Cowboys vs. Giants Thanksgiving Game Preview

The 2024 Cowboys facing off against the 2024 New York Football Giants is definitely not must-see TV at the moment—and definitely not what most people want to watch while they eat turkey.

The Cowboys are coming off a WILD win against the Commanders last week that shocked all of us. The antics of that game—like Terry McLaurin’s 86-yard touchdown in the dying seconds, which would’ve tied the game if not for Austin Seibert’s missed PAT, or Turpin hitting a Madden-level spin move and housing a 99-yard kick return—reminded us that the NFC East will always be the NFC East.

Despite nearly every Cowboys fan completely accepting the tank and hoping to lose out, it was extremely refreshing to see the team show any kind of competence. There was a drive and a collective spark that we really haven’t seen all season, and they will look to take that back home for Thursday afternoon.

Carrying Over Rush’s Momentum

One key I highlighted last week was that if the Cowboys wanted to hang around against the Commanders, the run game would need to be competent, at the very least, to allow Cooper Rush to work off play-action. Lo and behold, they were more than competent. Mike finally gave Dowdle the workload we have been waiting for. Dowdle had 19 carries for 86 yards, eclipsing 4.5 yards per carry—an impressive feat for the offensive line with Zack Martin and Tyler Smith both out. TJ Bass will likely have to play a big role again, as Zack Martin is officially ruled out.

The run game’s emergence allowed Cooper Rush to absolutely thrive in the play-action game, which is the ideal situation for him to succeed. Time and time again, he was able to find easy completions to Spann-Ford and Schoonmaker, letting Ceedee stretch the field. With Jake Ferguson more than likely out once again, look for Spann-Ford and Schoonmaker to see continued volume in the play-action and quick game.

It is important for the Cowboys to continue this approach against a poor Giants run defense. The Giants are allowing 164 yards on the ground in their last three games and 147 per game on the season. The Giants could also possibly be without linebackers Micah McFadden and Azeez Ojulari, along with a couple of d-linemen. However, it will be a tall ask for the interior o-line to consistently block Dexter Lawrence without Zack Martin, so we could potentially see a lot of quick passes and screens as an extension of the run game.

Defensive Contributions

The defense looked surprisingly decent against a solid Washington offense last week—until the end of the game. We finally saw Micah unleash, as Zimmer continuously moved him around and had him lining up over guards to create mismatches.

One surprising star from last week was Josh Butler. Butler saw playing time due to Diggs being inactive and Bland and Carson both continuing to be sidelined. Butler had three big pass breakups and even managed to come away with a sack. That is the kind of depth performance the Cowboys have been waiting for with so many key players still out.

With the Giants’ offense continuing to struggle post-Daniel Jones era and another new starter in Drew Lock, the Cowboys defense has another golden opportunity this week to impose their will. It is crucial for Mike Zimmer to continue his aggressive nature and keep dialing up blitzes to overwhelm Drew Lock. In fact, the Giants rank 25th in sacks allowed per game this season, with an average of 3.1, so the Cowboys are in a prime spot to make Lock’s life a living hell all game.

For success on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys will likely have to continue looking to depth guys to step up, particularly in the secondary. Diggs did not participate in practice Tuesday and was limited on Wednesday; he is listed as questionable, with Carson remaining on IR. Look for Butler to suit up once again alongside Bland and Lewis. Another worrying spot is the linebackers and d-line, as Kendricks did not participate at all this week and is questionable to play, along with end Marshawn Kneeland being doubtful with another knee injury. Look for guys like Wheat and Liufau to see an increased role.

Author: Matt Aldrich - @matt_a.15 on Instagram