Big Blue View - Giants 20, Cowboys 19: Everything you need to knowYour place for year-round New York Giants discussion and informationhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47371/bigblueview_fave.png2016-09-16T08:02:55-04:00http://www.bigblueview.com/rss/stream/126418152016-09-16T08:02:55-04:002016-09-16T08:02:55-04:00How the Giants went 3-for-3 in red zone vs. Dallas
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<figcaption>Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The New York Giants finished every drive that made it inside of the Cowboys' 20-yard line. How did they do it?</p> <p id="RvAh0c">We all feel pretty good about the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a>’ offense.</p>
<p id="p0Jxh1">And we should.</p>
<p id="nxpLBC"><span>Eli Manning</span> is a franchise quarterback with accomplishments that few more well-regarded active or retired quarterbacks can match. Odell Beckham is a bonafide superstar and is fairly considered one of the top three receivers in the NFL. <span>Victor Cruz</span>’s return to effectiveness and <span>Sterling Shepard</span>’s potential are just plain exciting. The Giants even have a competent running game and weapons at tight end.</p>
<p id="vob30I">It wasn’t an accident that they finished 2015 as the eighth overall offense and sixth-ranked scoring offense.</p>
<p id="zpPdqf">But hidden in the talent and numbers is an ugly blemish on the 2015 Giants’ offense: They just couldn’t get it done in the red zone. With a red zone efficiency of just 44.44 percent, the Giants had the third-worst red zone offense in football, just behind the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Francisco 49ers</a> and the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Browns</a>.</p>
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<p id="7ZLb8a">Much film has been watched and many keys have been smashed trying to figure out why, but the 2015 Giants were like a baseball team that just couldn’t hit with runners in scoring position, but could they ever mash dingers with a runner on first.</p>
<p id="h5zSqi">It’s a very small sample size against a depleted <a href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Cowboys</a> defense, but the Giants managed a 100 percent efficiency rating inside of the 20-yard line.</p>
<p id="g9d2DX">Put simply, they finished drives.</p>
<p id="k0C5oy">Without getting into why they struggled to score in 2015, let’s take a look at how they went 3-for-3 against the Cowboys.</p>
<h4 id="uaZpNe">Play 1)</h4>
<p id="o3Vmrk"><strong>Situation: Second Quarter, 9:41</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong>The Cowboys were up 6-0 after a pair of long drives that resulted in field goals. They were dominating time of possession and the Giants needed a score to generate any kind of momentum. After a 1-yard run by <span>Rashad Jennings</span>, Manning jump-started the offense with a 14-yard pass to Shepard and a huge 45-yard catch-and-run by Odell Beckham. That put the Giants on the Cowboys’ 15-yard line and the Dallas defense reeling.</p>
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<p id="rzFGGh">The Giants line up in their 11 personnel set (one running back, one tight end), but with the wrinkle of <span>Larry Donnell</span> lining up as a wide receiver before motioning inside. The Cowboys appear to be in a hybrid coverage (possibly Cover-6) playing zone coverage over Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard at the bottom of the screen and man coverage on Odell Beckham and Donnell at the top.</p>
<p id="UO1SOF">The Giants create a big problem for the coverage by moving Donnell inside and attacking the seam.</p>
<p id="c68Pse">The Giants take advantage of the attention Beckham commands running the curl route to the first down marker, pulling linebackers out of coverage on Donnell and creating confused traffic in the middle of the field. Likewise, the wheel route run by Rashad Jennings pulls one of the safeties out of the middle of the field.</p>
<p id="kOmoIM">That gives the tight end plenty of room to catch the touchdown pass and keeps coverage from getting back to him.</p>
<p id="d2TDk0">The route combination at the bottom of the screen draws further attention as Cruz runs to the middle of the field. And while Donnell is the first read and the subject of the play, Shepard gets a 1-on-1 matchup in the back corner of the end-zone which is a decent second option.</p>
<h4 id="WQ8jDG">Play 2)</h4>
<p id="1A0WDt"><b>Situation: Second Quarter, 0:13</b> -</p>
<p>After the Giants’ first scoring play, a lightning-fast, four-play, 93-second strike, the Cowboys kicked a third field goal, going ahead 9-7. The Giants got the ball back with just over four minutes left in the half.</p>
<p id="SdfPsS">The perfect time to execute the kind of scoring drive that they simply couldn’t perform in 2015, costing them games.</p>
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<p id="zYoZa5">Once again the Giants are in the shotgun with their 11 personnel set — noticing a theme here? The Cowboys are in a nickel set with man coverage under a single-high safety.</p>
<p id="9Gvcjt">Once again the Giants use combination routes at the top and bottom of the field.</p>
<p id="PkZf22">On the top of the field they have the tight end running a corner route while Cruz runs the post in a "Scissors" concept, creating separation at the top of the screen.</p>
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<p id="kyda67">At the bottom of the screen Beckham runs across the flat, forcing the defender on Shepard to run around both himself and the corner covering him. That creates plenty of separation as Shepard runs his route to the back corner of the end zone. The safety reacts well, but has too much ground to cover to get to the receiver in time to make a play on the ball.</p>
<p id="EVYmw6">Eli underthrows the ball a bit, he puts it up over the defender, where Shepard has the best chance to make a play or bat it away from a defender. Fortunately the rookie shows off his 41-inch vertical leap and gets makes a very tough catch around the defender’s arm. Hopefully, it’s the first of many (easier) TDs for Shepard.</p>
<h4>Play 3)</h4>
<p id="As4o6Q"><b>Situation: Fourth Quarter, 6:19 left in the game</b></p>
<p id="VDBGAM">The Giants’ defense had just forced a three-and-out, but the Cowboys had previously scored a touchdown to go ahead 19-14 following an ugly interception.</p>
<p id="V8uEi2">With the clock winding down, the Giants needed to get seven points to retake the lead and put themselves in position to win the game.</p>
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<p id="7oG8gf">As you should expect by now, the Giants are in the shotgun with <span>Shane Vereen</span> at running back, in their 11 personnel grouping.</p>
<p id="arYGsZ">The Cowboys’ defense is backed up against their own goal-line but appear to be in man coverage under a Cover-2 shell. The touchdown is the unlikely result of a great block by Larry Donnell.</p>
<p id="luRAbf">Donnell fires out of his stance and through the linebacker matched up on him, taking him on a ride more than halfway through the end zone. That, combined with Vereen’s route, creates a mass of confusion in the middle of the end zone, which Cruz uses to create separation between himself and the corner in coverage on him.</p>
<p id="xGXkH8">On the other side of the field, Beckham runs a flat route to the goal line, drawing double coverage from the corner in coverage on him and the safety in the middle of the field. That combination of Donnell, Vereen, and Beckham creates a huge void in the middle of the end zone where Eli finds Cruz for his first touchdown since Week 3 of 2014</p>
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<p id="17qkWA">Salsa For Everybody!</p>
<h4 id="lhg9ad">Final Thoughts</h4>
<p id="ATslFD">Will the Giants keep their perfect red zone efficiency going? We don’t know yet, and all we have to go on is a sample size of three against an under-manned defense.</p>
<p id="1P7OBb">What we do know is that the Giants very clearly showed a preference for using route combinations. Rather than relying on the individual skills of their talented receiving corps to win their matchups, they are using the play design as a whole to create the opportunities they want. Everything happens faster in the red zone, so creating confusion and traffic definitely makes it easier for the offense. But on the other hand, all the offensive players need to do their job or the whole play falls apart.</p>
<p id="I56fcY">We’ll just have to see if they can keep finishing drives as the year progresses.</p>
<p><span>Saints vs Giants coverage</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Canal Street Chronicles</a></p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/16/12928244/film-study-ny-giants-the-red-zone-odell-beckham-victor-cruz-sterling-shepard-larry-donnellChris Pflum2016-09-11T21:41:51-04:002016-09-11T21:41:51-04:00Victor Cruz "just wanted to do the dance" again
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<figcaption>Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Victor Cruz talks about getting to salsa in his return to action.</p> <p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/team_vic">@Team_Vic</a> breaks down his touchdown and talks bringing back the salsa! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYGvsDAL?src=hash">#NYGvsDAL</a> <a href="https://t.co/0s1sCMz6rB">pic.twitter.com/0s1sCMz6rB</a></p>
— <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> (@Giants) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giants/status/775123456518008832">September 12, 2016</a>
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<p>It was a storybook finish for the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon against their hated rivals in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a>. Having been a thorn on the Cowboys' side to begin his career, it seems only fitting that he would catch a game-winning touchdown after going over 700 days without playing a game. As such, <span>Victor Cruz</span> was feeling a wave of emotions, especially after being able to salsa once more in the end zone.</p>
<p>"Just elated, man," Cruz said. "Just in that moment -- just couldn't even describe what was going through my body. Just wanted to obviously do the dance and make sure I got that down pat and to celebrate with my teammates."</p>
<p>It was a hard-fought duel for the entirety of the game. There were severalf lead changes and the Giants found themselves down in begin the fourth quarter. Cruz was able to haul in a clutch touchdown that ended up being the game winning catch. He could only use one word to describe how he was feeling.</p>
<p>"Fantastic," Cruz said. "I mean, to catch a pass in the end zone, in the fourth quarter to put us ahead is always a beautiful thing. For Coach McAdoo, he's done a tremendous job putting us in the right positions and giving us the right words and having our energy levels in the right place to win the game."</p>
<p>Despite not having had much practice these past two seasons, Cruz said he could never forget the salsa.</p>
<p>"Doing the dance, man, it's in the blood," Cruz said. "So it doesn't go anywhere, it's just like riding a bike. But it was good to get in there, it was good to just be able to score for my team and be held accountable for the things I did -- not only for the touchdown, but pretty much all day today. It felt great."</p>
<p>It felt great for New York Giants fans everywhere, too.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/11/12883272/victor-cruz-return-game-winning-td-giants-20-cowboys-19Keane Macadaeg2016-09-11T21:09:23-04:002016-09-11T21:09:23-04:00Instant analysis: Giants exorcise demons in 20-19 victory over Dallas Cowboys
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<figcaption>The Giants celebrate their victory on Sunday. | Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Lots of things turned out differently for Giants in this opener</p> <p id="uuq9PE">The <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> exorcised a number of demons on Sunday in their heart-stopping 20-19 season-opening victory over the <a href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a>.</p>
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<strong>The Week 1 losing stream demon: </strong>The Giants had lost five straight season-opening games before Sunday.</li>
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<strong>The can’t beat Dallas in Week 1 demon:</strong> Before the clock expired on Sunday with the Giants on the winning side of the ledger, they were 0-8 vs. Dallas in season openers.</li>
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<strong>The Victor Cruz can’t be an impact player anymore demon:</strong> Well, so much for the idea that Cruz will just be a bit player for these Giants. The game-winning 3-yard touchdown catch. A 23-year catch to help set up an earlier touchdown. Four catches in all for 34 yards.</li>
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<strong>The can’t close out games demon: </strong>We know all too well that the Giants couldn’t do that a year ago, losing a number of games they appeared to have won entering the closing minutes. It wasn’t easy Sunday, and a mistake by Dallas wide receiver <span>Terrance Williams</span> helped, but they took the lead with 6:13 to go and held it with contributions from both the offense and the defense. Coach Ben McAdoo said the Giants “found a path to victory.” Which was nice, since all too often in recent years the path they took led to defeat.</li>
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<strong>“The offensive line stinks” demon: </strong>Maybe it will stink against the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> next Sunday. Maybe it will stink the rest of the season. The much-maligned group didn’t stink Sunday, though. They protected Manning well enough, surrendering two sacks and generally giving him enough time to throw. Most impressively, though, the run blocking excelled. A simplified, run the ball straight ahead behind the middle of the line plan helped as the Giants ran 24 times for 113 yards (4.7 yards per attempt). </li>
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<h3 id="3UeKWu">Final thoughts</h3>
<p id="dogB5I">Nothing profound here, but a lot of good things happened for the Giants on Sunday. The defense bent, and didn’t always get pressure on <span>Dak Prescott</span>, but forced three long drives to end in field goals and did just enough at the end. They fought back after losing the lead following an <span>Eli Manning</span> interception on the second play of the third quarter. The Giants ran the ball. They got plays in the passing game from lots of sources not named Odell Beckham — including Cruz, <span>Sterling Shepard</span> and <span>Larry Donnell</span>. This was a good way to start the 2016 season.</p>
<p id="N5Aigu">Let’s just finish up by listening to McAdoo’s post-game press conference.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">WATCH: Coach Ben McAdoo recaps the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Giants?src=hash">#Giants</a>' win over the Cowboys <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiantsPride?src=hash">#GiantsPride</a> <a href="https://t.co/S6WBu7LLyt">pic.twitter.com/S6WBu7LLyt</a></p>— New York Giants (@Giants) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giants/status/775120092342255616">September 11, 2016</a>
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https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/11/12881494/instant-analysis-ny-giants-exorcise-demons-in-20-19-victory-over-dallas-cowboysEd Valentine2016-09-11T20:27:15-04:002016-09-11T20:27:15-04:00Giants players excited over Victor Cruz, victory
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<figcaption>Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Check out what the players, coaches are saying after dramatic victory over the Dallas Cowboys.</p> <p>New York Giants fans by now have to be sued to these tense and dramatic finishes at the end of football games. However, this time, the Giants came out on top against their divisional rivals in the Dallas Cowboys thanks in part to the game winning touchdown by Victor Cruz. Here is what the team had to say about that.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"It's almost hard to describe it ... I'm so excited for him." - Odell Beckham Jr. on Victor Cruz</p>
— New York Giants (@Giants) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giants/status/775119103568654338">September 11, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"It was good to see him out there...I'm happy for him." - Coach McAdoo on <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamVic">@TeamVic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiantsPride?src=hash">#GiantsPride</a></p>
— New York Giants (@Giants) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giants/status/775117034896158721">September 11, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I was excited for him....it's good for that he's back and able to make plays." - Eli Manning on <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamVic">@TeamVic</a></p>
— New York Giants (@Giants) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giants/status/775124565177532416">September 12, 2016</a>
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<p>The Giants are now 1-0 in the Ben McAdoo era but he concedes that the team has quite a few areas of improvement as the season progresses.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"It's one of sixteen...we have a lot of things to clean up but it's nice to get a road win." - Coach McAdoo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiantsPride?src=hash">#GiantsPride</a></p>
— New York Giants (@Giants) <a href="https://twitter.com/Giants/status/775118097871233028">September 11, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Great team win!!!! Let's go big blue!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYStrong?src=hash">#NYStrong</a></p>
— Damon Harrison (@BigDame900) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigDame900/status/775115140433784832">September 11, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This 3 hour plane ride is a lot sweeter after a W!!</p>
— Mykkele Thompson (@MykkeThom2) <a href="https://twitter.com/MykkeThom2/status/775127206091567104">September 12, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What a great team win! It was dope seeing <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamVic">@TeamVic</a> salsa again!</p>
— Devon Kennard (@DevonKennard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DevonKennard/status/775128014191493120">September 12, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">1-0</p>
— Jonathan Casillas (@jcasillas52) <a href="https://twitter.com/jcasillas52/status/775138580859498496">September 12, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Great team win.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClampSeason2?src=hash">#ClampSeason2</a>.0</p>
— JackRabbit_2.0 (@JjenkzLockdown) <a href="https://twitter.com/JjenkzLockdown/status/775136628918538240">September 12, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Solid team win on the road. This is going to be a special group. Always room for improvement. On to the next one. </p>
— Natnael Berhe (@NatBerhe) <a href="https://twitter.com/NatBerhe/status/775136556356997120">September 12, 2016</a>
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https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/11/12883208/giants-20-cowboys-19-post-game-reaction-quotes-locker-room-twitter-social-mediaKeane Macadaeg2016-09-11T20:17:41-04:002016-09-11T20:17:41-04:0010 Takeaways as the clock runs out on Dallas
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<figcaption>Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>What can we learn from the Giants’ thrilling 20-19 victory in Dallas?</p> <p id="SZUJT8">The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a> are undefeated, with a sterling 1-0 record after a thrilling win over the division rival Dallas Cowboys.</p>
<p id="8EvVw9">What did we learn in Ben McAdoo’s regular-season debut as head coach?</p>
<h4 id="ZDe7cn">Giants’ offensive line</h4>
<p id="NAffvE">The Giants’ much-maligned offensive line largely played well against the Dallas front. They weren’t consistently great, but they were good enough to let the Giants win. <span>Eli Manning</span> generally had a comfortable pocket to work with, only under duress occasionally.</p>
<p id="2cmjhz">More surprising was the play of the line in the run game, with the Giants’ back tallying 115 yards on the ground on just 24 carries (4.8 yards per carry).</p>
<p id="oifiHD">They faced a depleted unit in Dallas, and will have to prove themselves again against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a>, but it was a good start.</p>
<h4 id="0HKZsG">Defensive line</h4>
<p id="d3mKLZ">The Giants’ defensive line was stout against the run to open the game. <span>Damon Harrison</span> and <span>Olivier Vernon</span>’s (who was a problem for the Dallas offense) reputations as fierce run defenders are proving to be well earned, particularly against <span>Ezekiel Elliott</span>.</p>
<p id="Cs0J21">Between Dallas’ quick passes and talented offensive line, the pass rush was largely nonexistent through most of the first half, but began to take effect towards the end of the second half. Eventually, the Giants began to get some hits on Prescott with a combination of blitzes. The pressure started to get to the Dallas quarterback much more regularly in the second half, helping to blunt the Cowboys' attack.</p>
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<h4 id="6r1IEm">Young guns</h4>
<p id="BRI8Mh">As you can expect from young players, it was a mixed bag. Rookie <span>Sterling Shepard</span> made some nice grabs in the first half, including a tough touchdown catch. However, he appeared to not be on the same page as Manning on a third-quarter interception, and was responsible for killing a drive with an alignment error.</p>
<p id="RWAVxR">Safety <span>Darian Thompson</span> made several critical tackles, as did corner <span>Eli Apple</span>. The Giants needed these young players to step up and they largely did.</p>
<h4 id="WYRC2F">Up and down for Eli</h4>
<p id="9hO3lI">Eli Manning was sharp in the first half, but looked shaky in the second half. Manning picked the Dallas defense apart on second and third possessions, placing the ball exactly where it needed to be.</p>
<p id="fcgVRb">In the second half, Eli ended the first drive with an interception when Shepard simply stopped his route allowing <span>Brandon Carr</span> to come away with the ball. He threw Beckham out of bounds and missed <span>Shane Vereen</span> on the next posession.</p>
<p>Once the game reached the fourth quarter and the running game reasserted itself, Eli's play improved again, leading to Cruz's first touchdown in almost two years.</p>
<h4 id="gDkP7o">
<span>Victor Cruz</span> gets his salsa on</h4>
<p id="KFDZWo">Victor Cruz is back.</p>
<p id="KwpYCX">He made his presence felt in the first half with 31 yards in the first half to help set up Sterling Shepard’s touchdown.</p>
<p id="CfoCqJ">In the fourth quarter he came back with a three yard touchdown reception. It was his first time getting his dancing shoes on since 2014. He ran a combination route with <span>Larry Donnell</span>, showing impressive patience allowing a void to grow in the defense, then his trademark quickness getting separation to make the grab.</p>
<h4 id="VKA0PI">
<span>John Jerry</span> CAN run block!</h4>
<p id="iv6obZ">This wasn’t quite our surprise of the night, but John Jerry played well in the run game. Shane Vereen and Rashad Jenning both ran behind him several times for big gains. He looked particularly good pulling to the left side, opening big holes for the running backs. Jerry was instrumental in the Giants’ final drive, repeatedly pulling to the left and opening highways for the Giants’ backs to pick up chunks of yards.</p>
<h4 id="zGBYlC">Will Romo start for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Cowboys</a> again?</h4>
<p id="uGbPzm"><span>Dak Prescott</span> wasn’t as great against the Giants as he was in the preseason.</p>
<p id="SeNj3o">He did, however, show a quick release and accuracy, frustrating the Giants’ defense and keeping the chains moving in the absence of a consistent running game. He also showed impressive strength to hold on to the ball even when hit, and courage to stand in the pocket in the face of the Giants’ pass rush.</p>
<p id="T0aTHR">He will be able to win games for Dallas against a less-stout rush defense. The question is if he will play enough to make <span>Tony Romo</span> the highest paid backup in the league.</p>
<h4 id="Kf11I7">The Giants are already better at safety</h4>
<p id="bHNvYG">Third-year safety <span>Nat Berhe</span> got the start, and rookie Darian Thompson played plenty of snaps. Combined with sophomore <span>Landon Collins</span>, the Giants’ safety group is vastly improved over 2015.</p>
<p id="crvt6V">Both Berhe and Thompson showed off their striking abilities, limiting the Cowboys’ yards after the catch and making several crucial stops.</p>
<p id="FgcISM"><span>Collins</span> had a great game. He was a threat coming downhill, which was expected. His play in coverage, including denying <span>Dez Bryant</span> a touchdown, was unexpectedly impressive. A year’s experience and pounds lost are paying obvious dividends for the Alabama product. He needs to continue to work on his ball skills, as he was close to several interceptions.</p>
<h4 id="w8S4yw">The cardiac kids are back</h4>
<p id="Bl14Up">If this game happened at any time in the last three years, the Giants would have lost.</p>
<p id="gPoXhg">But this time a competent four-minute drill, stout defense, and some bad clock management gave the Giants the win. In 2015 the tone for the Giants’ season was set when poor clock management snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and leave the door open for the Cowboys to win.</p>
<p id="vWcNTG">This time it was the Cowboys who were scrambling to get to the line of scrimmage as time expired. It’s the time of thrilling, come-from-behind win that Giants’ fans haven’t seen since the wild 2011 season.</p>
<h4 id="bgI7tk">Surprise of the game -- the Giants ran the ball</h4>
<p id="asXIJc">The big question was whether or not the Giants offensive line could even keep Manning upright, let alone open anything resembling a hole for the running backs. They weren’t consistent road graders, but the Giants didn’t just open holes, but they out-rushed the vaunted Dallas running game 115 yards to 86 yards (98 counting Prescott’s two runs).</p>
<p id="ZeoGiK">If they can keep it up while the passing offense smooths out its wrinkles, this offense can be something special.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/11/12879984/giants-vs-cowboys-final-score-20-19-10-takeaways-victor-cruz-eli-manning-dak-prescott-shepardChris Pflum2016-09-11T19:01:56-04:002016-09-11T19:01:56-04:00WATCH: Cruz Brings The Salsa Back with a TD<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/thefootballgirl/status/775106562213961729">WATCH: Cruz Brings The Salsa Back with a&nbsp;TD</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Victor Cruz returns to the end zone!</p></p></div>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/11/12882792/watch-cruz-brings-the-salsa-back-with-a-tdDanBerkman2016-09-11T18:03:51-04:002016-09-11T18:03:51-04:00Injury Report: J.T. Thomas carted off the field
<figure>
<img alt="J.T. Thomas" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nYekKSjlh70qEQa7UwTX8kfDokc=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50788517/GettyImages-494274528.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>J.T. Thomas | Alex Goodlett/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Check out the New York Giants injury report from Sunday's game</p> <p>Just before the first half ended, the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Giants</a> suffered their first injury of the game. Linebacker J.T. Thomas was carted off the field after covering a kickoff.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Giants LB J.T. Thomas carted off the field just before halftime in Dallas.</p>
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RVacchianoSNY/status/775088750724521984">September 11, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<p>The Giants have announced that Thomas is out for the remainder of the game with a sprained knee.</p>
<p>After signing as a free agent a year ago, Thomas suffered an injury-plagued season. He has lost his starting job to Jonathan Casillas. It was recently announced that Thomas took a pay cut to remain with the team.</p>
<p>Stay tuned for more updates.</p>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/11/12882380/ny-giants-injury-report-j-t-thomas-carted-off-at-the-half-dallas-cowboysKeane Macadaeg2016-09-11T17:45:54-04:002016-09-11T17:45:54-04:00WATCH: Sterling Shepard's First Career TD<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/thesportschill/status/775087582468268032">WATCH: Sterling Shepard's First Career&nbsp;TD</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Eli Manning and Sterling Shepard connect on the first of hopefully many TDs</p></p></div>
https://www.bigblueview.com/2016/9/11/12882238/watch-sterling-shepards-first-career-tdDanBerkman