Here are 5 impactful plays that were key to the Giants’ 28-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
The New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 28–20, under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. New York dominated on offense, outgaining Dallas 394–244 and controlling the clock for 36:40 compared to the Cowboys’ 23:20. More importantly, this was a statement win in which the Giants’ offense dictated terms to the Dallas defense, producing four touchdown drives and four separate drives of at least 10 plays.
Matt Nagy and Greg Roman deserve tremendous credit for the offensive game plan and execution. The Giants consistently varied their rushing concepts, pairing a diverse run scheme with well-timed pre-snap motion that manipulated Dallas’ defensive structure and created leverage advantages at the point of attack. By forcing the Cowboys to adjust alignments and responsibilities before the snap, New York repeatedly put Dallas in positions where it was out-leveraged and couldn’t consistently fit the run game.
New York was heavy with their personnel, and Jaxson Dart executed several critical situations well throughout the game. The defense failed to sack Dak Prescott, but they held their own in the victory. Overall, the Giants kicked off the John Harbaugh era with an important divisional win against a quarterback who rarely loses to the Giants. It was an excellent effort, and here are five plays — or sequence of plays — that were important to the Giants’ victory.
Play 1: What a way to finish an opening drive
Firstly, let’s start with this – the Giants set a TONE to conclude their first offensive drive of the season – a ten-play, 83-yard drive that showcased the rushing attack designed by Greg Roman. Matt Nagy did an excellent job calling different running schemes with pre-snap motion that gave the Giants a spatial advantage to one side: ISO, QB read, counter, and weak-side runs were all featured on the Giants’ first drive that ended in this counter three-yard touchdown scamper by Cam Skattebo (44) behind the blocks of Patrick Ricard (45) and Isaiah Likely (9).
Play 2: First drive of second half
The Giants finished the first half strongly with a touchdown and then started the second half strong with a twelve-play drive that ate up eight minutes of the clock and resulted in an Isaiah Likely touchdown. The Giants continued their physical nature, using heavy personnel from under center – the Giants ran the football seven times on the drive, and it helped set up the play-action passing attack well.
To Dallas’ credit, though, they mounted their own 12-play drive that ended in a touchdown, which added drama as the third quarter wound down.
Play 3: Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s short leash
Tyrone Tracy Jr. had a rough pre-season for the Giants, and he compounded it by fumbling the football on his second touch of the game. Matt Nagy used multiple backs through the first half, and Tracy gave the football back to Dallas while the Giants were driving in the two-minute drill. It was an excellent effort by Quinnen Williams, and an unfortunate situation for a back who was already on thin ice. Tracy Jr. was bailed out, though, by a Jevon Holland interception of Dak Prescott. We didn’t see Tracy for the rest of the game.
Play(s) 4: End of the half scenario
Jevon Holland gave the Giants’ offense another chance before halftime:
The Holland interception gave Jaxson Dart the football at the Giants’ 45-yard line. A Jon Runyan false-start penalty put the Giants in a third-and-nine situation that was converted with an excellent touch pass over the top of a curl-flat defender; the pass was completed for 13 yards to Malik Nabers. Dart proceeded to go 3 of 3, resulting in a 15-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely, giving the Giants a 14-7 lead that they would maintain into halftime.
Dallas blew the high-low corner/whip combination to the boundary side of the field, and Likely was wide open for the score.
Play 5: Giants’ offense continues to succeed!
The Giants went up two scores midway through the fourth quarter with this 9-yard touchdown reception by Devin Singletary. Matt Nagy saw a vulnerability in Dallas’ flat and kept attacking the Cowboys; Singletary touched the ball on four consecutive plays, leading to the two-score lead that was too much for Dallas to overcome. I appreciate how Nagy and Greg Roman kept taking what the defense gave them, and consistently matriculated the football down the field for the Giants.