Giants vs. Cowboys: Giants Crumble Late In 4th Quarter

The New York Giants have no one to blame but themselves for the loss against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night. They were unable to execute when they needed to, doing themselves no favors in a game they needed to execute to near perfection to pull off the upset.

The Giants defense played better than anyone would have predicted, but when the game counted they were unable to step up. The Cowboys easily drove down the field for touchdowns on their final two drives of the game, constantly picking on rookie middle linebacker Uani Unga.

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The Cowboys constantly picked on the middle of the field where Unga was as Lance Dunbar and Jason Witten each had eight receptions and combined for 130 yards. Witten caught the game winning touchdown with seven seconds left in the game right in front of Unga. To say the Giants missed their leader in the middle in Jon Beason would be an understatement.

A big reason for the success was the little pressure the Giants were able to get on Tony Romo. The Giants pass rush was expected to struggle against a stout offensive line, and that is exactly what happened. The Giants managed only one quarterback hit as Romo was able to stand in the pocket and pick them apart. He finished the game 36-for-45 with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Giants defense forced three turnovers on the night, as a fumble by Cole Beasley turned into a 57-yard touchdown return for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The interceptions were both opportunistic for the Giants, as Unga caught a pass that went off Witten’s hands, while the second one came one a jarring hit from Brandon Meriweather on Devin Street that landed in the hands of Trumaine McBride.

The Giants’ offense was a real problem tonight though. They were unable to really get anything going through the air or on the ground. Eli Manning went only 20-for-36 for 193 yards absorbing one sack. He didn’t throw for a touchdown or an interception.

On the ground, Rashad Jennings led the way with 52 yards on 13 carries and one touchdown. He punched it home after the McBride interception where he stepped out at the one-yard line. Odell Beckham Jr. was held in check tonight as well, catching only five balls for 44 yards.

The Giants play calling at the end of the game was extremely questionable as well, deciding to throw the ball on third-and-goal from the two yard line instead of running the ball and continuing to run the clock down on the Cowboys. That, in addition to some tough breaks from referee calls, did the Giants in. But, at the end of the day, they were unable to convert when it counted most on both sides of the ball.

The Giants will look to bounce back next week when they host the Atlanta Falcons in their season opener and get the sour taste of the loss tonight out of their mouth.

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