Texas’s ARLINGTON Remarks and figures from AT&T Stadium regarding the Giants’ 49-17 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys:
Tommy DeVito started quarterback for the Giants after Daniel Jones (knee) and Tyrod Taylor (rib cage) were placed on injured reserve. He’s the first undrafted free agent quarterback to lead the Giants in a non-strike game since the common draft was implemented in 1967, the tenth quarterback of that type to lead an NFL game since 2010, and the tenth rookie quarterback to start this season—the most in the league since at least 1950.
Dallas’ defensive front regularly applied pressure to DeVito, who finished 14 of 27 passes for 86 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception for a quarterback rating of 67.8. With six seconds left in the game, he found Sterling Shepard for a two-yard touchdown throw and Lawrence Cager for a 10-yard pass in the third quarter. The longest connection he made was to tight end Daniel Bellinger, which was 26 yards.
DeVito also had a long run of 19 yards and scored 41 yards on seven carries. He lost a total of 25 yards after being sacked five times.
Since the 2022 season opener in Tennessee, when he scored on a 65-yard reception, Shepard has not caught a touchdown pass. Because of a torn ACL, he missed the most of the season.
On November 13, 2022, in the Giants’ victory over Houston, Cager scored his first touchdown of the year and his second career on a nine-yard reception.
With three receptions apiece, running back Jashaun Corbin (12 yards) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (21 yards) paced the Giants. Additionally, Corbin ran one yard. It was his first career scrimmage yard total of 13.
Leading the Giants in run yards with 66 yards on 13 carries, including a team-long 21-yard touchdown, was Saquon Barkley.
Dallas had a significant statistical advantage in the game, outlasting the opposition in total yards (640–172), first downs (32–16), net passing yards (472–61), and time of possession (37:21–22:39).
The Giants’ 49 points were the most they had conceded since losing to the Los Angeles Rams 51-17 on November 5, 2017. The previous high total surrendered in the two seasons under Brian Daboll’s leadership was 48 points against Philadelphia on December 11.
The Cowboys’ total of 640 yards was the second-most the Giants had ever given up. The Chicago Bears won 56-7 on November 14, 1943, nearly 80 years to the day. They gained 682 yards in the game. 524 yards at Miami on October 8 was the previous high under Daboll.
The Giants surrendered the third-highest amount of net passing yards, which belonged to Dallas. In the 1943 game previously noted, the Bears passed for 488 yards, whereas New Orleans threw for 505 yards on November 1, 2015.
With 32 first downs, the Cowboys matched the third-highest total of any Giants opponent. Dallas had 21 on September 10, 1978; New Orleans had 35 in 2015; and the Rams had 38 on November 13, 1966.
At halftime, the Giants were behind 28 to 0. They hadn’t trailed the Eagles by the same amount after two quarters of play since their NFC Divisional Playoff loss against them in January of last year. The Giants’ 31-0 halftime deficit was their biggest in a regular-season game since they were behind in Minnesota on January 3, 2010.
The Giants had one first down in the opening thirty minutes, which is the fewest in a half since they had one in the second half of a loss in Washington on Nov. 23, 2017.
Since they gained 18 yards in the first two quarters on September 22, 2013, at “Carolina,” the Giants’ 27 first-half yards were their fewest since that game.
With their third-lowest total of the season and under Daboll, the Giants’ 172 yards were their best since they gained 171 in their opening game against the Cowboys on September 10 and 150 in San Francisco on September 21.
The Giants went 0 for 12 on third-down conversion attempts. This was the first time since Jan. 3, 2021, that they had failed on all seven of their third-down efforts but still defeated the Cowboys 23-17 at MetLife Stadium. That is the only win they have had since their merger in 1970 that did not involve a third-down conversion.
For the third straight season, the Giants were swept in their season series by Dallas, which included a 40-0 loss on Kickoff Weekend. Against the Giants, the Cowboys’ 89 points were the most they had scored in a single season. When the Giants won Super Bowl XLII in 2007, the previous high was 76 points.
After losing 13 of their previous 14 games against Dallas, the Giants have now dropped six straight. In AT&T Stadium, they have suffered seven straight losses.
The Giants dropped to 2-8 after losing three straight games. The Giants have dropped their last seven meetings—all five of them this season—against opponents who had a winning record going into the contest.
This was the second straight game and the fifth in ten games that the Giants’ defense did not record a sack.
When Cor’Dale Flott, a second-year cornerback, intercepted a pass intended for tight end Jake Ferguson on the last play of the first quarter, it was his first interception. The ball was returned 21 yards to the Dallas 12-yard line by Flott. Barkley was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-two by DeMarcus Lawrence and former Giant Jonathan Hankins, but the Giants made it to the four.
The interception marked the Giants’ first since October 22, when Deonte Banks intercepted Sam Howell of Washington.
In the fourth quarter, Darnay Holmes—his third career intercept of a ball from backup quarterback Cooper Rush and his first since Nov. 28, 2021—snapped it from Rush.
Safety Xavier McKinney contributed ten tackles (eight solo), and linebacker Bobby Okereke led the Giants with eleven tackles (seven solo).
On the Giants’ second possession of the third quarter, a 91-yard drive culminated in a touchdown by Cager. In terms of yardage, it was the longest scoring possession they had since a 97-yarder against Washington on December 18, 2022. On October 22, against Washington, they had previously made a long drive of 88 yards this year.
Ferguson’s one-yard touchdown reception with 8:48 left in the second quarter gave Dallas a 14-0 lead. The drive, which lasted eight plays and 96 yards, was the longest by a Giants opponent since the Cowboys’ 98-yard drive in AT&T Stadium on October 10, 2021. The Dolphins’ 94-yard drive in Miami on October 8 against the Giants was the previous long possession in terms of yardage.
For 404 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, and a passing rating of 138.3, Prescott completed 26 of 35 throws. The last quarterback to throw for 400 yards against the Giants was Prescott. Prescott, on September 8, 2019, passed for 405 yards.
Twelve starts versus the Giants have been in victories for Prescott.
Since Matthew Stafford of the Rams did so on October 17, 2021, when Los Angeles scored 51 points, Prescott is the first quarterback to toss four touchdown passes against the Giants.
For the entire game, Prescott was feeding his two favorite receivers. For 151 yards and a 12-yard score, CeeDee Lamb caught 11 receptions. On the first series for Dallas, he also scored the first touchdown of the game on a 14-yard end-around. Bandin Cooks made nine receptions for 173 yards and a score. In this game, two opposing receivers have at least 150 receiving yards apiece, a first for the Giants.
This season, Lamb and Cook are the fifth and sixth receivers to have at least 100 yards gained against the Giants. In the regular season, the Giants are 2-7-1 under Daboll and 1-0 in the postseason when a rival receiver records at least 100 yards in receptions.
After Matt Breida of San Francisco scored an 11-yard reception and a three-yard run on November 12, 2018, in a 27-23 Giants victory, Lamb became the first opponent of the Giants to score touchdowns both receiving and running in the same game. With the Giants, Breida is on his second season.
For the first time since their 31-28 triumph in Arizona on September 17, the Giants were able to score more than 16 points thanks to Shepard’s late touchdown reception.
Randy Bullock scored his first points in the Giants’ second game after taking Graham Gano’s spot as kicker. He did it with two extra points and a 40-yard field goal in the second half.
The Giants had nine points, the lowest number in the league, while the Cowboys led the NFL with 67 points at the beginning of the first quarter. The only points scored in the quarter came from Dallas.
Tyre Phillips replaced the sidelined Evan Neal (ankle) at right tackle. This was their sixth straight game using a different offensive line lineup than they had used in the previous match. Since returning to the Giants on October 17, Phillips has started three games. Andrew Thomas on left tackle, Justin Pugh on left guard, Ben Bredeson on right guard, and John Michael Schmitz on center were the other starts.
Sixteen minutes remained in the first quarter when Thomas left the game due to a left knee injury. Barkley made a quick run that left his lower left leg unnaturally twisted. After stopping at the medical tent, Thomas made his way to the sidelines but was escorted off the field and into the locker room. A brace was placed over his knee when he later rejoined the game.
Pugh switched from left guard to tackle and Marcus McKethan took over at guard while Thomas was getting checked out.
The Giants opened with a two-tight end formation, starting reserve tight end Tyree Jackson in his Giants debut. No passes were made with him in mind.
The starting cornerbacks for the Giants were Deonte Banks, Nick McCloud, and Flott, with Adoree’ Jackson sidelined due to a concussion. It was the season’s first start for McCloud. Following Adoree’ Jackson’s Nov. 20 knee injury, he started eight games in 2022, including the final seven. Three individual tackles were given to McCloud.
Flott (shoulder), Banks (ankle), and Kayvon Thibodeaux (concussion) all missed the second half of play because of their ailments.
The following Giants players were sidelined: guard Mark Glowinski, nose tackle Jordon Riley, safety Gervarrius Owens, kicker Cade York, running back Deon Jackson, lineman Evan Neal (ankle), cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, and tackle Evan Neal.