EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — While he has only played in the NFL for just over a season, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is smart enough not to throw out any bulletin board material days before a game with the Dallas Cowboys.
On the surface, this could be a week where the Giants' anemic offense gets healthy against a porous Cowboys' defense.
New York (0-4) comes into Sunday's game with a NFL-low 47 points. It hasn't scored a touchdown in two games and has had 16 big plays all season. That's plays of either 10 or more yards rushing and 20 or more yards receiving.
Dallas (1-3) has the third-worst defense in the 32-team league, 31st against the run and 23rd against the pass. It has given up a league-worst 146 points, including 126 in the past three games.
Jones deftly avoided a question about whether the Giants might have a chance to end their scoring drought this week.
“I think we have to focus on us, and that’s certainly our mindset going in,” Jones said Wednesday after a walk-through workout. “We’ll look at what they do and understand their scheme, but it’s about how we prepare and what we do on offense going into the game.”
Jones will have a little extra help this weekend. He is going to be talking a little more to former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, who was hired as the Giants offensive coordinator by Joe Judge shortly after not getting a new deal in Dallas following his 10th season.
Garrett can give him a run-down on many of the Cowboys' defenders, who now have Mike McCarthy as their head coach.
“His familiarity with a lot of the guys is certainly helpful when we scout them and look at them on tape,” Jones said. “The system is different. They’re running a different defense with a different coordinator. But like you said, a lot of the personnel is similar and coach is very familiar with those guys. So yeah, that’s helpful.”
Jones noted the Cowboys have played a couple of the league's top offenses with the Rams and Seattle. They have also struggled against Cleveland and Atlanta.
The Giants come into the game off their best rushing effort of the season. They gained 136 yards on 25 carries in a 17-9 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles. Prior to that, they had not gained more than 75 yards rushing in a game with their revamped line, which has three new starters.
While that part of the offense seems to be getting better, the passing game has gone downhill the past three weeks, gaining 220, 165 and 159 yards. There have been only six passing plays of more than 20 yards this season.
Jones said the Giants have tried to be aggressive at times, but they have not been able to execute.
“I think this offense has the capability of being explosive,” said Jones, who has turned the ball over seven times. “Through these first four weeks, we haven’t executed that part of the offense to the level that we’re capable of doing it. Like I said, we’re capable of it and it’s certainly in the system. We’ll work to execute it.”
NOTES: Linebacker Oshane Ximines was the only player who did not participate in the walk-through. Safety Adrian Colbert and linebacker Kyler Fackrell were limited with neck injuries. Safety Jabrill Peppers, who did not play last week because of an ankle injury, was limited. ... Judge said the Giants are satisfied with the job they are doing in following the NFL's COVID-19 protocols. He said the team is not looking to isolate players despite the recent rise in positive tests around the league. ... Safety Sean Chandler was re-signed to the practice squad. He was waived Tuesday when tight end Eric Tomlinson was re-signed to the active roster.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
