The Dallas Cowboys walked into MetLife Stadium with plenty of confidence surrounding a new-look defense and an offense expected to carry a heavy load. But the New York Giants quickly made Dallas work for every bit of momentum, turning the opening half into a messier affair than the Cowboys would have wanted. By halftime, Dallas had already given its head coach Brian Schottenheimer plenty to address.
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“Not good enough on either side of the ball. We gotta do a better job running the ball, stopping the run. The penalties aren’t good enough. Too many drops. We’ll get going. A lot of things to clean up,” Brian said, according to The Athletic reporter Jon Machota.
His criticism came after a first half in which Dallas committed at least seven penalties for 60 yards, while the offense struggled to move the chains. George Pickens, the Cowboys’ wide receiver, also had two drops, adding another layer to an already uneven start.
Running back Cam Skattebo put New York in the lead with a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and quarterback Jaxson Dart later connected with tight end Isaiah Likely for a 15-yard score with 20 seconds left before halftime. The score now stands 21-14, favoring the Giants.
Cowboys managed only 122 total offensive yards compared with New York’s 213 and committed a turnover when safety Jevon Holland intercepted Prescott. Prescott completed 10 of 17 passes for 72 yards, a touchdown, and the interception before the break.
The pressure from the Giants was a major part of the problem. Todd Archer of ESPN reported that New York pressured Prescott on 10 of his 19 dropbacks. When that happened, Prescott went 3-of-9 for 23 yards and tallied the interception. The Giants also never sent more than four rushers on any dropback, meaning they were able to create pressure without repeatedly blitzing extra defenders.
Pickens’ drops made the situation even more frustrating. The Cowboys had brought him in as a major piece of their offense, and he had already talked up his partnership with Lamb during the offseason, calling them the best receiver duo in the NFL.
The defense also caused frustration for Schottenheimer. Dart entered halftime 11-of-15 for 134 yards and a touchdown while adding 39 rushing yards. The defense has yet to meet the expectations set by the much-talked-about overhaul it went through this offseason
“The debut of Christian Parker’s new Dallas defense has not gone well,” Machota wrote. “The Cowboys have their hands full now.”
The Cowboys were not being beaten simply because the Giants were playing better. Too many of Dallas’ problems were self-inflicted, and Schottenheimer knew they had to disappear if his team was going to leave New Jersey with a win.