Giants on SI writer shares thoughts on Cowboys, TNF expectations

New York Giants on SI writer Patricia Traina shared her thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys' performance through three weeks and what to expect on Thursday Night Football.

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers celebrates his touchdown with teammates against the Cleveland Browns. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys return to action in primetime for a Thursday Night Football showdown with the NFC East rival New York Giants on Prime Video.

Dallas is coming off of consecutive home losses and looking to bounce back against the Giants, who they have dominated in recent history, while the Giants aim to build momentum off of last week's win over the Cleveland Browns.

Ahead of the Thursday night clash, New York Giants on SI writer Patricia Traina took some time to answer questions about the Dallas Cowboys' performance through three weeks and share her thoughts on the team from an outsider's perspective while letting us know what she expects when the team teams take the field.

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How have the Giants met or exceeded expectations through the first three weeks of the season? 

I would say the biggest thing has been the offensive line. A major problem for most of the last decade, that veteran group has performed well enough to where the offense now opens up. The Giants have already attempted nine deep passes of 20+ air yards through three games. Last year in six games, Daniel Jones only attempted 11. And what else can be said about Malik Nabers that hasn’t been said already? The kid is a stud and he’s helped to raise the play of everyone else around him. The Giants don’t have a top-15 offense–they’re ranked 22nd, but that unit seems to be on the upswing and it all starts up front.

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones throws a pass during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

What are your thoughts from the outside on the Cowboys’ past two weeks and have you been surprised to see Dallas struggle? Is the harsh criticism deserved?

I was kind of surprised Dallas wasn’t as active in free agency as Jerry Jones indicated they’d be at the start. I’m also a bit surprised that he caved and gave Dak Prescott a contract extension when Dak hasn’t won much in the postseason. I know it’s technically a two-year deal given the guaranteed money distribution, but again, Dak hasn’t won much in the postseason, and isn’t that what it’s all about?

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Truth be told, I don’t understand half of what the Cowboys are doing. They played games with CeeDee Lamb, which I thought was a bad look. They’ve retained Mike McCarthy, who like Dak hasn’t been as successful in the postseason as I’m sure Cowboys fans would like, despite Belichick being out there. And I don’t understand what they’ve done with their rushing attack. So yeah, I’d say the criticism is warranted as it looks like the Cowboys did not have a plan for retooling their roster.

Santa Clara, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and owner Jerry Jones before the game against the San Francisco 49ers. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

What is the biggest weakness on the Cowboys' defense the Giants can exploit?

I’m going to go with the passing defense. Tossing out the Week 1 win against the Browns, whom the Giants just beat, the Cowboys have allowed an opposing passer rating of 134.8 and according to NFL stats, are allowing 7.8 yards per pass attempt, which is seventh worst in the NFL.

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You don’t think that maybe Giants head coach/play caller Brian Daboll is licking his chops about that, especially given how rookie Malik Nabers has played so far and what that young man has done for the Giants passing offense?

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers makes a touchdown reception under coverage by Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Who is one under-the-radar Giants player that could surprise Cowboys fans on Thursday night?

This is a tough one, but I’m going to say running back Devin Singletary. The Cowboys run defense hasn’t been very good–it’s ranked dead last in the NFL. And while no one is confusing Singletary for Saqon Barkley, I feel as though Singletary isn’t getting enough respect for the type of game he plays. Based on a minimum of 40 rushing attempts (a 19-man sample size), Singletary is ranked second in yards after contact (3.93) behind Aaron Jones of the Vikings. Singletary is also ranked second with 17 missed forced tackles, behind Jordan Mason of the 49ers.

Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants running back Devin Singletary celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

How do you see Thursday night’s game going? Biggest key to victory for New York?

I’m optimistic, but I’m also trying not to get too overly optimistic because there are some concerns on the Giants' side of things. For starters, their kicking situation is a worry–last week Greg Joseph, who was brought in after Graham Gano landed on IR, missed a 48-yard field goal. And Joseph’s track record, for what it’s worth, on field goals of 40+ yards is around 74 percent, which is not what you want in your kicker. So I’m concerned that if this game comes down to a long field goal, the Giants might be at a disadvantage.

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I’m also concerned about who is going to cover CeeDee Lamb in the slot. Right now the Giants have their top three slot guys–Dru Phillips, Adoree’ Jackson, and Nick McCloud–on the injury list, and I’m concerned that Phillips (the starter) and Jackson might not be available on such a short week. That would mean the Giants would have to move Cor’Dale Flott from the outside to the slot, which now creates another hole on a unit where the depth is still a glaring need.

Sep 10, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb celebrates after a touchdown against the New York Giants. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The biggest key, though, is the Giants need to take advantage of their trips inside the red zone. The Cowboys' red-zone defense is ranked 32nd so if the Giants can get into the red zone, I expect them to score every time, without exception.

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are set to kickoff at MetLife Stadium at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

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