Should the Dallas Cowboys really be favored in Week Two?

After an abysmal Week One performance do the Dallas Cowboys deserve to be favored in Week Two against division rival the New York Giants?

The Dallas Cowboys started off their 2018 campaign with about as ugly of a performance you could imagine. The Dallas offense was unable to move the ball whatsoever and looked just as lost as it did at the end of the 2017 season.

Although the Cowboys defense played a decent game their offense was so bad it was hard to find any hope or optimism about the near future for the Dallas offense. Coming into Week Two, the Cowboys take on the New York Giants (0-1) in what looks to be a must-win game for both sides.

Although not impossible, when a team starts 0-2 their playoff hopes take an extremely drastic hit. Since 2007 only 10.8 % of teams that have started 0-2 have gone on to make the playoffs that season.

Even though this game is in Dallas, it is hard to believe that the Cowboys open as a 3.5 point favorite over the Giants. New York played a very tough Jacksonville Jaguars team in Week One and took the game right down to the wire losing 20-15. The Giants out-gained the Jaguars in total yards and their defense held the Jaguars to just scoring one touchdown.

The Jaguars do not have a great offense, but their defense is very tough and the Giants were able to run for 114 yards on 23 carries. The obvious strength for the Giants is their defense which is not a good sign for the Cowboys who’s obvious weakness is their offense.

Dallas will face another very tough front seven just like they did in Carolina, and there is little reason for optimism about why the Cowboys will be able to move the football. Now reason would say the Dallas offense can’t possibly be as bad as they were Sunday and having the game at home seems like the standard reason to have them as three point favorites, but I am not sure I agree.

If Dallas could do absolutely nothing against Carolina there is no reason to believe the outcome will be any different against the Giants this week. It is only Week Two, and I hope they prove me wrong, but I just do not see any reason why the Cowboys should be favored at all in this game.

Week Two Prediction: Giants 20, Cowboys 17. Let me know what you think about this week’s game and what your Week Two prediction in the comment section below and/or @mdholleran on Twitter!