FRISCO, Texas – The New York Giants (2-9) against the Dallas Cowboys (4-7) on Thanksgiving is technically a rematch of Dallas' 20-15 road win in Week 4but nine weeks later there is a noticeable difference for both teams.
The starting quarterbacks of both teams from week 4 – Daniel Jones for New York and Dak Prescott for Dallas – will not start for either team on Thanksgiving Day; Jones was released while Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 Atlanta Falcons. Cooper Rush has taken Prescott's place during last season's viral sensation Tommy DeVito has taken Jones' place. DeVito's first career start came in Week 10 of last season with the Cowboys Dallas dominated with a 49-17 victory.
Will the Cowboys start a winning streak after their win against the Giants? 34:26 surprising victory over the Washington Commanders? Or will the Giants bounce back from a disappointing 30-7 loss in Week 12 to the Giants? Tampa Bay Buccaneers and stun a Cowboys team regaining momentum after a five-game losing streak? Let's dive into this duel and project a winner.
Cowboys vs. Giants where to watch
Date: Thursday November 28th | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Channel: FOX | Electricity: fubo (Try for free)
Consequences: CBS Sports App
NFL Bets Opportunities: Cowboys -3.5; O/U 37 (above Caesars)
Check out the latest Caesars promo code to get into the game.
When the Giants have the ball
The Giants are a team in turmoil. They had several players, namely wide receivers Malik Nabers and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Use the word “soft” to describe the state of your team. Nabers too particularly criticized head coach Brian Daboll's playful attitude and the team's inability to get him the football after he failed to score in the first half of a game for the first time in Week 12.
There is also uncertainty regarding their quarterback situation There's a chance DeVito won't play on Thursday after taking part in limited training on Tuesday due to an injury to his right forearm. In this case, 2019 second-round pick Drew Lockwho signed a one-year contract with the Giants in free agency is starting. The mobility of both players is what the Dallas defense is focused on.
“They’re both pretty mobile, so I feel like they’re going to get the same game plan,” cornerback said Jourdan Lewis said.
“[DeVito’s] “The ability to make plays in and out of the pocket is a real focus for us,” added head coach Mike McCarthy.
Another Week 13 addition is Tyrone Tracy Jr., the Giants' fifth-round rookie. He received just four carries for two yards in the Week 4 matchup Devin Singletary was the lead back with 24 rushing yards on 14 carries. Tracy has been the Giants' leading back since Week 5, and his 558 rushing yards during that span are the ninth-most of the season . Tracy's 3.2 yards after contact per carry is the 12th-most in the nfl, and it's safe to say the Cowboys' 31st-ranked run defense will see a heavy dose of Tracy.
In the Cowboys' 20-15 road win over the Giants in Week 4, New York owned the football for about 11 minutes longer than Dallas (35:37 to 24:23). This margin of possession is Dallas' worst of the 2024 season, and Week 4 was the only time this year that the opponent had the ball for more than 10 minutes longer than they did.
“I think his ability to generate offense, RAC, YAC, however you define it,” McCarthy said when asked what stands out about Tracy. “The biggest thing I see is the combination of run and pass. … What I see is I think they're trying to find a good balance between running and passing. If you look back at the last game, they slowed down.” The pace of this game was very methodical. They tried to keep the ball and make long drives.
If they decide to throw the football, all eyes will be on Nabers, whose 103 goals this season are the third-most in the entire NFL. The 2024 The No. 6 overall pick posted a career-best 12 catches and 115 receiving yards in the Week 4 matchup against Dallas, but he hasn't posted 75 or more receiving yards in a game since. That's one of the reasons for it he is dissatisfied with Daboll's style of play.
“He wants the ball, his aggressiveness,” Lewis said of Nabers. “He knows how to locate the ball man. It's dangerous when a guy that young knows he's supposed to get the ball and he's supposed to make these explosive plays.
When the Cowboys have the ball
What the Cowboys need to do to beat the Giants is simple: run the ball. New York gives up the third-most rushing yards per game in the NFL (147.9). The problem is that Dallas' running game is the second-worst in the NFL, averaging just 82.5 rushing yards per game. However, lead back Rico Dowdle posted the second-most rushing yards (86) and carries (19) in any game of his career on Sunday in Washington, perhaps showing that the Cowboys are close to finding some sort of rhythm on the ground.
Dropping back to pass against New York could be a risky move for Dallas with a rookie under center (third-round pick). Cooper Beebe) and with right guard Zack Martin (ankle and shoulder injuries) is expected to miss his second straight game. No interior defensive lineman has more sacks (nine) than two-time Giants Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and no team has a higher defensive sack rate (10.6%) than the Giants.
“Dexter, I know he's always had our attention since I've been here,” McCarthy said. “I think he’s maybe the best or one of the best interior players in the league. I just have enormous respect for him. But yeah, I think like anything, not just in our division, if you want to be a playoff football team, you have to have it on both sides of the battle line. People like Dexter Lawrence are a great example.
However, the risk can be worth it if you have the chance to place the football in one of the NFL receptions CeeDee Lamb's hands, or “Fastest person on the planet” KaVontae Turpin. lamb and Cincinnati Bengals Wide receivers Yes'Marr Chase are the two scariest coverages in the league depending on how the opposing defense plays them. According to Pro Football Focus, Lamb's 28 double-teamed targets are the most in the NFL with Chase, and according to PFF, Lamb's 132 double-teamed routes run are the second-most in the NFL behind Chase's 170. The defense focusing on him led to big plays for Turpin, who took a 64-yard slant route against him for a touchdown Houston Texans in week 11 and tight end Luke Schoonmakerwho scored a 22-yard touchdown with less than 5 minutes and 30 seconds left in the game on Sunday to give Dallas a 20-9 lead over the Commanders late in the fourth quarter.
“I love it, I love it, and I can’t preach it enough here,” Lamb said of his teammates’ points when he hits a double. “I tell the guys, ‘Let them guard me. If you give me one-on-one matches, that's cool. Let me do what I have to do and eventually they'll bring someone else.' “Boy, and then you all take over, you're 1 on 1.” I know when I first came in (as a rookie in 2020), I obviously had that [Amari] Coop[er] and M.G [Michael Gallup]So [opponents] couldn't double anyone. I felt it was disrespect. So I told these people, “Brother, if they double team me, think it's disrespectful if they feel like your guy can protect all of you one-on-one without help.” That's crazy. That’s why I’m happy for the guys, man. I'm always happy. When Turp scores a goal, I am, if not the most, happy.
forecast
Dallas scores first and then punishes DeVito or Lock with a pass rush led by Micah Parsons that helps generate multiple turnovers. Rush plays a turnover-free game for the second straight year and the Cowboys earn a multi-score victory and their 15th win in the Round of 16 against the Giants. Pick: Cowboys 24, Giants 13
Bonus: Larry Hartstein is betting on the Cowboys games, having won 27 of his last 37 bets involving the American team. While he's leaning down for this NFC East matchup, he's showing plenty of value in the spread. To see which team he supports, Visit SportsLine.
