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The New York Giants lost for the first time in the 2022 NFL season after dropping their Week 3 assignment to the Dallas Cowboys, 23-16, at MetLife Stadium. Here are some takeaways from the Giants’ Week 3 loss.
The 2-1 Giants were attempting to achieve their first 3-0 start since 2009. New York won its first two games on the strength of second-half scoring, but it was Dallas that left the Giants in the dust in the fourth quarter this week.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley's 36-yard touchdown run in the third quarter broke a 6-6 tie, but the Cowboys responded with two touchdown drives of their own. Both of those touchdowns came from the 1-yard line. The first was an Ezekiel Elliott rush and then followed by a CeeDee Lamb one-handed catch.
With 1:45 remaining, the Giants received the ball back on their own 9-yard line, but Giants QB Daniel Jones threw his lone interception of the game, sealing New York's doom. The Giants have now dropped 10 of their last 11 games against the Cowboys.
Here are our four takeaways from the New York Giants' Week 3 loss vs. the Cowboys.
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 27, 2022
4. Giants LB Kayvon Thibodeaux had a quiet debut
Rookie linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux struggled in his NFL debut. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft started against the Cowboys and played extensively. However, he recorded only one tackle. He and second-year player Azeez Ojulari, who returned from injury to play for the first time this season, were both quiet. They paired up for just two tackles.
Both Thibodeaux and Ojulari are highly touted young d-line players, so their collective performance fell short of expectations. There is still a lot of time for them to show their true form, but Giants fans hope this will happen sooner rather than later.
3. Giants WR Kenny Golladay was a dud
Do not be surprised if the Giants' Kenny Golladay experiment is done and dusted. Following pregame speculation about a larger role for the $72 million wide receiver, Golladay produced little separation and failed to convert on the three targets sent his way. He basically laid a big fat egg against Dallas. Brian Daboll and the Giants' coaching staff just do not regard him as a better option than David Sills or Richie James, among other wideouts on this squad. This seems for good reason given how Golladay has played so far.
Perhaps no play summed up Golladay's underwhelming performance more than a third-and-13 with 7:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. In this, he lost a vital target from Jones and the Giants punted on the second of the aforementioned three-and-outs. As the Giants' general manager, Dave Gettleman has made a lot of awful decisions, but this one really stands out.
2. Super Saquon!
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On the plus side for the Giants, Saquon Barkley looks to have fully recovered. Super Saquon had 14 carries for 81 yards and a 36-yard touchdown. He even had a do-it-all run with 5:31 left in the third quarter that put New York up 13-6.
Recall that Barkley had 39 carries for 236 yards and one score in two games before Week 3. If he stays healthy, his make-or-break fifth season has a lot of potential. The Giants could definitely use him as the offense continues to grope for form.
Barkley is currently averaging 6.0 YPC over three games, which is higher than any of his previous seasons. His two touchdowns this season have even matched his whole total from last year (13 games). Look for Barkley to continue rolling for the Giants.
1. Daniel Jones continues to be a mixed bag
Giants QB Daniel Jones continues his Jekyll-and-Hyde play. Although the Cowboys pushed Jones frequently and he didn't always have much support from his offensive line, the fourth-year quarterback still performed relatively well. Of course, he was eventually outplayed by Dallas backup quarterback Cooper Rush.
Jones completed 20-of-37 passes for 196 yards and one score. He also had one interception and absorbed five sacks for 27 yards. He added nine runs for 79 yards to his total, but what were basically consecutive three-and-out drives in the fourth quarter represented a significant turning point.
Meanwhile, Rush led the Cowboys' game-tying and winning touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarters. Rush completed 21-of-31 passes for 215 yards and one score with no interceptions. It is clear that Jones'unpredictability and unreliability have returned.
To cap it all, Jones threw a game-winning interception to Trevon Diggs on the Giants' final play with 1:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. Jones gets respect for his resiliency, but the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft seemed inferior to Rush, who was an undrafted rookie from 2017.
If the Giants want to return to their winning ways, then Jones needs to rediscover the form that got him a 115.9 passer rating in Week 1.
