NFC East Check: Could Giants Have Upper Hand Against Dallas in the Trenches?

The interior of the Cowboys defensive line is a silver lining for the new-look Giants offensive line.

Nov 12, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (96) tackles New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

It's no secret that the Cowboys have had the upper hand against the Giants for the last several seasons. The last Giants win is coming in on Week 17 of 2020, with Andy Dalton as the Cowboys quarterback. 

The Giants were hoping to set the tone last year in Week 1 against their rival but ultimately lost 40-0 in a game where seemingly everything went wrong. The Cowboys also won 49-17 in their final matchup later in the season. 

But this season, the Giants are hoping to not only correct years of imbalance against their division foes, they could be looking to take advantage of a glaring hole that currently exists on the Cowboys roster.  

After owner Jerry Jones said the team would be 'all-in' heading into 2024, they didn't do anything notable to justify that statement. One of the needs on the Cowboys roster that looks to be a reason for concern is at defensive tackle. 

"When you look at the depth at nose tackle after the free agent losses of starter Johnathan Hankins and top rotation tackle Neville Gallimore, there isn't much proven left as a true 1-technique next to 3-tech starter Osa Odighizuwa,” noted team writer Mickey Spagnola. 

“That is why the Cowboys need 2023 first-round draft choice Mazi Smith to make a huge second-year leap. Because after Smith, it's journeyman ninth-year veteran Carl Davis, who spent all but two games last year on the practice squad, seventh-round draft choice Justin Rogers, and undrafted rookie free agent Denzel Daxon to serve as run pluggers. So absolutely a need."

Could this be a blessing for the Giants’ revamped offensive line? The Cowboys have battered New York in the trenches for years, but with the Giants' upgrades and the questions raised by the Cowboys' lack of depth, the hope is that the scales will tip in the Giants’ favor. 

Dallas still has star pass rushers Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence on the other side wreaking havoc, and they will definitely need to be dealt with. The play of tackles Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal will be paramount to the Giants’ success. 

Neal, who has displayed poor play and injury concerns, must have a big third year if he wants to keep his job at right tackle. For the interior, that leaves Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, Chauncey Golston, Carl Davis Jr, Justin Rogers, and Denzel Daxon to face a projected Giants' interior center John Michael Schmitz, John Runyan Jr, and Jermaine Eluemunor.

The Giants and Cowboys will meet on Thursday night in Week 4 and on Thanksgiving in Dallas in Week 13. The battle of the trenches will definitely be a key to the game for both sides. 

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