Grading the Giants’ 49-17 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday:
Offense
Where to start?
This was noncompetitive in every sense and it is not all on Tommy DeVito (14 of 27, 86 yards, 2 TDs 1 INT), who is in a place he should not be.
He and the entire operation were brutal in the first half. The Cowboys aren’t dumb and geared up to stop Saquon Barkley (13-66), who had a total of 1 yard on his first seven runs.
DeVito tried one deep shot, down the middle to rookie Jalin Hyatt and the pass was under-thrown and intercepted by DeRon Bland.
There were five sacks allowed and the visitors 0-for-12 on third down.
At least Micah Parsons did not wreck the game — he actually ended with no stats.
Have to feel good for Sterling Shepard getting a touchdown catch with six seconds to go.
Did TE Lawrence Cager really have to break out a celebration dance after scoring to cut the deficit to 28-7?
Grade: F
Defense
Are you sitting down?
OK, here we go.
The Cowboys amassed 640 total yards (and 32 first downs!) and took many of their starters on offense out in the fourth quarter.
Oy vey.
Dak Prescott’s eyes light up when he sees the Giants.
He had an easy time completing 26 of 35 passes for 404 yards and four TDs.
The defensive backs made Brandin Cooks (9-173, 1 TD) look like Michael Irvin. Cooks came into the game with 165 receiving yards and ended up with 173 on Sunday alone. CeeDee Lamb (11-151, 1 TD) dominated everyone lined up across from him.
Rico Dowdle, an undrafted free-agent running back, averaged 6.6 yards on his 12 carries.
Second-year CB Cor’Dale Flott notched his first NFL interception on a nice read of Prescott’s eyes but gave up a scoring pass to Cooks.
When Deonte Banks left with an ankle injury, his replacement, fellow rookie Tre Hawkins, was beaten by Michael Gallup on a 41-yard TD.
Hey, there was a nice goal-line stand on the first series, with Dexter Lawrence and Azeez Ojulari stopping Tony Pollard on the 1-yard line.
Grade: F
Special teams
Jamie Gillan got his team out of a deep hole on his first punt, from his own end zone, a 49-yarder that bounced and was not returned.
Gillan drilled a 58-yarder late in the first quarter but it bounced into the end zone for a touchback.
Then there was a poor 39-yard punt that was returned 11 yards by Deuce Vaughn for a crummy net of 28 yards.
Gillan then hit a 58-yarder that was not returned.
Not exactly the peak of consistency.
Randy Bullock hit a 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Parris Campbell had a 36-yard kickoff return.
Grade: B
Coaching
Blowout losses do not reflect well on anybody.
Whatever was in the game plan did not work on either side of the ball.
Why did Brian Daboll throw the challenge flag if he did not want to actually challenge a possible fumble by Cooks on the opening series?
It cost the Giants a timeout.
Daboll also eschewed a chip-shot field goal early in the second quarter and his offense let him down and came up empty on fourth down.
Wink Martindale’s defense did not get any heat (zero sacks) on Prescott and did not cover worth a darn.
Grade: F
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