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With the Dallas Cowboys‘ 20-15 win over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, quarterback Dak Prescott increased his flawless record over the G-Men.
Dallas led 14-6 in the first half and looked to be on the way to a rout, but New York managed to keep it close. It came down to the final drive after a rare missed Brandon Aubrey field goal, but Daniel Jones’ deep throw got intercepted.
The Cowboys moved to 2-2 on the season while the Giants dropped to 1-3. Let’s analyze the game further with winners and losers:
WINNER: Dak Prescott’s efficiency
Prescott’s aforementioned record over New York indicated he’d have a good game once again. That was proven to be the case, as the Cowboys star threw for an efficient 221 yards, two touchdowns and no picks on 22 of 27 completions. He was only sacked once.
It was the type of game Prescott needed against a defense that isn’t as elite, with CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson also getting involved with seven catches apiece. Lamb, specifically, hauled in a 55-yard catch and score in the second quarter.
LOSER: Giants fail to capitalize
The Giants, perhaps on a rare note, flourished with ease when throwing the ball. Daniel Jones completed 29 of 40 passes for 281 yards — his most air yardage this season — and the late aforementioned pick.
Despite that success, the Giants could not capitalize with touchdowns. They went 0-for-2 in the red zone and had to settle for five field goals despite having high possession.
Fortunately, Greg Joseph made all five attempts — a long of 52 — but the Giants may feel like they could’ve came away with more.
WINNER: Malik Nabers continues to shine
It’s no secret Giants rookie Nabers is a gem. The youngster continued his rise in the league with a 12-catch, 115-yard performance on 15 targets. His longest reception went for 39 yards.
Early in the game, one of his routes that saw his defender Andrew Booth Jr. touch the grass went viral on social media.
Nabers did leave the game early and went to the locker room with an injury, but he’s proving to be a capable weapon for Jones.
LOSER: Penalties
Flags and refereeing have been prominent themes of the season so far, and that discourse carried over to begin Week 4. It was stronger in the first half due to the number of penalties both teams drew, especially on notable plays.
It ended with the Cowboys having 11 penalties called against them for a loss of 89 yards. New York cleaned up in the second half with no flags, ending with four calls against it for 35 yards. All came in the first half.
LOSER: Long-term concerns for Dallas
Dallas may have got its desired result, but it didn’t assuage concerns for its poor start. After a strong 33-17 road win against the Cleveland Browns, Dallas conceded 40 points in consecutive losses to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens.
The Cowboys have an excruciating six-game stretch coming up: at Pittsburgh, vs. Detroit, at San Francisco, at Atlanta, vs. Philadelphia and vs. Houston.
If they don’t patch up defensively and flow smoother offensively, their record could become concerning against teams either coming off playoff runs or looking to make it this year.