New York Giants 19 – Dallas Cowboys 14
by David Oliver
Game Overview: So what did you expect? Once again, the Giants new offense, like the old, tried hard to find a way not to win the game. The defense, however, after having been humiliated and criticized for lousy play and no spirit in Tennessee, has now strung together 10 solid quarters, and in the words of Dave Thomas, “recognizes the tradition here” and is determined to do some things “to make the old teams proud of us.” Coach Jim Fassel said it was “a good win for us”.
He acknowledged it wasn’t “all clean”, but that the Giants had run the ball and “got the ball in the end zone”. He was impressed that the team showed it would “fight to the finish”. He told us that Dallas had found a way to win the tight games on the road, but “we won this one”. He was ‘happy to find a way to win’ and that the game “goes in the win column”.
Game day, partly sunny, 75 degrees, more like 90 on the field. Close, offensively boring game. Special teams for the Giants came close to screwing up a good win. Any time a team has 5 interceptions there should be a basket of points – the Giants offensive basket has holes aplenty. It was a coming out party for the Great Dayne – fat, slow, powerful and a future all-Pro running back. The Tiki Man is a multiple threat and flashed it everywhere today. Kerry Collins is beginning to look a lot like Dave Brown. Interesting stat from last night’s NFL Comedy Hour – Coach Fassel’s teams are second in terms of fewest turnovers. Hmmm! Now if they were only second in points scored.
Dallas had time of possession advantage – narrow- 30:42 to 29:18, but only one big play, the kickoff return, well actually they had 5 kickoff returns for 205 yards and only 269 total yards on offense. How bout them special teams? The G-Men had 311 total, 203 rushing and 108 passing. Kerry Collins was 14-out-of-25, with a long of 22 to Ike Hilliard. Joe Jurevicius had 4-for-25 yards, long of 10; Ike 3-for-42; Greg Comella 2-for-19; Amani Toomer 2-for-17; Tiki Barber 2-for-15 and Pete Mitchell1-for-1, but a very big 1. It was a classic misdirection, well executed and he was standing totally alone in the end zone. The Giants need more play action in the red zone. Talking to one of my buddies yesterday and he suggested moving Comella to tight end. Sounds plausible because without Pete there is very little production from the Giants’ tight end position.
Dayne rushed 21 times for 108 yards, several very impressive, shedding or carrying tacklers. Tiki had one beauty of 47, otherwise was well defensed. KC scrambled a little and had 22, but made one ill-advised slide when the Giants needed yardage. Dave Brown deja vu. No QB will ever be considered a leader by managing a game – the good ones sell out.
Five wonderful interceptions, Shaun Williams, Mike Barrow, Dave Thomas, Jason Sehorn and Reggie Stephens. Sehorn’s was costly as he was once again injured, Barrow’s was great, Aikman never saw him and it just went right to him. He was laughing about it in the locker saying he was praying that he would catch it – he says he’s so bad with the ball his teammates teas him during practice. Reggie is stepping up. Together with Emmanuel McDaniel, they are developing nicely. In the locker, Reggie told me he is just working hard that “no one gave him a chance coming out of school” but the Giants, that he is learning from everyone, including McDaniel and Andre Weathers (who he told me has a great football mind and even though he is not playing has great insights). Reggie told me “he is not going to let anyone take my will”. He also told me this is a unit effort that the guys are “talking” and “trying to do some things”.
Defense was again the name of the game and Michael Barrow was the leader. He told us in the locker that he wasn’t doing anything special, but that there was “power in unity”. He said it’s no longer just Michael Strahan and Jessie Armstead, that “guys were stepping up and making plays” including the guys off the bench. He told me that “we’re getting better” and that “I’m getting comfortable”. He quoted from Scripyure about “Redeeming the time” and that this is his guide. Barrow was teased about Cedric Jones saying that Barrow had drawn up the sack play in the dirt, and Barrow blushed and told us CJ ought not to be giving him credit, or saying that, after all “we play these guys again”. How overpowering was his performance? 12 combined tackles to go along with the interception. Jessie added 8, Thomas 7, along with his interception and an overall very good game, Strahan had 7 with a couple of very nice stops, Williams had 6 with his interception and played a solid game. Christian Peter, Keith Hamilton, Jones and Ryan Phillips had 5 each, with Hamilton making his obligatory 1 dumb play. But they clogged the middle all day and are doing the job. Ryan Hale saw a lot of action and Big George Williams played end, spelling CJ, without any noticeable drop off.
McDaniel had 4 tackles, and 2 passes defensed, Sehorn and Stephens had 1 interception and 1 pass defensed. On specials Thomas had 3 tackles and Lyle West 2 tackles.
The game was not exciting and thank goodness Coach Campo did not bring in Randall Cunningham as it might have been different. I am seeing the end of another great QB. Aikman can still beat you with 1 of 10 great plays, but he no longer has the ability to create 9 of 10 great plays. He did not help the team today, although his receivers are different and Emmitt Smith did not pick them up and carry them in the second half.
In the first quarter the Giants had 2 possessions, neither amounting to much. On the second, the Giants had a fake punt called, but the snap was mishandled so it was kicked – 14 yards, Jason Whittle downfield on the kick.
In the second quarter the Giants scored. There were three Dayne runs, a short pass and the pass to Pete. The drive started on the Dallas 21 following the Thomas interception. There wasn’t much else to write about. Dallas had the ball for 36 plays, the Giants for 28.
The third quarter saw two field goals. The first drive started on the NY 20, Dayne for 6, Barber for 47, Ike for 14, Comella for 11, Dayne lost a yard, Dayne lost 4 yards Inc to JJ. What happened to the play action? What happened to the motion? What happened to the blocking?
The second field goal. Drive began on the NY 35. Dayne for 5, Ike for 22, Tiki for 9, Dayne for 4, Tiki for 5, Tiki for 2, inc to Tiki, field goal from the 20. Dallas then put together a nice drive for a score.
Fourth quarter, Giants TD, 2 pt attempt failed. This drive followed the Barrow INT. Started on the Dallas 31. Pass to JJ for 7, Tiki for 1, pass to Comella for 8, pass to JJ for 4, Dayne for 4, Dayne for 3 and the TD. After that it was Cowboys on O and Giants on D. The Cowboys mounted a 15 play drive that drove from their own 23 to the Giant 22, punctuated by the Keith Hamilton roughing the passer penalty. CJ had a very big sack here. Barrow said he told the guys “they are not going to score on us” and that all the anxiety was gone, all the fear, the defense knew it would hold.
The Giants had the ball 12 times, never more 4 minutes 15 seconds. 7 drives ended in pints, one at the half, two TDs and two field Ggals. The Giants had clear time of possession advantage only in the 3rd quarter.
So who played well, who didn’t? Obviously game balls go to the secondary as a unit. They were in Aikman’s lanes all day and although Troy threw the ball 42 times with 22 completions for 211 yards, the INTs killed the Boys. So the secondary deserves the kudos. I talked to Dave Thomas afterwards and he was all smiles, talking about the “defense stepping it up” and how Coach Fox was letting them know. That team unity started with Coach Fox and how it was a big thing. He said it started back in camp with Coach fassel, the golf outing and the movie and how the guys were buying in. I asked him how this D compared to Jax and he told me they had totally different schemes. Here, he said, “there was a lot more pressure on the corners”, that in Jax, the corners can sort of depend on others for some plays. He also noted the “tradition” here. That Jax just had College but here in NY it was the Giants and the defense. Many players talked about the tradition – Tennessee really hit home. He said “he understood the fans attitude” that they paid and wanted to be entertained and wanted a winner and he reflected about how if you made a bad play here the fans had you on the next plane out of town, but if you made a good play, they would cheer and scream encouragement. He told me he was doing everything to get better and would keep working hard.
The defensive line did it’s job. Emmitt Smith had only 61 yards and Warren had 4. Solid run stopping by the front 7. Barrow was like a man possessed, he was everywhere on the field making plays. Strahan stepped it up also. Big George Williams deserves credit for spelling CJ without any loss in quality.
The offense is a different story. One telling note. On the KC slide I noted an offensive player (or two) walk off the field shaking their heads. I haven’t seen this since Thomas walked off shaking his head about Dave Brown. KC may be losing his guys. He has been a study in offensive impotence and ineptitude. Forget porous line, his line is doing the job. He has developed lock arm and not throwing the long pass until his receivers are clear. He can hit the short pass, but 119 yards is a pathetic performance. I’m not sure what it is but he is afraid to make a mistake. Sound familiar???
The receivers work hard. With Tiki in the game, someone is usually always free but KC is getting rid of it before the play develops. Of course, a drop here or there does nothing to inspire confidence.
The line is blocking well. On many occasions, KC had time to wait but hit the short man, which, of course, played to Dallas’ speed on defense.
Play calling is still developing. It is slightly inconsistent and skewered. I would like to see Tiki and Dayne in the backfield at the same time. I would like to see more play action. Someone said the classic WCO is b-o-r-i-n-g; that it is dink, dink, run, dink, dink, run then go up top. The Giants version is dink, dink, dink, run, run, run, dink, run, punt, punt, punt, punt. The Giants need more production, less management from the QB position. KC needs to stand up and make some plays. I stand by my analysis that the Giants have a potentially explosive offense. I also stand by my analysis that the team will go only as far as KC takes it, even with the return of the monster defense, of which we should all be proud.
(Box Score – Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, October 15, 2000)