Position battleground (offense): Cowboys vs Giants head-to-head breakdown

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Which offense do you believe in more... Dallas or Giants?

It was another frustrating game last week against the Baltimore Ravens, but this week the Dallas Cowboys look to right the ship as they face their divisional rivals, the New York Giants. This is a must win game for Dallas to not fall into a three-game losing streak, and this week the Cowboys are heavy favorites despite being the road team. So how do the offenses stack up against each other? Let’s battle it out by position and find out.

QUARTERBACK
Dak Prescott
vs.
Daniel Jones

Dak Prescott statistically performed well last week against the Baltimore Ravens, throwing for nearly 400 yards. He also connected for two touchdowns, including a crucial one to KaVontae Turpin late in the game, which sparked hope for a potential comeback among the team and fans. In addition to his passing success, Dak added a rushing touchdown and successfully avoided throwing any interceptions. Although he nearly had a couple of passes that could have resulted in turnovers, he managed to steer clear last week. Currently, Dak leads the NFL in passing yards and ranks fourth in passing touchdowns. The main challenge he faces is energizing the offense, particularly in the early stages of the game.

Daniel Jones. Let’s dive in. Currently, his passer rating stands at 80.6, placing him 23rd in the NFL. Once again, Jones has started off slow and has made some questionable decisions with the football. He’s struggling with basic throws, even missing a straightforward short screen pass, and his completion percentage of 59% is detrimental to the offense. While his performance last week against the Cleveland Browns showed improvement, it’s worth noting that the Browns made Dallas appear to be a Super Bowl contender in their Week 1 matchup.

Conclusion:
Jones is struggling once again and ask any Giants fan what their biggest frustration with the roster and they will all give the same answer. Although Dak and this offense is struggling to get down and score, Dak is still playing at a higher level than Jones.
Win: Cowboys

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

RUNNING BACK
Rico Dowdle/Ezekiel Elliott
vs.
Devin Singletary/Tyrone Tracy Jr.

The Cowboys running backs faced another tough day on the field. Dowdle topped the team with just 32 rushing yards, failing to make any significant plays. Zeke contributed a mere six yards, averaging only two yards per carry. The sole rushing touchdown from last week came from a run by Dak. This rushing game is struggling, and being behind in the last two games hasn’t made things any easier.

The Giants’ running back group has been facing some challenges as well. So far this season, they have managed just two rushing touchdowns and accumulated 315 rushing yards. Singletary stands out with almost 200 of those yards and has been responsible for both rushing touchdowns, including a notable 43-yard run. However, he has also struggled with two fumbles, both of which were recovered by the opposing teams. After Singletary, the next player to keep an eye on for rushing is Daniel Jones, but his rushing numbers have dipped a bit this year as well.

Conclusion:
This is a feeble matchup here and not a battle of finding the strongest group, rather the one that’s the least weak. That is the Giants right now as the Cowboys are totaling the fourth-fewest yards per game.
Win: Giants

Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

WIDE RECEIVERS
CeeDee Lamb/Brandin Cooks/Jalen Tolbert
vs.
Malik Nabers/Wan’Dale Robinson/Darius Slayton

If CeeDee Lamb hadn’t let that ball get knocked out of his hands last week, it’s interesting to think about how the game might have turned out. That mistake was a significant setback for the offense, and Lamb often seems to fade into the background when things aren’t going his way. He ended the week with four catches for 67 yards, including one impressive play that gained over 30 yards. However, it was quite surprising to see him sitting out towards the end of the game.

On a brighter note, KaVontae Turpin scored a fantastic touchdown and is becoming a valuable asset for the team. Unfortunately, Brandin Cooks had a couple of drops last week, which was disappointing. He now has eight receptions for 75 yards this season, and his yardage has been decreasing in each of the last three games.

Malik Nabers had an impressive performance last week, scoring two touchdowns, and in Week 2 against Washington, he racked up 100 yards along with another touchdown. He spent the preseason hyping up this matchup and expressed his desire to give Trevon Diggs a lesson, so it will be exciting to see how that unfolds. Meanwhile, Robinson also shined in last week’s game against the Browns, achieving 61 receiving yards. However, during his three years in New York, he has only managed to accumulate six receiving yards against the Cowboys.

Conclusion:
Lamb is still getting the benefit of the doubt as he’s proven over time he can be an elite wide receiver. Nabers is an amazing talent but it’s very early days in his NFL career. The Cowboys offense leads the league in passing yards only further bolsters the fact the Cowboys receiving unit is better.
Win: Cowboys

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

TIGHT END
Jake Ferguson
vs.
Theo Johnson

It was great to see Ferguson back on the field again. Although he faced some challenges with pre-snap penalties last week, he really turned things around by leading the team with six receptions and 95 receiving yards. This impressive performance marks a strong comeback for Ferguson, reinforcing his position as Dallas’s second-best offensive threat.

Theo Johnson has recorded two receptions this season, totaling 31 yards. This is likely why he’s so easily available in fantasy leagues. As a rookie tight end, he’s eager to prove himself, but he’s fighting for receptions against Nabers. This competition makes it challenging to expect a standout performance from Johnson this week.

Conclusion:
The Giants defense generally isn’t bad at defending the tight end position. But on that same note neither is Dallas, and both teams finished in the top-10 for fewest receptions allowed to tight ends last year. But of all the position group battles, this one is the furthest apart.
Win: Cowboys

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

OFFENSIVE LINE
Terence Steele is struggling on the right side, while Tyler Guyton is facing challenges on the left. Both tackles lead the team in pressures allowed and will be up against a defense that is currently second in total sacks. Dexter Lawrence is fifth in total sacks this season, and Jason Pinnock, who plays as a hybrid safety, is also making an impact. Zack Martin is having an unusual start to his 2024 season, appearing a bit slower and more fatigued than usual. With 30 total pressures allowed, this offensive line has allowed the tenth-most in the league, and their nine sacks allowed puts them at ninth-most.

The Giants’ offensive line is currently facing challenges, ranking seventh in terms of pressures allowed and has allowed one sack less behind Dallas. While the individual talent is there, the unit is struggling to work cohesively. Andrew Thomas is a particular concern, as he is giving up the most pressures. However, alongside him is Jon Runyan, a former guard for the Green Bay Packers, who is performing reasonably well. Overall, the offensive line is having a tough time, especially with run blocking, which has been quite poor.
Win: Cowboys