ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Giants are a flawed football team. And, the Dallas Cowboys meticulously exploited those flaws in a 35-17 drubbing to open the 2019 season.
Quarterback Eli Manning and the offense only converted 2-of-10 third downs, the defense gave up touchdowns on four consecutive Cowboys possessions, and the Cowboys looked like the far superior team in all phases.
Here’s a look at the (few) studs and (many) duds from Sunday’s defeat (mobile app users please click here to read this story):
STUDS:
TE Evan Engram:
If it wasn’t abundantly clear going into the season, Sunday reinforced the fact that tight end Evan Engram will be the engine that makes the Giants’ passing game go. Engram caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. In an aerial attack that struggles to stretch the field, Engram should continue to be a high-volume target throughout the season.
RB Saquon Barkley
Before his second-half disappearance (only eight touches after halftime), Barkley looked every bit the difference-maker that he was as a rookie. For the 14th time in his brief career, Barkley eclipsed 100 total yards from scrimmage with 11 carries for 120 yards and four catches for 19. If the Giants are going to be competitive, Barkley is going to need to be a focal point, averaging upwards of 20 to 25 touches per game. That wasn’t the case against the Cowboys. It probably should have been.
K Aldrick Rosas
Rosas made a field goal and kicked two extra points, which accounted for five of the Giants’ 17 points. It was that kind of day for the offense.
DUDS:
CB DeAndre Baker
Baker found out quickly that he isn’t in Athens anymore. The former Georgia standout, who has played in College Football Playoff and National Championship games, was a frequent target of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Baker allowed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper, with very little resistance. The Giants are banking on Baker developing into a ballhawk opposite Janoris Jenkins, and while splitting time with Antonio Hamilton looked like he has a long way to go.
CB Antonio Hamilton
It seemed like the Cowboys’ game-plan in the passing game was to go after any Giants cornerback not named “Janoris Jenkins.” Hamilton had a chance to steal a starting job -- at least in the short-term. However, between bad angles in coverage, or failing to wrap up Randall Cobb short of the yard-marker and allowing a first down one play before a Jason Witten touchdown, Hamilton looked like he didn’t even belong on an NFL roster during Sunday’s game.
ILB Alec Ogletree
Last season, Alec Ogletree was the Giants’ lowest-rated defender in coverage, and it was easy to see why during Sunday’s game. Ogletree bit hard on a Prescott pump-fake and got turned around in coverage on a Blake Jarwin first quarter touchdown. Several times, Ogletree was out of position, or flat out beat over the middle. Don’t be surprised if teams continue to target the middle of the defense in the passing game and Ogletree specifically, because this is a glaring weak spot on a defense that is full of them.
S Antoine Bethea
There’s no delicate way to put this. Bethea looked slow on Sunday. At times, Bethea was lined up one-on-one in coverage against wide receivers Amari Cooper or Michael Gallup. Those times did not go well. On one completion 45-yard completion over the middle to Cooper, Bethea wasn’t even in the frame on the replay. The Giants were banking on Bethea bringing stability to the secondary, but he looked no better than Curtis Riley did in a 2018 season that was riddled with poor angles in coverage.
Then there was this, on a Cobb touchdown catch:
EDGE Markus Golden
The Giants defense couldn’t breathe on Prescott all afternoon, until Markus Golden provided some pressure that forced an incompletion on third down. However, Golden was offsides. The Cowboys scored a touchdown four plays later.
Pat Shurmur
Shurmur’s play-calling was inexplicable on Sunday. It was as if he forgot Barkley was on the roster in the second half. Shurmur also failed to give the ball to Barkley on either a 3rd down and 2 or 4th down and 1 deep in Cowboys territory that resulted in the Cowboys recovering a Manning fumble on fourth down, and on the final possession of the first half with one timeout remaining under a minute to play dialed up several short passes over the middle of the field. One of Shurmur’s best traits as the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings was his play-calling, but he left much to be desired with several quizzical decisions against the Cowboys to open his second season as Giants head coach.
Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoNFL