5 reasons the Cowboys will beat the Giants in Week 3

Hope was restored for America’s Team in Week 2 when the Dallas Cowboys found a way to win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even with Dak Prescott out due to an injury sustained in Week 1, Cooper Rush was able to lead them on a game-winning drive — capped off by a 50-yard field goal from Brett Maher.

Now, they had an extra day to prepare for their next challenge as they play on the road against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. New York might have a 2-0 record but the Cowboys should be able to pull off this win, and here are five reasons to believe that.

5 reasons the Cowboys will beat the Giants in Week 3

5. Giants have yet to be tested

Yes, the Giants are currently undefeated but they have yet to play anyone who has proven to be a contending NFL team. Their wins came against teams that were 0-4 combined in the first two weeks of the season. And they didn’t win impressively in either case.

New York knocked off the Tennessee Titans 21-20 in the opener. They showed guts by going for two at the end of the game, which was successful and they walked away with the win. The following week, they secured a 19-16 victory over Carolina, sending them to 0-2.

Dallas, on the other hand, played a team that won the Super Bowl two seasons ago and is led by Tom Brady. They then slowed down the Bengals, who were the AFC representatives last season. Sure, Cincy started out slowly, but they were still heavily favored and Dallas pulled off the upset even without Dak Prescott.

New York doesn’t have the weapons either of those teams does, which is just one reason the Cowboys should be able to secure a win.

4. Offensive line has excelled

Before Week 1, it seemed as though all hope would be lost for Dallas since their offensive line was a mess. They lost Tyron Smith and had no true replacements. That led to them moving Tyler Smith to left tackle after having the rookie learn guard all offseason.

They’ve also had to use Matt Farinok after Connor McGovern suffered an ankle injury. Despite all this, they’ve actually played pretty well in the first two games. Dallas has seen their quarterbacks sacked just five times, with only one coming against the Bengals, showing they made improvements from Week 1 to Week 2.

Not only are the Cowboys linemen playing better than expected but they’re about to face a team that really hasn’t been able to get after the quarterback. In their Week 1 win over the Titans, the Giants had just one sack on Ryan Tannehill. Then in Week 2, Baker Mayfield was sacked two times. For some measure, Dallas already has eight sacks in two weeks compared to three for the Giants.

New York is hopeful that both Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux will return to the field on Monday, and if they do, it will be much tougher on this line. However, they’ve proven they can give their signal-caller time and should be able to continue doing so even if the young pass-rushers return.

3. Daniel Jones is still Daniel Jones

Brian Daboll was a smart hire by the Giants. He proved himself as a play-caller with the Buffalo Bills and helped Josh Allen turn into the player we know today.

So far, he’s done some good work for New York, evidenced by their 2-0 start. However, they’re not exactly winning with an explosive passing attack — and probably never will as long as Daniel Jones is under center.

The former Duke product had just 188 yards passing in Week 1 against Tennessee and followed that up with 176 yards in Week 2. That has them 31st in the NFL in passing yardage. Compare that to Dallas, who has surrendered just 360 yards in two games which ranks them sixth in the NFL.

Throw in the fact that they did this against Tom Brady (212 yards passing minus 17 from two sacks) and Joe Burrow (199 yards minus 34 from six sacks) and Jones doesn’t seem to be the one who will suddenly light them up.

Instead, the Giants will continue to lean on the ground game, where Saquon Barkley has found success. This could help them stay in the game but eventually, they will need to throw the ball and it won’t be easy for Jones to have success against this unit.

2. Running game can run wild

Dallas has always favored the ground game and with Cooper Rush starting, that will likely remain the case. In Week 2, they ran it 27 times and probably would have had even more attempts had the Bengals not tied it up late.

This week against the Giants, they’re going to lean on the ground game once again and should be able to do so throughout the night. So far in two games, the Giants defense is 18th in the NFL in rushing yards surrendered, with Week 2 being an outing to forget when it comes to defending the ground game.

While Tennessee averaged less than four yards per carry in the opener, New York had no answers for Carolina in Week 1. Christian McCaffrey had 102 yards on 15 carries and the team averaged 6.3 yards as a whole. That bodes well for the two-headed monster in Dallas of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.

Elliott finished with 53 yards on 15 carries while Pollard added 43 on nine attempts with a touchdown. He also had 55 yards on four receptions, including an explosive 46-yard gain that set him up for the score.

With New York’s inability to shut down the run, these two will again have a shot to run wild. Don’t be surprised to see them combine for 200 yards on the ground with a couple of touchdowns.

1. Micah Parsons playing at a different level

Maybe it’s divine intervention. Or maybe he’s just an elite playmaker.

Whatever it is, Micah Parsons already has four sacks on the season and it’s become clear that DeMarcus Lawrence isn’t going to catch the second-year player despite his best intentions.

Parsons has become an emotional leader for the Dallas defense and is always around the ball. He’s also brought a positive message to the team, saying they’re being tested through their injury concerns — and he heard that straight from the “chapel man.”

In addition to being a stud on the field, Parsons has been winning fans over with his personality. He’s funny on social media and has no problem giving back to the fans. He’s sent out tons of Madden codes and even told a fan to DM him so he could hook his daughter up with something after she didn’t get to meet her favorite players during a preseason game.

Parsons is simply enjoying it all — the game, the fans, everything. And on Monday Night Football, he should continue to excel and get after Jones in the backfield more than once again. His pressure will force a couple of errant throws and get the defense off the field enough times that the offense can secure the win, going 3-0 under Cooper Rush in his career.

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