SHORT HILLS, N.J. – Can the fourth game into a 17-game season be a pivotal game?
Darn straight can if you are the Dallas Cowboys.
Look, get it. There still will be 13 games to go. That is the baseball equivalent of 123 more games. But you know me, not searching for clickbait. Always trying to be the voice of reason.
But to me, this is a, and not to be trite, Giant of a game Thursday night at MetLife Stadium up in the Jersey swamplands. And not from a mathematical perspective, or as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the other day on his local radio segment, "What's a must win? We need a good game."
Now, there seemingly is a vast difference between being 2-2 if the Cowboys beat the New York Giants to go 1-0 in the NFC East, and being 1-3 if they lose a third consecutive game for the first time since losing four straight in the 2020 season between Games 6-9. Even if, mathematically, it's only a one game difference.
These Cowboys vitally need a win, at least for their mental health. And at the very least, they desperately need a "good game," as Jerry insists since they've played nine consecutive quarters of mediocre football, save the 10th one in the 28-25 loss to Baltimore on Sunday when they were able to score three touchdowns, recover an onside kick, get one stop forcing a punt and another on a missed field goal.
That had frustration levels boiling over. Too much jabbering. Too much complaining. Too much usage of losers' clichés. All this superficial stuff about too many players not knowing their assignments, not lining up properly, not running correct routes, not preparing properly.
All that leads to those verbal outbursts on the sideline, in the locker room, in the team meeting rooms. In other words, nothing beneficial with this Giants game coming up with only one real practice to benefit a potential turnaround, and at that not even in shells.
That's why this is a pivotal point in a young season, a game being played against a 1-2 Giants team that very well could be 2-1, a team who last year had a 6-11 record. In addition, the Cowboys own a current six-game winning streak over the Giants and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings, creating great expectations of a Cowboys win. But no guarantees.
Here is what too many media folk, people in the organization, players and even some coaches have taken for granted: That no matter what happens in the regular season, the Cowboys must prove themselves in the playoffs.
Playoffs! Playoffs? You got to earn the right to be in the playoffs. But this isn't last year's team. And sure as hell ain't the 2021 team. Yes, there is a ton of talent on this team: Dak, CeeDee, Zack, Smith, Jake, Micah, D-Law, Trevon, DaRon (when he returns), Brandon, Anger, just to name a few.
But consider this: The Cowboys have two rookies playing the two more important positions on the offensive line, center Cooper Beebe and left tackle Tyler Guyton. The fullback (Hunter Luepke) is a second-year player. Rico Dowdle is starting at running back for the first time in his career. The second tight end (Luke Schoonmaker) barely played last year. The third, fourth and fifth receivers (Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks) combined for 694 snaps out of a possible 3,552 last year.
The Cowboys are starting a fifth-round draft choice (Caelen Carson) at cornerback – at least they hope. He's been bothered by a sore shoulder since Sunday's game and is considered a game-time decision. Against the Ravens, they started basically two rookies at linebacker, Marist Liufau and DeMarvion Overshown, who missed all last season with a torn ACL. Was reminded Monday night watching the Commanders there is no more Dorance Armstrong or Dante Fowler to help at defensive end. For sure no prospective starter Sam Williams, torn ACL in training camp.
And in the defensive-line rotation, there is rookie Marshawn Kneeland, soon to be 36-year-old Linval Joseph, recently acquired Carlos Watkins, little-used Tyrus Wheat and Chauncey Golston, who is sometimes a tackle, sometimes an end. And then there is sometimes 245-pound Micah Parsons, really no match in the running game in a four-point stance for some 340-pound offensive tackle.
This all is a work in progress. Have some perspective. Can the hysterics.
"We're still young," Parsons said as heads were cooling by Tuesday in the locker room, that including CeeDee Lamb apologizing and Jourdan Lewis' words a tad more measured.
Or as Dak Prescott said Sunday evening, trying to quell the brewing storm of frustration, "Make sure we're not dwelling on what happened and be excited about the opportunity."
And as if for a booster shot of confidence, Dak deciding not to talk to the media in the locker room Tuesday, left saying he would "talk Thursday (as usual during a normal week) after the win."
A badly needed pivot to forward the season.
- Bad Down: In order to unleash their pass rush, the Cowboys need to get opponents to third-and-longer than they've been. And the way to do that defensively is win on first down. Problem is they've been getting creamed. They ranked 25th in first down defense, giving up 5.88 yards a snap, and the main reason that's not higher is the Cleveland game when they held the Browns to 2.2 yards a first-down snap. But in the past two games, on 58 first-down plays the Saints and Ravens gained a combined 429 yards, or 7.5 a play. That leads to too many third-and-shorts, another offshoot of the inability to stop the run.
- Still The Run: The Cowboys best not breathe a sigh of relief over not having to face Saquan Barkley Thursday with the Giants. Now it's twice when playing the Eagles. But check this out about current Giants running back Devin Singletary. Their leading rusher is among the top six backs having gained at least 800 yards in each of the last three seasons (Buffalo and Houston). His 2,587 yards rank sixth behind Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris, Joe Mixon and David Montgomery with Jacobs being the only one Dallas does not face this season. Singletary ain't no slouch. His 197 yards leads the Giants over three games, averaging 4.7 yards a carry.
- On The Corner: The other offensive load the Giants possess is rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, his 23 receptions second all-time among receivers in their first three career games. Calling the shadow Diggs. And complicating the coverage is the rookie Carson's sore shoulder that McCarthy seemed encouraged might be OK by Thursday. If not, then it's Andrew Booth starting opposite Diggs at corner. Sure don't like the sound of a Nabers-Booth matchup. For the Giants, they have a potential nickel corner problem. The first guy up, Dru Phillips, and backup Adoree Jackson are both dealing with injuries.
- Dexter: Say no more. That means Dexter Lawrence, the Giants' behemoth defensive tackle who will line up on the nose of rookie center Cooper Beebe. The guy is a load, already three sacks in three games, 17 QB pressures, two tackles for losses and five QB hits. Can you say "double-team"?
- Thursday Specials: The Cowboys are one of 15 teams having started the season with a 1-2 record, with nine others sitting at 2-1, another example of the parity the NFL desires … This thought made me laugh after seeing Brandon Aubrey nail that franchise-long, 65-yard field goal on Sunday, one yard shy of tying the NFL record, owned by the Ravens' Justin Tucker: Aubrey should have backed up just one yard, but three feet, only 36 inches to match the record … The Cowboys have played 56 Thursday games on Thanksgiving, all at home, right? And another 11 games on non-Thanksgiving Thursdays. But never an away game on Thursday after just three days of rest.
As for this week's final word, we go to owner Jerry Jones when asked about all the above-mentioned frustration boiling over after Sunday's 28-25 loss to Baltimore, their second straight. Caused players to come up with this reason and that reason for the consecutive defeats, pointing to a lack of preparation and studying video away from the facility, not practicing hard, a whole bunch of peripheral excuses. Even Lamb, after his sideline implosion, said, "You got to look at the man in the mirror."
As for Jerry, he didn't seem bothered by the emotions on the sideline, in the locker room and even in team meetings, saying this when asked during his Tuesday 105.3 The Fan radio segment:
"Anybody that's ever been a part of a team knows that there's very seldom a time when that team doesn't have to have a come-to-Jesus meeting, and everybody gets down. You all use these terms: look in the mirror, look within yourself, look at what you're doing, think about what you're going to do. Are you studying your opponent hard enough before Sunday or in this case Thursday? Nobody that's really ever been through success has not had those come-to-Jesus times when they've had to relook in the mirror, relook at what you're doing, look at what you're doing in context of the guy next to you. …
"I've never been involved in anything that, team or otherwise, didn't have some really tough days involved in it. Ever."
In other words, just carry on. These Giants are awaiting.
