Opponent Profile: New York Giants Hope to Win Rematch
By Shawn Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys entered their bye week at a good time for the team, with DeMarco Murray, Tony Romo and Dez Bryant getting a chance to rest and the defense getting a chance to heal up. Their opponents will be a team that they have already faced once this season in the New York Giants. Here is a look at the New York Giants heading into the big Dallas Cowboys week 12 game.
Week 7
The Cowboys beat the Giants once already, in week 7 of the 2014 NFL season. The Giants gave the Cowboys problems for at least one half of the game, heading into halftime with the score tied up 14-14. The Giants actually took a lead in the second quarter of the game before Dallas came back to tie things up.
However, Dallas then went on to score two more touchdowns in the second half while the Giants couldn’t get into the end zone again until there was five minutes left in the game. Eli Manning was solid against the Cowboys, throwing three touchdowns in the game including two to rookie Odell Beckham Jr. The Giants also ran for over 100 yards against Dallas.
However, their defense was unable to stop the Cowboys offense. Tony Romo threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, Dez Bryant caught nine of those passes for 151 yards and DeMarco Murray ran for 128 yards with a touchdown. Gavin Escobar also enjoyed the first multiple touchdown game of his career.
Another Disappointing Season in New York
The New York Giants headed into the Dallas Cowboys game sitting at .500 on the season. The loss to the Cowboys followed a loss to another NFC East rival in the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants are now sitting at 3-7 and riding a five-game losing streak. However, when looking at the losses, they are all against good teams.
The Giants lost to the Eagles and Cowboys, who are tied for first in the NFC East. They then lost to the AFC South leading Indianapolis Colts, Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the always formidable San Francisco 49ers. The Giants finish the season with games against some of the NFL’s worst teams, so they can still turn things around, but a playoff spot is unlikely.
Eli Manning
The Giants franchise quarterback is not having a good season. Eli Manning and the Giants lost to the San Francisco 49ers by six points last week and Manning was the cause. He threw five interceptions in the game while attempting 45 passes. It was the same old Eli Manning, a turnover prone quarterback who struggles in tough games.
This season, the Giants implemented a new offensive scheme and it really does not fit Manning’s style of play. As a result, he has 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season and a low 85.4 quarterback rating. This is two seasons in a row that Manning has struggled, with 36 touchdowns and 38 interceptions over the two years.
Stopping DeMarco Murray
If you want to see why the Cowboys will head into week 12 as heavy favorites, look no further than DeMarco Murray. The New York Giants rank dead last in the NFL against the rush, giving up 145 yards a game. Frank Gore ran for 95 yards last week against the Giants, Marshawn Lynch ran for 140 yards two weeks ago and the Indianapolis Colts multi-faced rushing attack went for 98 yards against them. DeMarco Murray is sitting at 1,233 yards on the season and will add on to those totals this weekend against the Giants.
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Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.