Well, that was a Week 1 game to forget. The New York Giants were embarrassed by the Dallas Cowboys 40-0 to start their 2023 regular season on an awful note. After a promising opening drive watching the Giants march down the field, the wheels then fell off.
As bad as that showing was, it's time for the G-Men to flush that performance and get ready for Week 2. A date with the Arizona Cardinals is coming up and it's a must-win game for Brian Daboll and Co. In order for NY to come away with the win, these four guys MUST step their game up:
4. Giants RT Evan Neal
This should not be a surprise to anyone. While the entire offensive line for the Giants deserves their fair share of blame for not giving their quarterback any protection, just like last year against this same Dallas defense, second-year offensive lineman Evan Neal failed to show up and play up to his potential vs. Dallas.
Last season on the same field in Week 3, Neal was no match against Micah Parsons, who made it look easy to get after Daniel Jones. And Sunday night was no different. Neal improved toward the end of last season, but his Week 1 showing to begin 2023 was a nightmare. He was disappointed by his play and rightfully so.
In total, Jones was sacked seven times and was looking like he was running for his life all night - Neal was a big reason for that. Neal worked so hard this past offseason to work on his technique and improve as an o-lineman for the Giants and Week 1 was not the start he or the Giants envisioned. Yes, there are still 16 games left to go in the season, but this was not a good showing by this offensive line and Neal in particular. Neal needs to step up and play a lot better and prove that last week was just a fluke.
3. QB Daniel Jones
Yes, the offensive line did not help Jones at all, however Danny Dimes still made some very poor choices with the football and looked completely uncomfortable in the pocket. He has to play better next week, especially after getting a big contract this past offseason. The haters have been out in full force going after him.
Jones did start off the game strong for Big Blue with his legs in particular, rushing for over 20 yards on three carries putting the Giants in a prime position to get on the board first. After that, though, Jones was a totally different person running the offense and the unit couldn't do anything right. It was tough to watch.
Jones had two interceptions on the night. Yes, one of his INTs was not necessarily his fault, with Giants running back Saquon Barkley taking a huge hit by Trevon Diggs resulting in the ball popping out of his hands and into DaRon Bland's.
However, Jones also was intercepted by Stephon Gilmore and it was a huge mistake. Jones tried to throw while running out of bounds and the Dallas D made him pay for it. Jones finished the night 15 of 28 with a career-low 104 passing yards with the two picks to go along with it. His rating was a dismal 32.4 as well. Jones signed his $160 million deal this offseason and he had a great chance to prove he was worth it vs. the Cowboys. That obviously wasn't the case. There are zero excuses for him vs. the Cardinals.
2. K Graham Gano
After putting the pen to paper on a three-year extension, Gano was looking to prove to the Giants why he was worthy of his new deal. And after having a great 2022 season for New York only missing three attempts all campaign long, Gano did not get off to the start he wanted to in the Giants season opener. This was surprising to see.
His rough night started with a shocker, as Gano's first field goal attempt of 45 yards was blocked and taken back 58 yards for a Dallas touchdown. And in desperate need of some points on the scoreboard down 26-0 approaching halftime, Gano missed another field goal - this one from 36 yards out. That miss proved that nothing was going right for NY at MetLife.
Weather can be blamed for that kick, but Gano has been very reliable for the Giants since he arrived in 2020 and even though Gano is not totally responsible for the Giants loss against the Cowboys, these are kicks he has to make. We can only hope that this was just some Week 1 jitters for Gano and he can turn things around this weekend and beyond.
1. WR Jalin Hyatt
Fans were so excited to see Giants rookie third-round draft pick Jalin Hyatt in action for his NFL debut. When the Giants drafted Hyatt out of Tennessee, with his speed and agility, a lot of people thought he'd be able to make an immediate impact for the Giants on offense right away. However, Hyatt had a quiet NFL debut for the G-Men, and in his limited opportunities, he was disappointing.
In his limited action, Hyatt was only targeted once against the Cowboys. While the Giants offensive line barely gave Jones time to scan the field, Danny Dimes put the ball in a perfect spot for the rookie to haul it in. However, Hyatt let it slip through his hands in rough fashion. This was a game that Hyatt isn't going to remember for being special.
Hyatt has plenty of time to get better and show the Giants he was worth the draft selection, but drops have been a problem for him in the past. Giants fans need to show patience towards Hyatt, but in his one opportunity to show everyone what kind of playmaker he really is, he was not impressive. Let's see if he delivers for this team later this week.
READ MORE: 4 NY Giants who were a major disappointment vs. the Cowboys