Giants Country

Why the Giants Will Beat the Cowboys, Why They Won't, and a Prediction

The Giants try to get back on track against the the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

Patricia Traina

Why the Giants Will Beat the Cowboys, Why They Won't, and a Prediction
Why the Giants Will Beat the Cowboys, Why They Won't, and a Prediction /
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The New York Giants need this game.

Seriously. It's not just because the Cowboys have swept the Giants five times in the last six seasons. The Giants need this game for two reasons. One, to get any lost confidence back, but more importantly, they can erase the head-to-head tiebreaker with their division rivals with a win, something that could very well come into play when the playoff seeds are announced.

Last week, the Cowboys played as strong of a game in all three phases of the football while the Giants flopped in their phases against a good Detroit Lions team. But as we've seen far too often, what a team does the week prior doesn't mean that's what will hold the ensuing week.

Why the Giants Will Win

The Cowboys laid it all out on the line last week in their blowout win over the Vikings. And sometimes, just as a heartbreaking loss can take the wind out of a team's sails, a big-time win can also be emotionally draining.

For what it's worth, the Cowboys have lost their last three Thanksgiving games. They probably won't make the mistake of looking past the wounded Giants, but how much of that big win over the Vikings take out of them to where maybe this game isn't quite the slam dunk some think it will be?

Why the Giants Will Lose

Yeah, we know the coaching staff preaches next man up and all that jazz whenever injuries hit, but what does a team do when the dam bursts wide open? There are multiple injuries at critical spots (offensive line, defensive backfield, receiver) where sharp communication and chemistry are of the utmost importance.

The answer is they compete but rarely pull a rabbit out of their hats. The offensive line will have a new combination of guys who probably haven't worked much together this week during the two Giants' two walkthroughs before leaving for Dallas.

The defensive secondary is banged up, with both starting corners out for this one. That begs the question of just how aggressive defensive coordinator Wink Martindale can get.

And does anyone think the Cowboys aren't going to incorporate some of what the Lions did to stop Saquon Barkley and dare Daniel Jones and his banged-up group of receivers to beat them? If the Giants don't plan to get Jones going in the running game--not the ideal situation but perhaps the only way they'll give themselves some insurance if Barkley does get shut down again--can they at least get Darius Slayton or Kenny Golladay going?

Their chances of success--a longshot given the current picture--depend on it.

Prediction

The Giants' coaching staff has worked some magic with a roster still missing a lot of talent in key areas. But throw in the injury factor and the short work week, which further complicated getting the projected new lineups on the same page, and the odds just don't favor the Giants.

Cowboys 31, Giants 20

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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