Giants vs. Cowboys: Preview, score prediction and more

New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys

The regular season has finally arrived for both the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. This offseason, the Giants boosted their offense with the addition of wide receiver Brandon Marshall in their pursuit of giving their offense a spark.

The Cowboys will have Ezekiel Elliott for at least the first game of the season, as the reigning NFC East champions are dealing with multiple suspensions to start the 2017 season.

Let’s start looking at this matchup with the keys to victory for both clubs.

Keys To Victory

Cowboys

1. Control the pace: One key to the game for the Cowboys is controlling the tempo and pace of the game with their offense. Last season, the Cowboys lost both games by a combined four points to the Giants, and the best way to keep the Giants offense from making a comeback or using their Big 3 wide receivers to their advantage is to keep them off the field.

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2. No bad sequence of events: The last time the Cowboys and Giants faced each other on Dec. 11, both teams each had 260 yards of total offense and were close to even on first downs (13-Cowboys, 12-Giants) and time of possession (30:53-Giants, 29:08-Cowboys). There was a sequence in the second half in this game where the Cowboys had to punt, and that was followed by a Giants field goal, a Cowboys interception and a Giants touchdown, resulting in what was the final 10-7 score in favor of New York.

3. Keep the pressure off Dak Prescott: In that same Dec. 11 game, Prescott was sacked three times for a loss of 13 yards. In this game, he threw two interceptions, which he didn’t do all season, and was 17-of-37 for 165 yards. He also fumbled the ball once, so it is in the best interest of the Cowboys to keep pressure off Prescott in the season opener.

Giants

1. Be on the same page: The Giants have a new addition on their roster in wide receiver Brandon Marshall, as the veteran wide receiver can give the offense a boost. What will be important for Marshall is to be on the same page as quarterback Eli Manning. With Odell Beckham Jr. drawing the top coverage, Marshall could have a solid game against the young defensive backfield of the Cowboys.

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2. Run the football: The Giants need to keep Ezekiel Elliott off the football field. They can do so by improving their running game against Dallas. Last season as a team, the Giants totaled 93 rushing yards on 33 carries against the Cowboys (2.8 yards per rush), and in the 2016 season opener, the Giants played better with 24 carries for 113 yards (4.7 ypc). In that game, the Giants controlled the time of possession at 36:43 to 23:17, winning by a single point, 20-19.

3. Pass rush: If the Giants defense can make Prescott rush his passes and keep him under 200 yards passing, they will win this game. In his first NFL start last season, Prescott was 25-of-45 for 227 yards, and the Giants just won against the Cowboys. If they can have a repeat performance where they keep Prescott from throwing a touchdown, that makes the chances much greater for a Giants win.

Odds

Point Spread: Dallas -4
Moneyline: Dallas -200, New York +170
Over/Under: 48

via Sportsbookreview.com

Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 1

Prediction

Having the news that Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will be eligible to play in Week 1 as he battles with the NFL over his six-game suspension, the Cowboys have greater chances to snap what is a three-game losing streak against the Giants. The game winner will come down to who can keep their own offense on the field the longest, and in doing, so keep the potential power players of their opponent’s offense on the sidelines.

While the Cowboys seem to have a stronger offense than the Giants, the secondary of New York is what can be most worrisome when looking at the game from the Cowboys perspective. Not only will this game come down to controlling the tempo, it will come down to if the Cowboys can overcome the strong secondary of the Giants and overcome their issues at the same position.

Final Score: New York Giants: 27, Dallas Cowboys: 28

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Giants vs. Cowboys: Preview, score prediction for Week 1

By Stephen Forsha | Sep 8, 2017