NY Giants defense faces huge test against Dallas

The Cowboys offense has the most yards per game. The Giants defense is fifth in yards allowed per game.

No team in the NFC East has more than one win. The NY Giants, after starting the season 0-4, can put themselves in a position to be the division’s leader with a win. It’s up to their defense to do it.

The Giants enter Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys with a surprisingly good defense. Even without their 2020 second round pick, safety Xavier McKinney, the defense is currently fifth in yards per game, giving up 328.3, according to ESPN.

This game should show just how good the defense is.

The Giants have played three teams with offenses in the top 15 of the league, the lone exception being the Chicago Bears. The defense kept the Giants in the game against the Los Angeles Rams, who are ninth in yards per game. But this week they go against number one.

The Cowboys are the only team in the league that has amassed over 2000 yards thus far, according to ESPN. That’s nearly 300 more than the next closest, the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys are also first in yards per game with 509.5 – the only team in the league with more than 500.

Dallas is also third in points per game with 31.5. The Giants are tied for 12th in points allowed per game with 24.

New In Town

Through the first quarter of this season, two free agent signings appear to have paid off for General Manager Dave Gettleman: Blake Martinez and James Bradberry.

Martinez enters the game tied for second in the league for tackles, with 43. That’s nearly double the amount as his closest teammate, Logan Ryan with 22. Martinez also has two sacks along with five and a half tackles for loss.

While Martinez continues to make his presence known in the box, Bradberry makes his in the secondary.

Bradberry has nine of the Giants’ 29 pass deflects, according to ESPN. That’s three times as many as Ryan, who is second in that metric as well. Bradberry also has an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He was also named PFF’s Defensive Player of the Week in week two.

As good as these players have been, it will take the whole defense to contain the explosiveness of the Cowboys’ offense.

Dak Prescott has thrown for more yards than any other quarterback in the league, and Dallas is first in passing yards per game, with 509.5, according to ESPN. And while Ezekiel Elliott has been relatively quiet this year, he always performs against the Giants; Elliott rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the six games against the Giants, according to Pro Football Reference.

Even with Dallas’ starting left tackle, Tyron Smith, who will miss the remainder of the season for neck surgery, the Giants’ defense will be put to their hardest test of a tough season.