Football in the NFL is finally back! The games will finally mean something! And, Ezekiel Elliott is finally back where he belongs, in uniform, with the Dallas Cowboys! It's a great day to be alive and I don't know about you, but I'm extremely excited about what's in store for the Cowboys in 2019.
The Dallas Cowboys will yet again see a familiar foe to open up the 2019 season. They will host their division rival, the New York Giants, at AT&T Stadium Sunday afternoon. Despite sweeping the Giants in 2018 this is by no means an easy victory. The G-men always bring their “A” game when they play the Cowboys and I think we can expect much of the same on Sunday.
I don't really want to say this is a “must” win for the Dallas Cowboys considering how this is the first game of the season, but as far as the NFC East divisional race goes this could be an important victory. With that in mind, I thought I would share with you how the Cowboys could end up winning or losing the season opener against the Giants.
Let's take a look…
Dallas Cowboys Win If…
Before I get too far into this I wanted to make it clear I believe this is a game the Dallas Cowboys should absolutely win. The New York Giants and Cowboys seem to be trending in different directions. Dallas arguably has one of the most talented rosters in the league, while the Giants are a little talent deprived with the exception of a few players. Again, this is a game the Da' Boyz should win.
In order to secure the victory though the Cowboys need to stick to the game plan that has worked so well for them since 2016 when Ezekiel Elliott was added to the roster. We all know that game plan well. Control the time of possession and tempo through the running game in order to keep opposing offenses, in this case the Giants, off the field as much as possible.
That means a heavy dosage of Zeke with a sprinkle or two of rookie Running Back Tony Pollard, and throw in a little Dak Prescott as well to keep the defense honest. I believe this will be the recipe for success. Everything else should take care of itself, especially considering how Dallas' defense should have their way with the Eli Manning led Giants offense. But, I still think running the ball, and doing it well, is the key to securing the victory Sunday afternoon against their division rival.
Dallas Cowboys Lose If…
Although I'm pretty confident the Dallas Cowboys should be able to come out on top in the season opener against the New York Giants, there are still some concerns revolving around the team right now. It's those concerns that could have a huge impact on the outcome of this game. Not to mention, the Giants always seem to bring their “A” game whenever they play the Cowboys.
The biggest concern for the Cowboys is the current health of the team. They've had several key players miss nearly all of preseason either recovering from offseason surgeries or just getting banged up. If they can overcome their current health issues, the only other thing they really have to worry about is containing RB Saquon Barkley and maybe even TE Evan Engram. These two are really the only weapons that should concern Dallas' defense.
Barkley as we all know is one of the most talented running backs in the entire league. He is equally effective in the running or passing game and is difficult to bring down due to his strength and power. Containing him won't be easy. Engram on the other hand could be a mismatch problem depending on how the Cowboys approach covering him. I believe he should be treated more as a big WR rather than a TE, but regardless though they can't allow him and Eli Manning to develop a rapport with one another.
My Prediction: 24-13, Cowboys
