The Dallas Cowboys are 0-2 at home against the New York Giants since moving to Cowboys Stadium in 2009. It was the Giants who spoiled the huge grand opening party during a Sunday night primetime game at Jerry’s Palace and then won a shootout in 2010 while breaking Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s collarbone. This year’s fist matchup between the two teams is a must-win for both. It’s only Week 14, but Sunday will be a playoff game for the Cowboys and Giants.
The Cowboys are 7-5 after an embarrassing late-game catastrophe against the Arizona Cardinals. Still, Dallas leads the disappointing NFC East by one game. In second place at 6-6 are the Giants, who have suffered a decade’s worth of season-ending injuries this year. Since starting off an impressive 6-2, New York has lost four straight, but can take over sole possession of first place in the division with a win on Sunday.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stated two weeks ago his team would have to win the NFC East to make the playoffs, citing that a wildcard spot is out of the question at this point. The Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions are all 7-5 and not leading their respective divisions. Unless two of them completely collapse, Jones’ prediction is correct.
The Cowboys can take a strangle hold on the NFC East with a home victory Sunday. Dallas has played well at home this season, winning five of six games. The only blemish was the worst single-game collapse in franchise history; the Cowboys blew a 24-point lead to the Lions back in Week 4. That also greatly affects the wildcard race.
Dallas and New York will meet again in the Meadowlands the final week of the season with a playoff spot and the division title likely on the line. If the Giants fall to 6-7 on Sunday night, Dallas will be in the catbird’s seat with games against the reeling Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers remaining. If New York wins, Romo and co. could easily crack under the pressure of having to win out to make the postseason.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning has put up monstrous numbers at Cowboys Stadium. In that 2009 spoiler, Manning completed 25 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two scores. During the infamous collarbone game, Manning threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns although he was also picked off three times.
Needless to say, the Cowboys have failed to contain Manning at home in recent years and Sunday isn’t exactly perfect timing for the latest edition of this rivalry. The Cowboys are coming off three straight second halves of making below-average NFL quarterbacks look like Hall of Famers. Manning is a former Super Bowl MVP, so he’s a whole different level of challenge entirely.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan remains confident in his players, but the Dallas fan base is losing faith. One boost for the Cowboys is the return of fullback Tony Fiammetta from an illness. Among other things, Fiammetta helps Ryan’s unit by keeping them off the field and fresh. Those three games that Dallas’ secondary was shredded by no-name quarterbacaks were the same three games Fiammetta missed. Ryan has nothing to do with the offensive game plan, but you can bet he’ll have a different approach to this game considering how his defensive backs have played recently.
As mentioned, this is an early playoff game for these two teams. The Cowboys desperately need this win; Romo doesn’t have the best track record in December and starting the month off with a home loss isn’t ideal. It’s truly a primetime game this Sunday night between the Cowboys and Giants.
Follow Jeric Griffin on Twitter @JericGriffin
Buy Dallas Cowboys Tickets | Buy Dallas Cowboys Apparel[...] Home › NFL › Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants to Square Off in Early Playoff Game in Primetime [...]
[...] in the new home of the Dallas Cowboys. With the chase for the NFC East crown now a two-team race, the Cowboys and Giants will square off in basically an early playoff game; the winner will take over sole possession of first place with three games to play. The Cowboys [...]
[...] Reasons Why Dallas Cowboys Will Defeat New York Giants on Sunday Night The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants both face a must-win situation on Sunday night at Cowboys Sta…. The Giants have won their only two games at Cowboys Stadium, but head into this game with a ton of [...]
3 Rants to “Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants to Square Off in E...”