The Dallas Cowboys have been on a roll since their two-point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to start the season. They have won three consecutive games and currently sit on top of the NFC East. On Sunday, the New York Giants are on the menu and a victory for the Cowboys would accomplish something that hasn’t been seen for a while in Dallas.
A win in Week 5 would give the Cowboys their first four-game winning streak since the 2018 season which is the last time they won the NFC East or made a playoff appearance. The Giants seem like the ideal opponent to make this a reality with the Cowboys’ dominance over them recently. Since the 2016 season, the Cowboys have only lost to the Giants once which came in the 2020 season finale. However, if the Cowboys are to continue this dominance against their division rival they’ll need to keep doing a few key things.
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are playing excellent football as a dynamic duo in the running game. Elliott ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing and Pollard ranks 15th and they’re the first set of Cowboys teammates to each rush for at least 250 yards in the first four games of a season. The change of pace from Elliott’s physical style to Pollard’s explosiveness is giving defenses nightmares and the Cowboys need to establish the run early to send a message to the Giants.
Turnovers are coming at an unbelievable rate for the Cowboys’ defense. They lead the NFL with eight interceptions and are second in total turnovers with 10 (Buffalo Bills have 11). The Cowboys have forced at least two turnovers in every game this season, and with their offense on fire averaging 31.5 points per game, they can turn their matchup with the Giants into a one-sided affair quickly with a few takeaways.
Maybe the most important thing the Cowboys have done during their win streak has been scoring touchdowns in the red zone. After only converting one of their four chances against the Buccaneers the Cowboys have scored touchdowns on nine of their 11 trips to the red zone in the last 12 quarters. The Giants defense has allowed 10 touchdowns in 14 red zone drives this season so the Cowboys would be wise to take advantage of that early and often on Sunday.
On paper, the Cowboys look far superior to the Giants. However, any team can lose at any time and if they want to keep this streak going the Cowboys must keep their foot on the gas so to speak this Sunday.
