The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are on very different trajectories this season. The Cowboys have overcome some early offensive woes to climb back up the ladder of NFC contenders, while the G-Men are on Caleb Williams watch. The first meeting between NFC East rivals this season was a laugher by the second quarter, and the second one Sunday afternoon doesn't figure to be much different with Tommy DeVito leading the Giants. Here are three bold predictions for the Cowboys' Week 10 showdown with the Giants at AT&T Stadium.
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The defense scores
Tommy DeVito better have eaten his Wheaties ahead of the first start of his NFL career. He's facing one of the most ferocious pass rushes in football, and he's doing it behind one of the worst offensive lines in football. That kind of pressure causes mistakes, and the Cowboys have proven themselves capable of turning mistakes into points on defense.
DaRon Bland already has three pick-6s on the year. With DeVito likely running for his life most of the game, don't be shocked if Bland adds a fourth or if somebody else scoops up a loose ball and takes it to the house. With Parsons and the rest of Dallas' defensive line eager to take advantage of New York's dismal protection, there will be plenty of opportunities for someone to make a play.
Mike McCarthy focuses on Tony Pollard
Early on this season, the Cowboys weren't getting everything they needed from CeeDee Lamb. Mike McCarthy's adjustment was simply putting the ball in his star receiver's hands more often, and it led to some of the most productive games of Lamb's young career.
The Cowboys need to get more out of Tony Pollard too. The first-year starter hasn't gotten in a rhythm yet this season, and Dallas' rushing attack has suffered as a result. This isn't going to be a game that the Cowboys have to win in the fourth quarter.
In all likelihood, the Cowboys should be nursing a healthy lead late in the ball game. That should open up an opportunity for McCarthy to experiment and adjust with Pollard as the Cowboys run the clock out.
McCarthy has shown a willingness to adjust his game plan so far this season. It worked with Lamb, and it can work again with Pollard. Screens, outside runs, pitches … it should all be on the table against the Giants as McCarthy tries to find a way to get Pollard more involved.
Pollard believes his big breakout game is coming. It could come sooner rather than later with the Giants in town.
The Cowboys pitch another shutout
This is a game the Cowboys should win handily, and they will. But the Cowboys' defense is playing at a high enough level that DeVito and the Giants' skeleton crew offense will likely struggle to score at all. Unless the Cowboys' run-stopping deficiencies pop back up, or an injury hamstrings the Dallas offense, the Giants aren't going to have the ball much at all on Sunday.
Look for Dallas' defense to dominate this game. Turnovers and sacks will hamper the Giants' offense mightily, maybe enough for the Cowboys to earn their second shutout of the season. The first, of course, came agains this Giants team in Week 1, a 40-0 destruction.
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