Cowboys legend Troy Aikman thinks Giants are ‘fortunate’ to be 2-0
It’s only Week 3 of the NFL season and a lot of unexpected things have happened already.
We didn’t think Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott would go down with an injury in Week 1. We didn’t believe the Cowboys had a chance against the former AFC Champions after Prescott hurt himself. We didn’t think the NFC East would have the best record out of all the NFC divisions. And, we definitely didn’t expect the New York Giants to be one of six undefeated teams heading into Week 3.
The Giants have been the worst team in an often-mocked division for quite some time now. It is important to note that this New York franchise hasn’t beat any super impressive teams. Although the Tennessee Titans had high hopes entering 2022, their two brutal losses have dropped their stock massively. The Giants’ Week 2 victory was against a very weak Carolina Panthers squad.
Maybe that’s why Cowboys legend Troy Aikman isn’t buying the hype around the Giants. In a recent interview with 96.7 The Ticket, the Hall of Famer said he was shocked the NFC East rival was 2-0 given how much they’ve struggled with their roster.
"“I’ve seen a team that’s pretty fortunate to be 2-0. Defensively, I don’t want to say they’re like the Cowboys, because I do believe the Cowboys overall are a far better team than what I’ve seen of the Giants. Offensively, they’re just struggling. I think the offensive line’s a work in progress… the whole team is, I guess, for that matter. And that’s what happens when you have the turnover that they’ve had at the head coaching position.“I’ll be interested to see how this game goes. Because like I said, I do feel that Dallas is a lot better in so many areas. Dallas played Tampa, a team that is expected to do a lot. Cincinnati, who just came off the Super Bowl. And they’ve been in those games with a chance to win, and here they are 1-1. I just don’t know what exactly New York has, but I don’t think it’s a lot.”"
Although the ESPN broadcaster certainly has Cowboys bias, he tends to be pretty fair and give credit where credit is due. He’s not going to overhype Dallas just to do it — looking at you, Michael Irvin. So, it’s fair to take his word here.
Troy Aikman: Giants ‘fortunate’ to be 2-0 ahead of MNF matchup vs. Cowboys #CowboysNation https://t.co/vG1lrlLM3M
— SportsDay Cowboys (@dmn_cowboys) September 24, 2022
Former Cowboys QB Troy Aikman isn’t buying Giants hype but admits he’s impressed with Eagles
Aikman may not be bought in on the Giants, but he is worried about another NFC East rival. In the same interview, the former quarterback was quick to compliment how good the Philadelphia Eagles look so far in 2022. To him, these are two totally different 2-0 teams.
"“You just can’t play the [quarterback] position any better than what [Hurts] did that night. So, he has the makeup that you really have to have if you’re going to be a franchise quarterback. I watched him in that Week 1 game and thought he did a lot of really good things. And then he comes into this game and was flawless. I mean, he just was incredible.I think it’s legit. I mean, I think they’re good. … I think they’re well-coached. They’re solid at every position. I mean, there’s not really any weaknesses on that on that offense.They’re going to be tough. They’re going to be really tough within this division.”"
It’s hard to disagree with Aikman here. Even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted that he was impressed with Jalen Hurts and his team after their Monday Night Football performance.
Thankfully, the Cowboys get to take on the not-so-great 2-0 team this week. They’ll have another three weeks to prepare before they have to face the Eagles in Week 6. Plus, Dallas may even have Prescott back at the helm by then.
