Giants vs. Cowboys Full Team Grades
Passing Offense: D
Sep 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) is sacked by Dallas Cowboys Tyrone Crawford (98) defensive end Jeremy Crawford (92) and defensive tackle Nick Hayden (96) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Eli Manning didn’t face a ton of pressure, but he was not able to get comfortable against the Cowboys. It was hot on the field, which may have caused some of Manning’s throws to get away from him with a slippery ball. Whatever the problem was, Manning never was able to get the Giants aerial attack, which is supposed to be the strength of the team, off the ground,
Manning completed only 20-for-36 (55 percent) for a 193 yards and zero touchdowns. On a positive note, he didn’t throw an interception or fumble, and was sacked only once. While that is encouraging, it adds to the disappointment as the Cowboys were unable to really get much pressure on him but he was unable to produce.
What the Cowboys were able to do was take Odell Beckham Jr. out of the game. The Cowboys sent a message early, as J.J. Wilcox laid the lumber to Beckham Jr. on his first target of the game, jarring a pass away from him. Beckham Jr. was looked at on the sideline and eventually returned to the game, but was relatively quiet. He caught only five passes for 44 yards.
Shane Vereen, whom the Giants signed away from the New England Patriots in the offseason, led the Giants in receiving on the night. He caught four passes for 46 yards, coming up short on a couple of third downs.
Overall, the Giants passing game was very disappointing against the Cowboys. At the top of that list could be Preston Parker. Parker, replacing the injured Victor Cruz, dropped three third down passes that would have kept drives alive. Meanwhile, James Jones, who was released by the Giants in favor of Parker and signed with the Green Bay Packers, caught two touchdowns in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
Next: Rushing Offense Grades