Giants Sail To New Shores But Celebrations Put on Hold

New York Giants 23

Dallas Cowboys 19

Having voyaged through thunderstorms and heavy seas the New York Football Giants have finally found land ahoy. Being the morally-compassed land venturers that they are there is anxiety in the air as Big Blue search the sea shores for signs of existing human life, if there is they'll be pulling up anchor and continuing the search late into next year. For their sister ship, the S.S. Cowboy, paperwork has been started and arrangements have been made for the recoverable cold bodies to be sent to the ports of Houston before returning home to grieving family and fans in Dallas, Texas. Sunk just past midday on the first Sunday of 2021 after striking a fully visible rock formation, the Jones family will be working through the night to try and reconstruct a seaworthy vessel before their next voyage.

The New York Giants have, at a minimum, beaten the Dallas Cowboys for the first time since 2016, and at a maximum, found their way to playoffs for the first time since sweeping Dallas that same year. But that all comes down to Sunday Night Football as the Giants now need the moribund Philadelphia Eagles to beat the resurgent Washington Football Team or today's win means little more than a confidence booster heading into next season. For Dallas, all they can take away from this game is the encouragement that their best players ankles are both facing the right direction, this could not be said the last time these two franchises splashes about in the kiddie pool.

Dallas looked as they did all season. Somewhat decent on offense and ineffective on defense. They moved the ball from the end of the second quarter onwards, but putting themselves in a 6 - 20 hole to start is hard to dig out of when you're on your second string quarterback behind a patchwork offensive line. The coaching staff joined in on the Dallas ineptitude as head coach Mike McCarthy failed to challenge a 10 yard catch by Dante Pettis that would have probably been called back if the former community college tight end had thrown the flag. Instead Graham Gano and his kicking pals ran out and sliced a 50 yarder through the yellow sticks, giving the Giants a four point lead to work with rather than one. Andy Dalton did go on to lead the Cowboys into the redzone before lobbing a prayer up that, unfortunately for Dallas, Xavier McKinney answered.

Just to raise the blood pressure a little higher through greater Texas and New York/Jersey, Wayne Gallman ran through arms tackles and passed the first down marker needed to end the game on the following possession. He then proceeded to fumble the ball without contact, sit on it and recover it at the bottom of the pile, a series of events that surely will have Giants fans either shaving the remaining scalp follicles that weren't pulled out or looking for post Christmas sales on television sets that, unlike their current model, doesn't have a remote lodged firmly within the flickering LCD screen. Adding to the compounding cardiac carousel was Evan Engram who, fresh off his first Pro-Bowl selection, was primed to have fans questioning that decision even greater in the second half. First dropping a pass from Daniel Jones that popped up off of his face mask into the arms of a waiting Donovan Wilson and then dropping another first down pass on his next target. Both critical errors in crucial situations, second year prospect Kaden Smith should expect to see a few more snaps if the Giants do indeed play again this year.

If this is a wrap on the New York Giants 2020 season there is hope for the future on this roster and coaching staff. Dave Gettleman is the poster boy for a recently inept franchise but the two best players on defense were brought in by him. James Bradberry had a Pro-Bowl year that isn't far off All-Pro and Leonard Williams showed off his talent that Jets fans were hoping for coming out of college. The man deserves a big contract this offseason and the G-men will have the first chance to make that offer. Andrew Thomas took a lot of criticism early in the year, but through the second half of the season looked like he can hold up against some of the best edge rushers the league has thrown at him. Daniel Jones has probably shown enough his last six games to lock him in for the next year as the starter. Having learnt to hold onto the ball and cut down on back-breaking picks, he shows promising upside with time in the pocket and straight-line speed with his legs when healthy. Under Joe Judge these Giants look genuinely competent and in a few short hours might be NFC East champions with a record of 6 - 10. As Order of Australia Medal recipient Steven Bradbury always says, it's better to be lucky then good.