DALLAS -- I had a rare late-morning flight today. Usually, I’m on the first jet out of a place. I can’t recall why I booked the one I did.
But anyway, the later flight meant I had to do my game review before I left. Otherwise, it would be later tonight before I got it done. But truth be told, I also got this thing done early because I couldn’t wait to get back into this game.
Star-Ledger's Mike Garafolo and Dave D'Alessandro discuss New York Giants big win over Dallas Cowboys Star-Ledger's Mike Garafolo and Dave D'Alessandro discuss New York Giants big win over Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Eli Manning outduels Tony Romo in Texas, Big Blue defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul blocks game-tying field goal attempt to secure Giants huge comeback win. (12/11/2011) Star-Ledger video by Andrew Mills Watch video
I feel like John Mara when he says he’d love for an easy game but doesn’t quite mean it. This season, no matter how it ends, has certainly been eventful. Win or lose, the Giants have made it fun to watch their games. There’s enough bad football going around for me to appreciate a team that provides solid entertainment.
And to think, we still have three more games to go, including one more against the Cowboys.
GAME BALLS
Coach Tom Coughlin. I trust, after he did a great job benching Ahmad Bradshaw to maintain his consistency in that regard and called the perfect timeout, I won’t be hearing the name Bill Cowher in connection with the Giants today.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul. We’ve covered all of the big stuff -- the two sacks, the safety, the blocked field goal, the stop on second-and-5 along with Chris Canty -- so I won’t be able to add much more there. There’s one new thing I can add to best sum up the motor this guy has, and it’s actually a play on which he missed a tackle. It was the second snap of the game for Dallas and he was unable to get a hold of RB DeMarco Murray. But the fact he was even in position to make that play is what’s amazing. He was lined up at right end and it was a pitch to the defensive left. LB Chase Blackburn was over the center. Both he and Pierre-Paul were untouched and neither hesitated from the moment the ball was snapped. Blackburn doesn’t make the play because Pierre-Paul collided with him. That’s right, Pierre-Paul beat Blackburn to the point of attack. And this is by no means a knock on Blackburn; rather, it’s a nod to the hustle, determination and ability of Pierre-Paul, who doesn’t stop from snap to whistle. He did virtually the same thing when he came from his spot at right end to strip Cowboys RB Felix Jones late in the second quarter. He only makes that play because his right arm is long enough to get around Jones and knock the ball free. So in short, for all those who criticized the Giants for taking a guy “who does back flips” instead of C Maurkice Pouncey, I believe that argument has officially been nullified.
QB Eli Manning. Until this season, he hadn’t led two touchdown drives in the final five minutes to overcome a two-score deficit. He’s now done it twice: against the Cardinals in October, when the Giants erased a 10-point deficit to win by 4, and Sunday night. Manning now has 14 fourth-quarter touchdown passes this season, tying his brother Peyton and Johnny Unitas in the NFL record books for most in a season. Among the most impressive throws he made was the 23-yarder to WR Hakeem Nicks late in the first quarter on a “sail” (or “flag” or “corner” or “seven”) route on the left sideline over CB Mike Jenkins and under S Gerald Sensabaugh. Manning slid to his left (following a tremendous chip by RB Brandon Jacobs on NT Jay Ratliff) and laid that one in there beautifully while moving ever so slightly to his left. Great, great throw.
Jacobs. Jenkins was right. He is a “bully.” And Jacobs is right when he says that’s a compliment. He kept his feet moving on nearly every run, particularly on a 19-yard rush in the fourth quarter on which he broke two tackles.
Nicks. Last week, WR Victor Cruz said the Giants saw opportunities to take advantage of “the middle” of the Cowboys’ secondary. We saw it right away with Nicks’ 64-yard catch midway through the first quarter. I don’t understand what was going on with the Cowboys’ coverage there. Sensabaugh does a pirouette to the single-receiver side instead of the three-receiver side. He appears to be playing the deep half, but there’s nobody in the other deep half. It seemed to be a blown coverage. Either way, Nicks got inside CB Alan Ball for the bomb to set up K Lawrence Tynes’ first field goal.
TE Jake Ballard. It was pretty clear the Cowboys’ plan was to mug him coming off the line. Every time I looked at him live and on the replay, he had a guy hitting and grabbing him (sometimes illegally) while getting into his route. He was still able to make the plays when it mattered. One caveat, and I’ve said this before, is his run blocking needs to improve. He and TE/FB Bear Pascoe still struggle at times in that department. Ballard was tossed by LB Anthony Spencer on a third-and-2 on the opening drive of the third quarter.
FB Henry Hynoski. This is two weeks in a row he’s brought the wood. I’m sure Cowboys LB Bradie James has a Hynoski-sized welt on him today because those two met in the hole a bunch of times. Hynoski won the majority of those matchups. He also had a big block on LB Keith Brooking on the game-winning touchdown. But don’t ignore what extra TE Jim Cordle did on Cowboys DE Kenyon Coleman on that play, either.
Tynes. His career-high for touchbacks coming into the season was eight. He now has 33 this year. Yeah, it’s the extra 5 yards but the way he’s booming it out of the end zone makes me wonder why the Giants had him directionally kicking so much over the past few years.
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