Because I attended Sunday’s game, I just recently sat down and watched a tape (DVR) of the contest. You miss so much at a game, particularly replays (only positive plays involving the Giants are shown – an issue for another day) and of course the commentary. What I ascertained was the Giants were playing a pretty good game for the first 28 minutes, which they led 14-10. In fact, they were the better team. But at the two minute warning of the first half, the momentum of the game shifted to Dallas as they clearly begain to control both sides of the line of scrimmage for the rest of the game.
If you had told me the Giants would limit the Dallas running game and hold Witten to just two insignificant catches, I would have smelled a victory. But Dallas was able to give Tony Romo time to make big plays that killed the Giants. Conversely,  they got good pressure on Eli Manning throughout the game and disrupted the Giants’ passing game.
Dallas has rung up big numbers on everyone this year, and given the Giants’ personnel I really don’t think there was much more they could do. The Cowboys are simply a better team at this point in time. The Giants are another playmaking LB or ballhawking secondary player away from competing against what the Cowboys bring to the table right now. They were only going to win in a shootout, which brings me to my final point.
I was very unhappy with the offensive game plan the Giants implemented Sunday. There were zero long distance throws. There was more “short stuff” than I have seen in the last three years. Sure the Giants offensive line was having more problems than at any other time this season, but Dallas’ main weakness is coverage down the field. You’ve go to be able to fight through it and take a few shots. They never challenged Dallas in this way. Not until the final play of the game, which at that point, was comically too late. Which brings me to my final point.
This is the first time I was dissapointed in Eli Manning in some time. Sure he has played worse games. In fact, glancing at his stats at game’s end would indicate he played decently. What bothered me more than anything was that, under duress, he was unable to make plays. The OL did have its worse pass blocking game. I didn’t like the game plan. But this is when you QB has to make some plays, when things aren’t going by the book. Despite being 23-34, there were some throws that had to be made and weren’t. Dallas is by no means a dominating defense and Eli, at home in a big spot, needed to show more.
Next week’s game versus the Lions in Detroit is huge. The winner gets a stranglehold on the first wildcard. The loser won’t have to look far to see teams in the rear view miror.
