The Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants twice last season, including a 40-0 victory in primetime at the Meadowlands. Dallas returns to the scene for another primetime game against the Giants on Thursday night when the two NFC East teams meet in East Rutherford, N.J. Dallas has won the last six meetings and 13 of the last 14 against New York, with last season’s loss to the Giants in the season opener being the most lopsided of those matchups. The Cowboys led 26-0 heading into the second quarter as Giants fans booed their team all night. “I’m a person, every game I act like it’s the Super Bowl for me, for myself,” New York safety Jason Pinnock said Tuesday. “But, of course, you remember. I think everybody will remember watching the home opener get beat like that on primetime TV.” Dallas (1-2) hasn’t been as formidable early in the season. After beating the Cleveland Browns in the opener, the Cowboys were routed by the New Orleans Saints and then lost 28-25 in a deceptive final score to the Baltimore Ravens last weekend. The Cowboys scored 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull within one, but the comeback didn’t mask the problems. “We’ve got to do it right,” Dallas star linebacker Micah Parsons said. “You know what I mean? This is a winning organization. I’ll hold that standard, but at the same time, everybody’s got to hold that standard. And I think I trust in my faith, and I just think we’re being tested right now. I really believe we’re being tested. We’ve got to get it right. It’s humbling.” Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence didn’t like seeing his team trail by 22 points at home. “It doesn’t matter how much willpower you have at the end,” Lawrence said. “If you don’t start well, you probably won’t finish well, so the result is the result. The only thing we can do is go out there and review it and get better.” New York (1-2) won 21-15 at Cleveland last Sunday for its first victory. Daniel Jones threw two touchdowns for the second straight game while passing for a season-high 236 yards. The Giants suddenly have a chance to be at .500 after starting with two losses. However, the fearsome Cowboys are back in town. In last season’s other meeting, host Dallas won 49-17. “Yeah, we don’t like losing to anybody, especially a division game,” Jones said. “We understand what this game means, and we’re going to be ready to go.” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has passed for an NFL-record 851 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also been intercepted twice and sacked nine times. Dallas’ ground game is down, with Rico Dowdle leading the way with 88 yards and Ezekiel Elliott contributing 62. The Cowboys rank 30th in the NFL with an average of 73.7 rushing yards per game. Parsons, the fourth-year star, has just 12 tackles and one sack. He has 40.5 sacks in his first three seasons. New York ranks 29th in offense with 15 points per game. Jones has passed for 600 yards, with rookie receiver Malik Nabers (271 yards) accumulating 45 percent of the yards. Nabers has three touchdown receptions. “I’m confident in all our guys,” Jones said, “and Malik played well, but we have a lot of good receivers.” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is impressed with what he’s seen from Nabers. “He’s got size, speed and body control,” McCarthy said. “I think he’s a very exciting player when the ball is in the air. That’s what stands out to me.” New York cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Dru Phillips will both miss the game with calf injuries. Receiver Darius Slayton (thumb) is doubtful. Dallas cornerback Caelen Carson (shoulder) and safety Markquese Bell (ankle) are both listed as doubtful, and McCarthy called the pair game-time decisions. –Field Level Media
