3 reasons the Dallas Cowboys defense won the game vs the Giants
The Dallas Cowboys won their third straight game when they defeated the New York Giants on Sunday by a score of 21-6. It wasn’t a pretty offensive performance, but America’s Team got the job done.
With their win, the Cowboys are now one step closer to clinching the NFC East. If the Philadelphia Eagles can beat the Washington Football Team on Tuesday, Dallas will win the division for the first time since 2018.
Sunday’s game was once again a mediocre performance from the offense and a stellar one from the defense. This has been the Dallas team that we have grown to know, especially during their three-game win streak.
The offense was once again struggling to move the ball at parts in this game. Early on, they found themselves in New York territory but failed to punch it in. They had three field goals in the second quarter alone, two of which were in the red zone.
It was hard to watch the Cowboys’ offense at times in this game. Their only two touchdowns came on an interception and a turnover on downs that already put them in Giants territory. This speaks to the type of offense that Dallas has been giving us recently. In the past three games, they are averaging just 20.33 points per game. The two defensive touchdowns do not count towards this total.
On the other side, the defense was elite against the Giants. Although they didn’t record a sack until late in the contest, they played a flawless game led by their turnovers. The rise in turnovers has been the key to success for America’s Team and a major reason why the Cowboys have pulled out wins.
In the past three games, the defense has had 12 takeaways and is only allowing 12.33 points per game. Prescott’s pick-six against Washington does not count towards this total either.
With the Cowboys holding the Giants to just six points, this game provides yet another example that the defense is winning games for this team. Let’s take a look at the three reasons why the defense was responsible for the win against the Giants.
3. The Cowboys offense continued to struggle
The Cowboys came into this game on a slump. This offense is nowhere near where it was earlier this season. But, the Cowboys hoped this would change in a favorable matchup against the Giants.
Earlier this year, the Cowboys decimated the Giants using their lethal offense. In Week 5, Dallas scored four offensive touchdowns, three from Prescott and one from running back Ezekiel Elliott. They also rushed for over 200 yards en route to a 44-20 win.
The Cowboys had hoped that a similar offensive performance was in store. They did it earlier this season and this could be their “get right” game. Plus, the Giants were without many key players due to injury and positive COVID cases.
The offense did not deliver the way they could have. The Cowboys only had 328 yards of total offense in this game and only scored touchdowns because of key plays from the defense.
On Dallas’ first touchdown drive, they were just 13 yards out because of a Jourdan Lewis interception. Then, later in the third quarter, the Cowboys defense stopped the Giants on fourth down which gave the offense the ball at New York’s 29-yard line.
If the defense didn’t continually create turnovers, who knows if Dallas would have scored a touchdown in the entire game. They only had two 50+ yard drives in this game, both of which resulted in field goals. Overall, it was another tough day at the office for the offense who was lucky to get a victory.