EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – First-year New York Giants coach John Harbaugh vowed in May to build a team good enough to “kick the (Dallas) Cowboys’ ass.”
Harbaugh made good on his promise Sunday night, his first win with his new team as his Giants beat their hated rivals 28-20 in front of a packed MetLife Stadium crowd. Second-year quarterback Jackson Dart led the way for New York with three touchdown passes, including two to offseason free agent Isaiah Lee. It was Dart’s second three-touchdown game of his young career.
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Best plays from the Cowboys @ Giants
What did you learn about Harbaugh’s tenure in New York after one game?
I think we all learned that the Harbaugh Giants put a professional, high-performance product on the field. Unlike most Giants teams since their last Super Bowl victory in February 2012, we’ve learned that this one will be prepared every time it comes out.
This debut was not perfect. The Giants punted four times (missing only one, surprisingly enough) and committed 57 yards of passing penalties on the Cowboys’ second-quarter touchdown drive. However, they continued to play with passion and confidence against a Super Bowl-advertised Dallas team, taking advantage of Dak Prescott’s brutal interception before halftime and ending the second half with a 12-play, 74-yard, 8-minute touchdown drive.
We also learned that Harbaugh wasn’t lying when he said he liked what he saw from Dart on his rookie-year tape. Dart beat Prescott by a wide margin. The second-year quarterback is one of the main reasons Harbaugh took the job.
Half an hour after being hired by the Braves on Jan. 17, Harbaugh was on the phone with me, delivering a message to his new fan base.
“We’re going to build a team that plays a brand of football that you’re proud of,” Harbaugh said later, “and I expect and want to make the playoffs next year.”
I don’t know about the playoffs. But I do know that Harbaugh compiled 193 regular season and postseason victories in Baltimore, making sure his Ravens played the game the right way.
We learned Sunday night that Harbaugh’s Giants will be doing the same thing … and then some. – Ian O’Connor, columnist
This Cowboys offense was supposed to be a juggernaut. Why did you struggle to get things going late into the night?
Maybe they were too full. Maybe they need to be humbled by their division rival. Other than training camp drills against the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, it’s hard to say we haven’t seen them tested in training camp. The starters did not play in the preseason.
It was surprising to see that wide receivers George Pickins and Sid Lamb didn’t have a big impact on Sunday night. It was amazing to see running back Javonte Williams have that infamous taunting penalty after the fourth quarter touchdown. More importantly, it was no excuse to see Prescott throw that terrible interception opportunity before the half. It could have been a different game if the 11-year veteran quarterback couldn’t make the mistake.
“It feels really bad,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “As a football team, we were very poor. Give coach Harbaugh and his team a lot of credit. They were a more physical team tonight. It’s a humbling business, and we were surprised tonight. John Machota, Cowboys beat author
This rivalry has been one-sided lately, with the Cowboys going 16-2 since 2017. But with the Giants winning and plenty of trash talk, does this mean the rivalry is renewed?
Oh, this was fun – football at its best, a packed atmosphere heading into the start. Even though I only played for four seasons, I don’t remember the parking lots being packed four hours before kickoff. The MetLife faithful were excited to see the Harbaugh era begin and the Giants hit the field.
“Unbelievable environment,” Harbaugh said. “This crowd, I’m telling you, man, the parking lot, the parking lot was off the chain. It was packed! I’m talking about 4.5 hours before the game, I got here early. And I thought it would be easy to get in here, and it wasn’t. And the stadium was absolutely electric from start to finish.
As for the trash talk, the Giants can’t be bullied by rival bullies. They didn’t have a problem standing up for themselves – just look at how quickly John Michael Schmitz and Jermaine Illuminor would go after a needless roughness penalty on Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion’s dart to tackle him right. Cam Skatebo seemed to talk and beat him the whole game. This was a lot. I want more! – Charlotte Carroll, Giants beat writer
MetLife Stadium was rocking all night. The fans seemed more into it than most previous meetings with the Cowboys. The Giants have a good team with a good head coach and a French quarterback. There are many reasons to be excited. The Cowboys may be a better team than they showed Sunday night, but this may not be a division that comes down to the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles again. The giants are what they really look like. It looks like the Cowboys’ dominance since Dak Prescott’s second season is officially over. – Comfort
What were your main takeaways from the new Giants offense and how quarterback Jackson Dart handled it?
It’s hard to imagine a better start to Dart’s second season. He was in command of the new offensive system installed by offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had eight carries for 59 yards before some late kneeling, using his legs as a weapon while avoiding any unnecessary hits.
Dart was working under center more than he did in his rookie season, and he looked comfortable, often making adjustments along the line. It was similarly smooth, as it was on a two-minute drive late in the first half when Dart had to operate out of the shotgun.
What was amazing about Dart’s performance: He made plays from the pocket. He proved that he can make his impressive plays outside of the structure. But Dart was boringly efficient at times Sunday, highlighted by a fourth-quarter touchdown drive when he repeatedly hit Devin Singletary in the flat. Singles capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown catch on a swinging pass from Dart.
“He played really well,” receiver Malik Nabers said of Darts. “I came up to him in the third quarter and said, ‘You idiot.’ … He was throwing the ball all over the place … He was in the zone. … He was doing everything right. – Dan Duggan, Giants beat writer
On a scale of 1-10, how nervous should Cowboys fans be after one week of offensive coordinator Christian Parker’s defense?
five. It’s just one game for a team that doesn’t play many of its starters in the preseason. However, it was definitely a concern. Just like last season there were still so many big hits that will leave you scratching your head. The organization had been sold all season that this team would be much better at stopping the run. It didn’t seem like it all Sunday night.
They have some good pieces in defensive tackle Quinn Williams and rookie safety Caleb Downs, but there still doesn’t seem to be enough talent on that side of the ball. To make matters worse, linebacker Overshawn, who was often injured, left in the second half with an injury. Linebacker was one of the Cowboys biggest issues going into the outside. After one game, it still seems like a concern. – Comfort
What did Malik Nabers look like in his first action after Week 4 last year?
There was no shortage of speculation over whether or not Nabers would play Sunday night. While the coaching staff indicated that Nabers, who tore his ACL and meniscus in late September, was ready to go, the decision ultimately came down to whether Nabers felt he was ready. So, when the Giants finally announced Nabers will be active on Sunday nightthat alone felt like a small victory.
The bigger that small victory became. Nabers had a team-high nine targets, catching 6 for 69 yards. There were a few skids and a scary moment when Nabers went to the sideline to get medical attention after taking a hit. But he soon came back, much to the relief of the team and the fans.
Malik Nabers had a team-high nine targets in his return from a torn ACL last season. (Brad Penner/Imag Images)
“I just had to trust my body, trust myself. I knew I could go out and do what I wanted to do. I felt good coming out of there,” Nabers told NBC after the game. I felt the atmosphere. I felt that my teammates were happy. I came back. I had to do it. I had to do it. I just believed my heart.
Although he didn’t have a true signature moment, there’s no doubt that his presence helped boost the offense’s potential. Those will come in time if he stays healthy. For now, seeing him work and pick up first downs is huge for New York. – Carol
