The Dallas Cowboys had a chance to clinch the NFC East and a bye in the opening round of the playoffs. But that didn't happen Sunday night, as the New York Giants put up a great defensive showing in a 10-7 win. The Cowboys struggled on offense, and despite a good defensive effort themselves, New York kept themselves in the NFC East race with the win. It's still a long shot for the Giants to win the NFC East, but they've got a chance. Meanwhile Dallas' hopes for clinching a bye and home field advantage will have to wait at least another week.
Here's what we learned from the Cowboys' 10-7 loss to the Giants.
4. Best Defensive Effort From Cowboys All Year
Based on the defense's play, the Cowboys should have blown out the Giants. The defense was impressive throughout, recording three sacks, three turnovers and even left at least three more turnovers out on the field thanks to drops. The Giants had little going on the ground, Odell Beckham had one big play (the Giants' only big one of the night) and Eli Manning didn't have much time. While part of that was because of the Giants offensive line (see below), the Cowboys defense stepped up with their best effort of the year. Sean Lee was all over the field, with 15 tackles, a TFL and a fumble recovery. Tyrone Crawford and Benson Mayowa both had a sack and rookie Anthony Brown came up with a critical INT. The Cowboys didn't get a single point off those turnovers and that's a big reason they lost, despite limiting New York to a meager 10 points.
3. The Giants OL Needs Help
The Cowboys' front four is not great, but it had a quality game against the New York Giants, especially early. They forced three sacks and two fumbles of Eli Manning, all in the first half. The offensive line failed to open up holes on the ground, as the Giants had just 93 yards on 33 carries (that's a poor yards per carry). A Cowboys front that had serious issues generating pressure all year hounded Manning for a significant portion of the game. Things were a bit better in the second half, but it's clear the Giants need some help on the offensive line for next season.
2. Cowboys Offense Struggled
The running game was fine, with Ezekiel Elliott picking up 107 yards on 24 carries. That's not ideal, but it's not the reason the Cowboys struggled on offense. Well get more in-depth on Dak Prescott below, but he struggled. Dez Bryant was a complete no-show, with one catch late, which he fumbled to essentially seal the loss. The Cowboys forced three turnovers, but got zero points on those turnovers. Dallas was just 1 of 15 on third downs, an area they've thrived this year. The Giants did a great job of limiting the Cowboys offense, but the Cowboys hurt themselves badly by not taking advantage of their chances.
1. Dak Prescott Still Needs Work
With the way he's played this year, it's easy to forget Dak Prescott is a rookie. But he struggled in this game, completing just 17 of 37 for 165 yards, a TD and two picks. He missed open players, was not on the same page as Dez Bryant and, made too many mistakes and bad decisions. That fumble was particularly bad, because he showed a major lack of pocket presence, backing into the pass rush for a blindside hit. It also hurt the Cowboys' field goal effort and the end of the half that was just short. Had Dak stepped up, he would have been able to throw it down field or run. It's easy to forget he's just a fourth round rookie, but it's games like these that serve as a reminder that Prescott needs some more developing. His poor play was a major reason the Cowboys lost.