The New York Giants lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 28-20, on Thursday afternoon in North Texas to drop to 7-4 on the season.
Here’s a few things we learned from Week 12.
Getting away from the basics
The Giants are besieged with injuries but head coach Brian Daboll does not want to make that an excuse for the team losing three out of their last four games. He might want to look at what’s missing instead.
The Giants’ strength is running the football and were at the top the league in rushing after seven games. In their last four games they’ve rushed for under 90 yards three times — all losses.
The pass rush has disappeared. For the second straight week, the Giants recorded zero sacks. They are no longer doing the things that they were doing well in running out to a 6-1 record.
Offensive struggles
For the seventh time in their 11 games this season, the Giants scored 21 or fewer points. That was cutting the mustard when the defense was fully staffed, but with the defense now missing some essential pieces, they need to put up more points.
Of course that’s common sense and easily said but they are going to have a difficult time competing with the likes of Philadelphia (who they still have to play twice) and Minnesota, who can also put up points.
Where that production is going to come from is not clear, however. Is Odell Beckham Jr. the answer?
The game is still 60 minutes long
The Giants came to play. The first half, anyway.
They led, 13-7 at the half and it should have been 17-7 had the officials not hit tackle Tyre Phillips with a nonsensical ineligible man downfield call that nullified a 24-yard touchdown connection from Daniel Jones to Isaiah Hodgins in the first quarter (they settled for a 57-yard field goal instead).
Two Giant interceptions by Julian Love and Rodarius Williams, along with a fourth down stop, killed three Dallas rallies. The second half was all Dallas, though, outpacing the Giants, 21-7, with three straight scoring drives to start the half.
The Giants have too many injuries to play a full 60 minutes at this point. There are too many backups in starting roles and absolutely no depth to draw from.
Still alive and well in the playoff race
The loss is naturally damaging to the Giants’ playoff hopes but they will still be in playoff position after this week at 7-4. They are currently the sixth seed and can remain there with a Seattle loss to Las Vegas this week.
If the Seahawks win, the Giants will drop to to the seventh seed. The only other team that is close to them right now is Washington at 6-5, and they can’t catch the Giants this week even with a win.
The Giants still have to play the Commanders twice this season (actually twice in the next three weeks) and can put them away with a sweep.
