• The Cowboys followed the historic tradition of winning the first game after the head coach has been fired. You could see the intensity from the start, and it reminded me of the Giants when they first played the Cowboys this season. Jason Garrett proved for the time being that he is the spark that Dallas needed to become relevant again.
• The Giants’ top-ranked defense was a no-show against Dallas. They only netted one sack and allowed over 400 yards in total offense, including 324 in the air. Jon Kitna and Dez Bryant had their way with the Giants secondary, with Bryant also having a big game against Special Teams. We have become accustomed to seeing the defense as the spark for this team with their urgent plays, exceptional reading of the offense, and high energy celebrations after big plays. All of this was sorely lacking against Dallas, and they will need to turn this around immediately is they want to compete with Michael Vick and the Eagles on Sunday night.
• Although there were a couple of close calls, Eli was not sacked. The patchwork offensive line held up reasonably well considering the number of injuries they are suffering. Eli was given a good amount of time in the pocket and had strong numbers as a result. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw had decent games, but the running game was clearly most affected by the injuries on the line.
• Statistically, this game should have been much closer, but the Giants consistently shot themselves in the foot throughout the game. Eli’s interception in the end zone, which was returned for a touchdown, falls more on Hakeem Nicks than it does Manning. Nicks gave up on the route, possibly because he slipped in the end zone when he turned. Bryan McCann took full advantage of the bad timing with his 101-yard touchdown return.
• Kevin Gilbride loves conservative play calling, and he clearly planned to follow this game plan throughout the afternoon. At one point in the first half, the Giants were backed up near their end zone on 1^st and 25, and a series of handoffs and short passes led to a quick three-and-out. I understand that the defense is expecting a big play in this situation, but more often than not this kind of play calling does not work with this team. It feels like Gilbride does not trust this team enough to make the big plays, and that kind of thinking will hurt New York when it matters most.
• By the fourth quarter, the offense finally began to take chances downfield, attempting to make a fourth quarter comeback. Unfortunately, by this time the offense was in panic mode and began making costly mistakes, including an interception, a bad snap and numerous penalties. Their sloppy play throughout the game was a major deciding factor in this game, but this fourth quarter panic was the nail in the coffin.
• Special Teams is once again letting this team down. There has been improvement in Matt Dodge, but not this week. He had short punts all afternoon, then bombed one into the end zone. Maybe we are spoiled from having Jeff Feagles for so many years,but Giants fans have to hope that he learns better control over his punts fast, or Dodge is going to seriously hurt this team when it matters most. As was mentioned before, Special Teams couldn’t handle Dez Bryant and the Cowboys kick return. But on the bright side, Will Blackmon did have a better day returning kicks than former starter Darius Reynaud, and the first extra point attempt was blocked after Dallas’ first touchdown, which is never a bad thing! Hopefully Special Teams will build off of these small victories in the coming weeks, and Dodge will continue to gain confidence and control.
• Bottom line: the Giants were not prepared for this game. They were not ready for the speed of Dez Bryant, the decent outing from the Dallas offensive line and Jon Kitna, and the overall intensity of the Cowboys. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. The Giants play best when they build off of disappointment. With the Eagles game on the horizon, the Giants suddenly find themselves in a need-to-win situation against the NFC East team most likely to hurt their playoff chances. They need to do a better job of studying themselves and their opponent this week to fix their own weaknesses and exploit those of their opponents. This was not the worst game they played this season, and better preparation will help minimize mistakes and bring about a divisional victory!

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