Daniel Jones, whose return from a neck injury saw one-quarter of play before transitioning to what has now been confirmed as a season-ending ACL tear.
As the uncertainty of the position looms large and the fear of a complete tailspin continues down the impending eight-game stretch, the oddsmakers are not ready to have their margins stop their weekly deep dive on the Giants. Per FanDuel’s Week 10 lines, the Giants are slated to visit the Dallas Cowboys as a whopping 16.5-point underdog, the largest margin of the league’s slate and of New York’s season.
While the number may seem preposterous for any NFL game, the decision-makers in Vegas have plenty to base their bold prediction on. The Giants have a clear debacle at the quarterback position, with Jones done for the year and backup Tyrod Taylor on IR with a rib cage injury.
The team currently has two options in third-stringer Tommy DeVito and recently signed practice squad gunslinger Matt Barkley. It’s unknown whether the Giants plan to sign a third player to the roster in the coming weeks, but neither option is a formidable long-term one, with DeVito struggling to command the huddle in his two calls to action this season.
Second is the franchise’s offense, which has continued to sputter in the last four games. Despite getting three consecutive stout showings from their defense in the aforementioned span, the Giants have averaged just under 10 points per contest and notched only four total touchdowns.
Short of their two passing touchdowns in the first half against Washington in Week 8, New York has been unable to reach the end zone for statement points early. This has kept them from pulling away in games that saw them boast momentum in the first thirty minutes and led to their eventual collapse as fatigue wore on the valiant effort of the defense.
Most importantly, the Giants always seem to have their work cut out for them against a Cowboys team that’s had their number for much of the last decade. Dallas has taken 12 of the last 13 matchups with New York dating back to the 2017 season, including six straight in their home at AT&T Stadium. Seven of those games have been at least two score affairs and seen the Giants score less than 10 points.
Beyond the visitor’s own issues, the Cowboys enter the second half of the biannual rivalry, boasting one of the premier offenses in the entire league. Sitting at 5-3 overall, they rank third best in total points (27.5 average) and 11th in total yards, both of which have come heavily from their passing game.
The leader of that operation has been quarterback Dak Prescott, who is having one of his better years protecting the football and slinging it with confidence. In eight games this fall, the 30-year-old stands 12th in the NFL in overall passing statistics with 186 completions for 2,011 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He’s surpassed 249 yards in six of those starts, and his turnover number is its lowest in three seasons after posting at least 10 in the two preceding campaigns.
Courtesy of Prescott and his arsenal of receiving weapons, the Cowboys hang around the top 10 in passing attempts, yards, touchdowns, and average yards per throw. Their rushing counterpart is slightly less potent yet still impactful, pushing the 12th most carries, 15th most yards, and an average rush of 3.9 yards.
When tasked with going up against them for the second time this season, the Giants woeful offense is sure to face a litany of pressures from the Cowboys' defensive front, headlined by elite edge rusher Micah Parsons. The All-Pro caliber player and his unit have helped Dallas’ defense rank seventh and third in points and yards allowed, respectively.
The Cowboys thrive at creating turnovers, particularly against the pass, with eight on the season. Stopping the pass is an absolute strength of their defensive unit, ranking third in attempts, fifth in yards, sixth in forced turnovers, and 11th in average yards per throw of 5.8 yards. The run prevention is also a middle-of-the-road product, allowing just 4 yards per carry and five touchdowns in the trenches.
The last time these two NFC East rivals met was in the season opener at MetLife Stadium, where the Cowboys continued their streak against the Giants with a shocking 40-0 routing that set off the downward trend of the team’s 2023 season. Big Blue now walks into their territory in a much dire scenario than the one nine weeks prior, having no true leader to push the offense into a position to score and put pressure on the Cowboys’ quest for an important divisional win.
If Dallas shows the flashes of solid offense, they’ve battled with in recent weeks and mixes that in with their fierce pass rush, this game could be as lopsided as the opening odds dictate. A lot will need to happen for the Giants to at least cover the wide number, but even more of a crisp performance is necessary for what would be a miraculous win to the outside viewer.
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