EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – At no point – from the moment the schedule came out in May to the opening kickoff Sunday night – did I ever think the Cowboys were going to lose this game. As long as Dak Prescott is the quarterback against the Giants, I'm going to give him and his team the benefit of the doubt to go win.
So yes, I thought the Cowboys would always win this game. But once things kicked off Sunday night, it didn't take long to figure out a couple of aspects that were definitely troubling. And as a result, it was the difference in the outcome.
The Cowboys didn't have the better defense. And on this night, they didn't have the better quarterback.
One thing wasn't really that surprising considering how these two teams are constructed. I figured the Giants could have the better overall defense. I guess I'm just more surprised the Cowboys really looked no different on defense. It was pretty much a carryover from last year, and that is definitely a major disappointment.
We'll get back to the defense, but the quarterback play was just as alarming.
Let's be clear about that statement and not get into a debate on who is actually a better quarterback overall in this league. But on this night, Jaxson Dart was better for his team than Dak Prescott was for his. At quarterback, it's not always about the great plays you make, but the bad ones you avoid. And unfortunately for Prescott, his interception before the half was a critical turning point.
I would imagine when this season is over, and you ask Dak to name a handful of throws he'd like to get back, he'll say this one. He was running for his life and knew he had to throw it away – he just didn't. The ball was left hanging in the air and was picked off by the Giants at their own 45-yard line with 49 seconds left.
To me, that was the absolute turning point. The Cowboys and Giants were tied 7-7, and Dallas was on the move, looking to score before halftime. But that interception gave the Giants a chance to go score points when all they were originally trying to do was keep the Cowboys from scoring.
Think about this: At one point, you're thinking the Cowboys might lead 14-7 or 10-7 at halftime. Instead, the pick is thrown, and the next time Dak got the ball for a legitimate drive, they were down 21-7.
Now that's a huge swing in momentum. But just like Dak didn't have his best game on one side, his counterpart might have played his best. Dart was about as flawless as you could be. He won the game for the Giants with his arm and legs, and for this night, his play was the reason the Cowboys are starting this season 0-1.
Let's transition back to the defense, which just didn't do anything that resembles the change we were all expecting, maybe even hoping for.
Dart was never really rattled at all, converting on nine-of-11 third-down attempts. And when he really needed a play, he went to tight end Isaiah Likely, who caught all eight of his targets. Likely, who was one of the key players John Harbaugh brought with him from Baltimore, came up with big plays over and over.
Wait, speaking of over and over – and over and over – what about the fourth-quarter drive during which the Giants continually found Devin Singletary in the flat on screen passes, resulting in a touchdown that basically broke the Cowboys' back.
We all thought Christian Parker had this new defense that would keep the offense guessing, making Dallas' opponent play on its heels. Instead, the Cowboys never really did anything to frustrate the Giants, who not only scored four touchdowns, but did so in a methodical way that kept the Cowboys' offense off the field. New York dominated the time of possession, 36:40 to just 23:20 for Dallas.
One thing I always try to avoid, especially after just one game, is putting too much stock in any game, win or loss. Yeah, it's eye-opening to think the defense basically just carried things over from last year. Couple that with the fact that the offense, and special teams for that matter, didn't look that great either.
But it counts as one loss all the same. Some of my favorite seasons in Cowboys history – 2003, 2014, 2016 and 2021 – all started 0-1 as well. So let's not get too carried away with one loss here, as ugly as it might have been.
Who knows, the defense might eventually turn the corner and be pretty good this year. They just haven't turned it yet.
