Both Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin took blame for the debacle of a final drive for the Giants in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night. The media has really run wild with this one, calling for Coughlin’s job and his quarterbacks head, once again.
Its real easy to sit back here and blame the quarterback for mis-managing the clock. Its just as easy to blame the coach for the play call. To be honest with you, both of those guys played their part in this loss.
This loss, especially painful due in fact it came at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, should have never happened. The Giants should have put this game away long before the end of the 4th quarter.
With the Giants leading 10-6 going into halftime, Preston Parker dropped a 3rd and 12 pass which would have put the Giants inside the 10- yard line. Instead of getting a 1st and goal inside the 10, the Giants were forced to settle for a field goal.
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On the first drive of the third quarter, Parker dropped another third down pass inside the 10 yard line that would have set the Giants up with 1st and goal. Again the Giants settled for a field goal. 16-6 Giants.
Its not a given the Giants would have made it into the endzone but their chances would have been much greater if Parker holds onto both or even one of those passes. Those two drops left 8 points off the board for the Giants.
An offal pass interference call on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also had its impact on this game, giving the Cowboys a 1st and goal from the 1 instead of a 4th and 4 from the 18. Instead of having to kick a field goal Dallas scored on the next play, making the score 16-13 Giants.
The Giants, despite not playing great football, out-played the Cowboys. The Cowboys who were supposed to be this great team and a “Super Bowl contender” barely outplayed this Giant team that has “so many holes”. The Giants who were written off in the pre-season came a few breaks away from convincingly beating down the Cowboys.
As much as this loss stings, there is a lot to take from it moving forward.
First of all ,that Cowboys offensive line did not do too much in the run game, averaging only 3.7 yards per carry. and a whopping 81 yards. I’m not sold on them as a top tier team. Not one bit.
The Giants offensive line gave Rashad Jennings good room to run as the Giants averaged 4.1 yards on the ground. They should have run the ball more to both open up the offense and control the clock, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
The Giants secondary, which was supposed to be terrible, was the best unit on the team. Corners Rodgers-Cromartie, Prince Amukamara, and Trumaine McBride all played at a very high level. The trio combined for 18 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one touchdown and came within inches of anther one. They played press coverage for most of the game and did not give up a pass play over 21 yards. If they maintain this level of play they will be the best unit in football.
Where the Giants lacked in this game was clock management. And not just on the last drive.
In total the Giants had 10 drives, ran 60 plays, but only held the ball for 22 minutes and 50 seconds. That averages out to 2 minutes and 17 seconds per drive. That is a disgracefully low number. This can be attributed to the fact that the Giants threw the ball 50% more then they ran it. The longest Giant drive last just 5 minutes and 12 seconds. While the Cowboys had 3 drives that lasted longer then that.
Long drives not only help an offense control the clock but they wear down defenses.
Sep 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) carries the ball against the New York Giants in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys won 27-26. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Their decision to throw the ball 36 times and only run it 24 really hurt them. They simply hung the defense out to dry by taking minimal time off the clock, even on long drives. On the Giants only drive in the 1st quarter they ran 8 plays and covered 48 yards but only used up 2 minutes and 35 seconds. 7 of their 10 drives lasted less then 3 minutes.
The defense played very well all game, even without a pass rush. They died out at the end because they were on the field for nearly 2/3 of the game. The offense is at fault for this one, not just for the last drive though, for every drive. The only time they scored an offensive touchdown, cornerback Trumaine McBride brought an interception down to the 1 yard line. They must finish drives.
I know Coughlin has preached balance for a very long time so this stinks of McAdoo’s pass first offensive style. The Giants were very capable running away with this one, but their decision not to is what lost them the game.
Its a tough loss however you slice it, but if the Giants biggest problems are Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin then I think the New York Football Giants will be just fine.