New York Giants: Defense and Special Teams Beat Cowboys

In what appeared to be another sloppy contest, the New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys for the first time in more than two years. The strange thing is that that game wasn’t sloppy for too long. The Giants’ defense and special teams made up for their offensive woes.

Eli Manning and the Giants’ offense really couldn’t get anything too special going. They looked sharp on the first drive and then broke down. They had a lot of problems converting on third down and that’s going to come back to bite them later on in the season. They could only skeet around the issue for so long.

Steve Spagnuolo must have a huge smile on his face because his defense basically won the game for the team. They stepped up when the Giants were in a rut and managed to produce three takeaways. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Brandon Meriweather came up with the third pick on a very poor pass by Matt Cassel.

What may have been even more impressive than the Giants’ defense was their special teams. The Giants’ special teams had a kick return touchdown when the team was in a really tight spot. Dwayne Harris showed why he is worth his $17 million dollar contract and propelled the Giants toward their first win against the Cowboys’ in five contests. Not to mention that the Giants’ special teams also came up with a game sealing turnover.

It’s ironic that the two units that have been the weakest for the Giants over the years have been the strongest in this game. A lot of the free agent signings the Giants made were to bolster these units and that’s exactly what those free agents did.

The emergence of second year player Orleans Darkwa should also help bolster the offense. On his first chunk of playing time of the season Darkwa was a part of a huge drive that ended up resulting in a touchdown. He was the most effective running back of the game.

What the team needs to do to continue their success is simple, stay healthy and learn how to convert on third down. If the Giants can manage to do those two things, they could be a very dangerous team.

Next: New York Giants: Top 10 Defensive Linemen Of All Time

More from GMEN HQ

Home/NY Giants News