The matchup to watch in most New York Giants games this season will revolve around the defensive line. A frighteningly feeble offensive line and thin wide receiver group place a huge burden on the team’s pass-rushers to dictate the action.
That was the case last week against the Washington Commanders, and while the Giants certainly brought pressure, they left some big plays on the field. The edge-rushing trio of Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux will once again take center stage in Sunday’s showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.
It is easy to point to New York’s leaky O-Line or uninspiring run defense as key areas of focus, but those units are just too untrustworthy right now to list as X-factors in this forthcoming NFC East face-off. Big Blue’s D-Line must carry the team in AT&T Stadium.
If New York is going to earn its first win in Dallas in over nine years, Burns, Carter, and Thibodeaux will need to push around Dallas’s offensive tackles.
Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele struggled on the outer edge in last Thursday’s narrow loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton / Chris Jones-Imagn Images
The second-year left tackle allowed five total pressures and posted a 26.1 pass-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus. The veteran right tackle was impactful in run-blocking, but he struggled to protect quarterback Dak Prescott. PFF stamped a 44.4 pass-blocking grade on Steele.
This glaring weakness, which admittedly could have something to do with Week 1 rust, should have the Giants’ undivided attention ahead of what has quickly become a must-win game.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowenmust take advantage of the Cowboys’ shortcomings in the trenches; otherwise, New York may not be able to overcome its own.
Fans heard all about how lethal the D-line will be this season, and although it made its presence known against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders, it was unable to become fully unglued in Northwest Stadium. In the matchup with Guyton and Steele, the edge rushers should smell blood in the water.
Two-time Pro Bowl selection Brian Burns recorded two sacks on Daniels, reminding everyone why he is one of the more consistent outside linebackers in the league.
Abdul Carter played only 38 snaps, but he still impressed in his debut. Kayvon Thibodeaux joined the rookie in tallying half a sack and was a force on run defense alongside Burns.
NY Giants star Brian Burns eyes Commanders QB Jayden Daniels / Peter Casey-Imagn Images
These three difference-makers served as rays of hope in another dark day of Giants football. But they have more in the tank. How Bowen decides to employ Carter in Week 2 will be particularly interesting.
Those who followed the No. 3 overall draft pick’s Penn State career know that he is much less imposing when trying to stop the run. Even so, Carter needs to be on the field for a considerably longer time. He is simply too athletically gifted to limit.
Furthermore, New York is not good enough to keep him on the bench. The 21-year-old is not merely a vital part of the franchise’s future. He can help the Giants win games in the present, including this Sunday versus Dallas.
Carter recorded four pressures against a formidable Washington O-line. Who knows what he can do when facing the Cowboys’ uncertain tackle duo?
Burns, Carter, and Thibodeaux are the key to solving Dak Prescott, a perennial thorn in the Giants’ side. They can also help this team gain the desperately needed momentum it needs to move forward.
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