FanShot

PFF review of the game

12

Key quotes: "After entering the starting lineup in Week 12 last season Jason Hatcher finished the season strongly and carried it into week 1 with our highest defensive grade for the Cowboys of +3.5. " "For only the third time since 2009 Justin Tuck was held without a pressure for an entire game. Outside of JPP the fearsome Giants pass rush did not bear its teeth." "Responsible for two sacks, five hurries and providing absolutely no movement in the running game, Diehl (-6.0) put in the type of performance we have become accustomed to over the last few seasons." "It was unmissable just how much press coverage the Cowboys were playing, with Brandon Carr (50% of all passing plays in press coverage) and Morris Claiborne (78%) doing their utmost to stop the Giants getting out into their routes quickly. Their performance and use of press coverage was by no means perfect and Carr struggled when receivers crossed at the line of scrimmage, a tactic the Cowboys were vulnerable to last season as well. This tactic accounted for a 26 yard completion to Victor Cruz and but for an errant pass by Eli Manning would have accounted for long touchdown completion to Domenik Hixon as well. " "Kevin Ogletree (+2.4), entering his fourth season in the NFL, might just be that guy. Playing only 33 snaps he emerged as the favorite target of Tony Romo whenever he ran a pass route. On his 21 snaps on passing plays he caught 8-of-11 balls thrown his way. That meant he gained an astronomical 5.43 yards per route run (one of our Signature Stats available in our Premium Statistics), not a number you see every day. To put that in context, the highest we saw over a full season last year was Victor Cruz’s 3.08. "