The New York Giants have been the punching bags of the NFC East for nearly a decade. While they did have rare moments of success, such as their playoff trip in 2016 and their run to the second round in 2022, the Giants finished either in last place in the division consistently, or near the bottom of the league standings. Perhaps the craziest thing is that since 2017, the Cowboys went 15-2 against the Giants, showing how one-sided the rivalry had become.
But on Sunday, this iteration of the Giants, led by head coach John Harbaugh, showed this wasn't the same team that would make costly mistakes or be ineffective on both sides of the line of scrimmage. This was a dominant, one-sided win.
The Giants defeated the Cowboys 28-20 in a score that doesn't reflect the game that took place. The Giants dominated on offense, while their pass defense helped hold wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to under 50 yards each. The offense did a great job of just pushing the ball downfield, causing the Cowboys defense to bend and break, and killed the clock to ensure the Cowboys didn't have many chances to attempt a comeback.
If there is one thing the Giants showed the Cowboys, is that this isn't the same pushover team like in recent years.
Cowboys sound like a team baffled they were punked by the Giants
The Giants offense picked up 394 yards on 68 plays, picking up an average of 5.8 yards per play. The Giants did so on seven drives, and held possession for 36:40. The Cowboys tried their best to get the football back, but the Giants played the role of the older sibling, holding the football over their head as the younger sibling frantically jumped to try and get it.
After the game, Lamb was informed by a reporter that Dallas' offense only had possession twice the entire second half. Lamb was surprised, saying, "I didn't know that, that's crazy."
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters that the Giants were the more physical team on Sunday night, and that they were "humbled" by them.
"Give Harbaugh and his team a bunch of credit. They were the more physical team tonight," Schottenheimer said, h/t GiantsWire. "That's certainly not our standard. That's certainly not how we see our identity playing. They shoved us around in the running game. We couldn't get the running game going on offense. Situationally, they were outstanding. They did a really good job of keeping the ball away from us in the second half. I think they had the ball for 36 minutes and 40 seconds. So, this is a humbling business. We got humbled tonight, and that's what I told the guys."
That's the head coach of one of the most popular teams in the world, one with Super Bowl aspirations, admitting that the Giants bullied them around all night to open up an important season. Save that quote, Giants fans.
Cowboys rookie safety Caleb Downs, who the Giants passed on twice in the first round, said that the Giants have "elite talent."
Cowboys saw the John Harbaugh effect in full force in Week 1
This is what the Giants were missing. While it is virtually the same roster as it was last year, not including a few exits, their issues stemmed from coaching. Brian Daboll was unable to get the Giants to play disciplined football on offense and defense. That's why he was unable to replicate the success he had in the 2022 season.
The Giants made it thier priority this offseason to hire Harbaugh as he's a proven winning coach in the NFL, one they desperately needed. One game in, you see why hiring him was the right move, and why they were lauded across the league for ensuring Harbaugh put pen to paper.
During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner revealed that he was dejected when he saw the Giants signed Harbaugh in the offseason.
"When I saw he went to New York, my heart sank," said Jones, h/t Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News. "I have that kind of respect for him."
Jones got firsthand confirmation that his fears were warranted, as when cameras cut to him in his luxury suite at MetLife Stadium, he looked frustrated and befuddled watching his Cowboys get bullied.
The Giants gave a preview of how they are going to operate this upcoming season, especially on offense. They are going to run the football and if it keeps working, they're not going to let up. Much like they did spamming the same play to Devin Singletary in the second half on a single drive to extend their lead to 28-14.
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