Cowboys vs. Giants: Three bold predictions for Sunday’s matchup

It’s hard to believe we are already entering Week 5 of the 2021 regular season. Before the Cowboys take on the Giants this Sunday, here are three bold predictions for this Week 5 matchup.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

1) Cowboys’ rushing attack goes for over 160 total yards

Minus opening night against Tampa Bay, the Cowboys have run the ball at will this season. As a team, the Cowboys rushed for 198 yards against the Chargers, 160 against the Eagles and a staggering 245 in last week’s victory over the Panthers.

The two-headed monster of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard have both played so well they’ve made Cowboys history. Elliott and Pollard and the first two Cowboys’ running backs ever to both have at least 250 rushing yards each in the first four games of a season.

No matter who’s in the backfield, the Cowboys have been able to run the ball down team’s throats. Dallas has the second-most team rushing yards (663) in football, and are ranked as the third-best rushing offense in the league according to Pro Football Focus.

This week, the Cowboys will once again be able to run the football with great success against this Giants defense. New York has given up over 160 rushing yards in two of their four games, including giving up 170 on the ground in a surprise victory over the Saints last week. New York has had a PFF run-defense grade below 62 in three of their four games and has surrendered 101 and 120 yards to Melvin Gordon and Alvin Kamara respectively.

Dallas has been able to control the game with their rush attack for the past three weeks, and that won’t change on Sunday. The duo of Elliott and Pollard will have a big day, giving the Cowboys over 160 total rush yards as a team.

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

2) The Cowboys’ interception streak is snapped

Four games into the 2021 season, the Cowboys are just two interceptions away from tying their team total in 2020 (10). Four weeks in a row, the Cowboys’ defense has intercepted the opposing quarterback: Tom Brady, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts and most recently Sam Darnold, twice.

This week, the Cowboys get to face Daniel Jones. The former first-round pick has thrown 23 interceptions in 30 career starts. Seems like a shoe in the Cowboys to get at least one more, right? I don’t see it happening.

Jason Garrett is calling the offensive plays for the Giants, and the former Cowboys head coach is going to play things extra safe this week. So far this season, Jones has just 13 deep ball attempts( via Player Profiler), that’s balls thrown 20 or more yards down the field. Jones also has recorded under 7.7 Y/A in three of the Giants four games this season.

The signal-caller has also not thrown an interception in eight of his last 10 starts, and has not had a multiple interception game since November of 2020.

It’s not just that Jones isn’t taking a ton of chances, he’s also playing much better football. Jones is currently second in the NFL in quarterback EPA and is tied for the longest active streak in football with five consecutive starts with a Passer Rating of 90 or above.

While the Cowboys will get one turnover on defense, it won’t happen on a Daniel Jones interception, ending their streak of four games with picks.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

3) Cowboys walk out with a double-digit victory

The Giants are not as bad as their 1-3 record shows, but they are not close to the level of the Cowboys. Even with some key pieces still out, the Cowboys will have no problem moving the ball and putting up points against this Giants team. While Daniel Jones has been playing much better, his fumbling problem will pop up this Sunday, and he’ll cough up a costly turnover in this game.

This game will play out a lot like last Sunday’s did. The Giants are able to keep it close until halftime, and the Cowboys come out in the third quarter and run them out of the building. This time, Dallas won’t let up on defense, and they’ll walk away with their second double-digit victory of the season, moving them to 4-1 on the year.

---

We broke down everything you need to know about this matchup in our Preview Show on the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel. Make sure you subscribe to our channel (which you can do right here) so you don’t miss any of our videos!

WATCH OUR COWBOYS/GIANTS PREVIEW RIGHT HERE.