The New York Giants were expected to take a step in the positive direction with new head coach John Harbaugh running things. What Giants fans probably didn't expect was for the Giants to play bully ball against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. They picked up a 28-20 victory over the Cowboys, where the offense kept the football away, holding possession for nearly 37 minutes. The final score doesn't tell the full story of just how dominant the Giants were.
But what does fall under the radar a bit is the performance of the defense, under new coordinator Dennard Wilson. The Giants secondary, which was considered a weakness heading into this season, held their own against the likes of Cowboys wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, limiting them to just 72 yards and a touchdown on eight catches (14 targets). Not to mention, the Giants' vaunted pass rush made that game more miserable for quarterback Dak Prescott, limiting him to just 175 passing yards and forced him to throw a costly interception to Jevon Holland in the first half.
Given what transpired in Week 2, before the Giants' game against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, maybe Wilson deserves more credit, given what the Cowboys did to the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon.
Commanders defensive showing vs. Cowboys in Week 2 makes Giants look even better
The Cowboys hosted the Commanders in a battle of winless NFC East teams. Let's just say, that even before Jayden Daniels' elbow injury, the Cowboys looked like the significantly better team.
Lamb, after being held to under 50 yards last week, exploded against the Commanders, catching eight-of-nine targets for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Of the eight catches, only one went for less than a 10-yard gain.
Additionally, tight end Jake Ferguson caught four of his targets for 43 yards and two touchdowns.
Overall, the Commanders surrendered 279 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 26 catches (31 targets). To make matters worse, Washington allowed Prescott to break Dallas' all-time passing touchdowns record.
The Commanders secondary simply didn't stand a chance against Lamb. It shows that even though the Giants secondary could use some improvement, they are not as bad as the Commanders.
Giants may have caught a break in Week 2 matchup vs. Rams, even with injuries
The Giants were always set to face a big test in Week 2, as they took on a Rams team that many have picked as the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Things looked a bit bleak, as the Giants dealt with three injuries to their top cornerbacks.
Paulson Adebo is on the injured reserve due to a knee issue, officially knocking him out for the next four games at minimum. Greg Newsome was limited in practice this week due to a rib injury, before logging a full practice on Saturday. As for Deonte Banks, he is carrying a questionable designation due to a calf injury.
But for the Giants, they may catch a break. They already don't have to deal with Rams defensive lineman Myles Garrett due to a knee injury. On Sunday, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua is trending in "the wrong direction" in terms of his playing status for Monday after picking up a hip injury. Not having to deal with Nacua should help the Giants' chances of winning.
Either way, the Giants defense under Wilson has shown quickly that they could be a pain to play against. The defense is already significantly better than the one that Shane Bowen implemented the past two seasons, where they couldn't hold a lead if their lives depended on it. Even though they didn't play their second game just yet, the defense gained some extra check marks on their report cards given how poorly the Commanders defense played against the Cowboys.
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