Giants vs Cowboys: Week 2 Preview

Need more of this camaraderie in week 2!

After another week 1 to forget, the Giants head into Dallas with a lot of weight on their shoulders. In fact, the weight of the whole tri-state area might be on the shoulders of Brian Daboll at this point.

They began another season with a dud of a showing in their week 1 matchup with Washington. The offense was putrid while the run stopping woes of 2024 spilled over into 2025. The energy heading into week 1 was the highest it's been in awhile around this team, with that all but lost by the time the second half rolled around.

I have a lot of thoughts based on the performance I witnessed last week and those will be weaved into my analysis for this coming week. However, the NFL is a crazy place and by the time the Giants and Cowboys kickoff that will all be but a distant memory. I believe this team was missing the discipline and energy they desperately needed from their coaching staff prior to week 1. So, in week 2, it all starts with preparation. There needs to be more consistent play-calling from Brian Daboll and Mika Kafka or else the same, three and out offensive possessions will happen again. While Shane Bowen needs to set his run defense up for success. His rotations across the defensive line need to be impactful this week because the defense could be in a position to carry this team once again. How about forcing a turnover or two?!

Let's get to it with three things to watch for in the Giants' week 2 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Offensive play-calling and Russell Wilson

I alluded to this in my introduction above, but the play-calling from Mike Kafka has to be better this week. I get it, the run game was abysmal last week, but that doesn't mean the same thing will happen again in week 2. They need to lean into the run and open up the play action passing game. I feel like based on the snaps I saw Cam Skattebo take, it shouldn't be a surprise to see him get a few more behind Tyrone Tracy Jr. Skattebo logged eight snaps last week, but in those snaps he was flying around the field and laying big hits whether it was in pass protection or out in space. The play below was just a small glimpse into the havoc he can bring to the field. Did I mention he also won the Angry Runs award after this performance?

Aside from my love for Skattebo and Angry Runs, we transition back to Kafka. He needs to keep leaning into Russell Wilson's strengths as a play action passer and deep ball threat. Wilson was down right awful in week 1 and after watching the tape it was evident that his vision and decision-making got him in trouble throughout the game. That coupled with poor play-calling is a living nightmare. I'd like to see him call a few more audibles or even recognize when his hot route isn't there and just fight for positive yardage. It felt like there was way too much hesitation in week 1 and that needs to be cleaned up in week 2. Wilson is still the starter and Brian Daboll has committed to him for the time being. He is not a guy that should be throwing 37 times in a game anymore. There needs to be more of a balance between the run game and passing game for the Giants to see any remote sign of success.

All of this comes down to a combination of solid play-calling that leans into Wilson and the skill player's strengths. It'd be awesome to see Darius Slayton get going as the number 2 guy to Malik Nabers as opposed to him playing decoy all game. I liked how Wan'Dale Robinson was used last week, it will be interesting to see how he eats with slot corner DaRon Bland of the Cowboys now out for multiple weeks with an injury. Let's see a little more urgency from the offense this week.

Red zone offense

Hey, on the bright side, the Giants ran 13 plays in the red zone last week. The downside you ask? They scored six total points the entire game. That is as inefficient as inefficient gets.

I know I just went into the play-calling above, but I feel like from what I saw from the red zone offense that it needed it's own section of analysis. Listen, the Cowboys looked serviceable against the defending Super Bowl champ Eagles in week 1. They now come into this game with a week and a half of rest and all of the energy on their side given this will be their home opener. The Giants need to set the tone early and find ways to punch the ball into the end zone when they get within the Cowboys' 20 yard line.

We don't need anything like the Marcus Mbow play on the 1 yard line where he lined up as an eligible tight end, then Washington proceeded to read the play, and Russell Wilson threw it out of the back of the end zone. Enough of the cute play-calling; I thought that was left behind us when Jason Garrett was ushered out the door? The red zone is a sacred land and the best teams find ways to get 7 points when they make it there. I hate to talk about the Eagles here, but in the week 1 matchup with the Cowboys the longest time it took them to score while within the Cowboys' 20 yard line was 3 plays. At one point, the Giants ran seven (7!) plays in the red zone in the first half against Washington and all they got was a field goal out of it. They have to be much better in this category to have any kind of chance to beat Dallas.

Brian Burns and the pass rush

Brian Burns was a bright spot on the defense in week 1 and should carry that over into week 2. He came out and played like the rent was due, racking up 2 sacks and 6 tackles while playing 45 snaps (roughly 70% of the defensive snaps on the day). Seeing this performance from him early on is promising, as he is a guy the Giants will be leaning on heavily to make plays this year. He is also a leader and it's evident that guys like Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter are trying to learn as much as they can from him. I personally love the way Burns play and think he is one of the most underrated pass rushers in the league. The problem is that he has been stuck on bad teams - the Panthers and Giants - and hasn't truly received the attention he deserves. Week 2 is another moment for him to shine against a solid Cowboys line that allowed three pressures and 0 sacks in week 1. The work is cut out for him but no task seems too tall for Burns.

Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter picked up a half sack each in week 1 while Carter also blocked a punt in the third quarter that set the Giants up in Washington territory. Carter is going to be a force and if his first action is any indication of what is to come, then we're in for a nice career from the kid. I just hope that he continues to see more snaps on the field as he was only out there for 35 snaps which was about 50% of the defensive snaps in week 1. That number needs to go up, and with Micah McFadden now out for an extended period of time, we may see Carter take some snaps at the inside linebacker position.

Thibodeaux is a former top 5 pick that has had his ups and downs and injury issues, but the talent is there. He is one of my favorite players on this defense. The guy is massive and fast as hell. We all know that he can find the quarterback and bring him down, but the big question is how he will fare throughout the season as a run defender. He has had his struggles in the past, but if he cleans that up and consistently sets the edge opposite of Burns then that is a massive win.

Burns and co. will have their hands full against a strong offensive line and a quarterback in Dak Prescott who gets the ball out quick. If they make some plays like they did in week 1, then that can shift the game in the Giants favor.

Final Thoughts

The line for this game is 5.5 in favor of Dallas. Rightfully so, as the Cowboys have taken care of business against the Giants over the last 10 years. The Giants haven't won a game against Dak since December of 2016. I was 18 years old and a freshman in college if that helps put things into perspective. So yeah, this one will be an uphill battle from the jump.

The Cowboys showed that they can hang with the best in their week 1 tightrope against the Eagles. Although they took the loss, Dak and the run game looked good. The Giants need to suppress that run game first and foremost this week. It helps that Dak isn't a runner like Jayden Daniels so there will be less of a worry of him taking off at any given moment.

I am what some may call an optimist. I could see the Giants coming out and taking care of business for the first time in forever against the Cowboys. The pieces are there, but the execution and play needs to come together at the right moments. There can't be costly penalties or questionable play calls. There needs to be continuity and play that aligns with the offense and defense's strengths on this team. It's a new week and anything is possible. Should be a fun one down in Jerry's World.