Grading the Giants’ 20-15 win loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night:
Offense
You don’t score a touchdown, you don’t win the game.
There was loads of time of possession — more than 35 minutes — but only 5 of 16 on third down conversions and 0-for-2 in the red zone.
Daniel Jones (29 of 40, 218 yards) was mostly accurate targeting Malik Nabers (12-115), Wan’Dale Robinson (11-71) and Darius Slayton (3-56) but not enough down the field.
Jones was stymied by a brutal rushing attack (24 attempts, 26 yards for a 1.1-yard average) as Devin Singletary (14-24) went nowhere.
Nabers left with a concussion and that was tough to see.
RT Jermaine Eluemunor was called for an illegal man downfield penalty.
TE Chris Manhertz was called for a costly holding penalty on the first play of the fourth quarter to negate a first down.
Grade: C
Defense
There was only one big play given up but it was a costly one, CeeDee Lamb’s 55-yard TD as he beat Deonte Banks.
Lamb (7-98) otherwise was held in check.
Dak Prescott (22 of 27, 221 yards, 2 TDs) was his usual accurate self.
Not much on the ground for Rico Dowdle (11-46) or Ezekiel Elliott (5-19).
Kayvon Thibodeaux failed to trip up Hunter Luepke for a Dallas first down.
Thibodeaux later got the Giants’ only sack, dropping Prescott for an 8-yard loss late in the first half.
Brian Burns had a tackle for loss on Lamb in the third quarter.
CB Cor’Dale Flott had a few good moments starting on the perimeter but he still gets beat too often.
Holding Dallas to 3 of 10 on third down was good work and allowing just 20 points should win more often than not.
There were only three hits on Prescott and that is not enough.
Grade: B
Special teams
Greg Joseph, in his second game for his new team, was much better, going 5-for-5 on field goals, including a 52-yarder in the first quarter.
Rookie Tyrone Tracy muffed and fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half and was bailed out when teammate Chris Manhertz made the recovery.
The Cowboys won the field-position battle, with kicker Brandon Aubrey placing the ball down near the goal line every time.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a nifty 22-yard punt return.
Jamie Gillan punted only one time, a 44-yarder to the Dallas 18-yard line. Grade: B.
Coaching
Brian Daboll opted to go for another field goal rather than a touchdown from the Dallas 3-yard line on the first series of the third quarter.
Daboll boldly went for it on fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter and was rewarded with a first down.
He could not figure out a way to get the running game going.
Shane Bowen’s defense did not apply enough pressure on Prescott.
Turnovers were needed and the Giants never came close there.
Grade: B
