Giants' grades vs. Cowboys: Mostly bad, but special teams gets an A
Drew Lock (#2) of the New York Giants runs the ball during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 28, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Credit: Getty Images/Sam Hodde
OFFENSE: D
Drew Lock’s 28-yard scramble to the 1 to set up a Giants touchdown was their longest play of the game and the ensuing score gave them their first lead at any point in a game since Oct. 6. But his two turnovers led to two Dallas TDs, one an interception returned for a score and the other a fumble at the Cowboys’ 38 that set up a short drive. He was also sacked six times and hit 14 times. Malik Nabers caught 8 passes but for just 69 yards. No running back had a rush of more than 7 yards. The Giants had six possession that consisted of three or fewer offensive snaps.
DEFENSE: D
The Giants didn’t allow an offensive touchdown in the first half, but they were helped by several dropped passes from CeeDee Lamb. They almost salvaged a stop at the goal line early in the third quarter but Bobby Okereke’s forced fumble was overturned on replay. The Giants thought Adoree’ Jackson was finished after last season and yet he’s still out there playing (poorly) for them. Once Dexter Lawrence and Rakeem Nunez-Roches left with third-quarter injuries the Giants just couldn’t stop the run.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A
Some of the most exciting plays of the game came from this Giants unit, including a whopper of a hit by Art Green on the dangerous KaVontae Turpin, Green walking the tightrope at the goal line to down a punt at the 1, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette’s 22-yard punt return (that included a hurdle at the end) to set up a 46-yard field goal from Graham Gano. Gano also hit a 47-yarder and even skipped a kickoff into the end zone for a touchback to the 20.
COACHING: F
After getting called out by his rookie receiver Brian Daboll did a better job of getting the ball to Malik Nabers in the first half. Nabers was targeted 8 times and had 5 catches for 39 yards in the first half. The Giants had some awful penalties including two costly offsides and a boneheaded roughing the passer shove from Kayvon Thibodeaux, a couple of pass interferences, and a terrible holding on Chris Manhertz that negated a 29-yard completion to Nabers in the fourth quarter. Overall there were 13 enforced Giants penalties for 98 yards.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
