It’s not every day a team racks up 506 yards of total offense, drops 37 points, and still manages to lose — but that’s exactly the spot the New York Giants found themselves in. Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys was thrilling overall, but Big Blue fans will walk away feeling like their biggest opponent was... the New York Giants.
This loss hurts. There's no other way to put it. Between the resiliency and fight the G-Men showed, leaving Arlington with a 40-37 overtime loss is crushing. It'd be one thing if the Cowboys just took them to task and beat them from start to finish, but it was the lack of discipline that did them in. They started the opening drive with four penalties and never looked back.
By the time the final whistle blew, the Giants had committed 14 penalties for 160 yards. For reference, nearly double as many as they had on the ground (84). There's just no excuse for that. It's unacceptable. While giving up 40 points and 478 yards is certainly a losing recipe on its own, the penalties just exacerbated everything, eventually leading to their downfall.
Giants can't get out of their own way in soul-crushing Week 2 OT loss to Cowboys
First things first, Russell Wilson deserves his flowers. He has spent the last week getting absolutely hammered for his Week 1 flop against the Washington Commanders, and rightfully so. But do you know how you such up the critics? You show up and show out in the next opportunity... and that's exactly what he did.
He looked like vintage Russ out there, completing 30 of 41 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns... and one game-sealing interception. The pick was brutal, an out-of-nowhere, throw-on-a-whim deep ball that had no business being thrown, but it's just further confirmation that they beat themselves.
It's just all the same with this team. The head-scratching decisions, the defense not being able to stop a nosebleed, and the unbelievable lack of discipline all amounted to a backbreaking loss that should have resulted in a win. They had it and they blew it. It's as simple as that.
Their 160 penalty yards were the most by a Giants team since 1947, when they had 175. Yikes.
They just need to play cleaner football if they're ever going to figure this thing out. Too many second-and-longs and third-and-shorts got bailed out by penalties. They kept Dallas drives alive by playing lazy football with roughing the passer calls and defensive pass interference all afternoon. And too many drives were halted by false starts and holding calls. This is simple stuff.
Head coach Brian Daboll has to hold everyone accountable for what fans had to watch, including himself. There were plenty of chances to steal this one in Dallas, but when you’re playing two opponents, wins don’t come easy — and the Giants have no one to blame but themselves.