The Giants’ 27-20 victory over Dallas underscored how futile it usually is to prognosticate about the NFL and the factors that will likely lead to victory versus defeat. Let’s just consider some of the things that -- when considered in a vacuum – would usually have contributed to a Giants loss.
- The team surrendered 233 yards rushing and turned Darren McFadden (152 yards on 29 carries) into the running back whose fantasy starting percentage will jump the most between this week and next week, when he will invariably remind owners why he’s a former Raider.
- The Giants allowed 460 total yards to an offense being led by a quarterback (Matt Cassel) who was unemployed a few weeks ago. Next week New York travels to New Orleans, where they will face Drew Brees and a Saints offense that we can safely assume will pass the 1,000-yard barrier in total offense against the Giants.
- The Giants only had the ball for 21:56, their lowest time of possession in nearly three years.
- It required a unique and amazing confluence of events for the Giants to win this game, and that’s exactly what we saw, including:
- An Orleans Darkwa sighting. Darkwa, who led the Giants in rushing during the preseason (including the team's only run of more than 20 yards), had zero carries during the team’s first six games, hampering his ability to contribute much in the running game. Against Dallas, the man with the best name in the NFL had eight carries for 48 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown. If he’s not featured prominently against New Orleans next week, we can reasonably call for the defenestration of Giants’ offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had two interceptions, including a pick six. Why were the Cowboys ever throwing the ball when they were trampling the Giants’ run defense? Because coaches such as Cowboys' offensive coordinator Scott Linehan need to justify their existence, and they spent a lot of time drawing up those pretty pass plays, which look so good on a white board and less attractive when Matt Cassel is attempting to execute them. Let's go on a digression, shall we? Wouldn’t it be great if the NFL – maybe as a throwback week – went back to how the game was played in the 1970s and earlier, when quarterbacks were actual adults and had to take responsibility for the team’s offensive play calls and weren’t sitting there between plays with their hands over their ear holes waiting for the next directive to come in over the baby monitor? The over-management of NFL games is the direct result of a small handful of mavericks, geniuses and innovators like Bill Walsh, Sid Gilman and Dick LeBeau, whose whirlwind success created the impression that other teams could replicate their success by hiring the protégés of these coaches. There’s way too much technology and communications in today’s NFL. It won’t be long before players are whipping out their iPhones in between plays to see what brilliance the offensive coordinator has beamed to their devices. Meanwhile, how about that Mass Cassel and his three interceptions? He should have received the Giants’ game ball.
- Dwayne Harris running back the game-clinching 100-yard touchdown against his former team. Harris, a special teams standout who the Giants signed from Dallas in free agency, has been a key contributor, in stepping up as a third receiver with the ongoing absence of Victor Cruz and the early-season release of drop-heavy Preston Parker. In addition to his kick return touchdown, he also had two catches for 43 yards. It's guys like this that make the difference for otherwise middling clubs.
- The Giants ran for more than 100 yards. This is remarkable because they are the last team to pass the century mark in a game this season. It’s probably just a coincidence that this was the first time Orleans Darka played all season.
- The Giants caused four turnovers, while Eli Manning -- who had a pretty pedestrian day (13 of 24 for 170 yards and no touchdowns) -- didn’t turn the ball over. New York now has a league-best plus nine turnover differential, which has played no small part in the team's fortunes.
So, yes, the Giants won and congratulations to Tom Coughlin on winning his 100th game as coach of the team, but absent the game-changing plays of DRC and Harris (and the fact Dallas was starting a quarterback who was sitting on his sofa on Sundays during September) this was not an all-around impressive victory.
The defense still gives up way too many yards, and unless Manning plays flawlessly, the team is always riding the razor’s edge. For now, though, the team is 4-3 and all alone atop the NFC East, which not many people would have predicted. Except, ya know, me, who predicted the Giants would face the Jets in the Super Bowl.
That prediction looks slightly better than all those people who picked the Colts this year.
