NY Giants vs. Cowboys analysis: Big Blue gets whacked again, falls 49-17

ARLINGTON, Texas - The New York Giants are proving one thing every single week: it can always get worse.

In Week 1, Dallas put a 40-0 burger on Big Blue, embarrassing the franchise in every way possible on opening night.

Two months later, the Giants were actually closer on the scoreboard in that one at halftime than they were Sunday.

This isn't even the varsity against the JV. The Giants are playing like the freshman team that allows 7th and 8th graders to participate on a technicality.

Dak Prescott has now won 12 consecutive starts against the Giants, throwing for four touchdowns and over 400 yards while adding a rushing score, while the only thing that added up for Big Blue in Sunday's eventual 49-17 loss were injuries.

Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jalin Hyatt were lost to concussions. Tae Banks was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury. Cor'Dale Flott suffered a shoulder injury that sidelned him for the second half.

Television cameras captured several instances where the Giants' frustration was apparently boiling over.

Brian Daboll and Saquon Barkley had an animated conversation on the sideline early in the game, according to FOX sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi, who talked about it on the broadcast. A heated Darius Slayton had to be calmed by teammates Matt Barkley and Sterling Shepard, and then Daboll.

None of this reflects well on the Giants, especially not in the moment, as they lost their third consecutive game as a once-promising season - at least viewed that way in the summer - continues to spiral.

What pick will Giants have in 2024 NFL Draft?

The only positive for the Giants (2-8): a last-second victory by Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals, combined with the result here lifts Big Blue into the second spot in the projected 2024 NFL Draft order, according to Tankathon.com.

There is a compelling dynamic developing for the Giants. Daniel Jones is out for the season and likely facing a nine-month recovery after tearing the ACL in his right knee last Sunday in Las Vegas. Tyrod Taylor, his backup, suffered a rib cage injury two weeks ago against the Jets and is on injured reserve. He must miss a minimum of three additional games and, while Taylor indicated Thursday that he does not believe his injury is season-ending, the Giants have not offered an official timeline for his possible return.

So that leaves Tommy DeVito and veteran Matt Barkley on the active roster and Jacob Eason on the practice squad at the most important position in the game. Over the next two months, if the Giants continue to lose, there will be plenty of speculation regarding the No. 1 overall pick and whether Caleb Williams of USC or North Carolina's Drake Maye is a good fit for Big Blue.

Tommy DeVito's day in Big D

The undrafted rookie DeVito got the start for the first time in his career and threw a touchdown pass for the second straight week. His 10-yarder early in the third quarter to tight end Lawrence Cager accounted for the Giants' first points scored against the Cowboys (6-3) this season.

DeVito completed 14-of-27 passes for 86 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception. He rushed seven times for 41 yards, while Saquon Barkley led the team with 66 yards on 13 carries. DeVito hit Sterling Shepard with his second scoring toss with six seconds remaining.

The offense was buried in its own end on the first two drives with DeVito at the helm, then the Giants later went for it on a fourth-and-2 from the 5-yard line going in, but Barkley was stopped short for a turnover on downs.

The Giants were seemingly outmanned wherever you looked, and Prescott had his way with their defense.

Andrew Thomas injury news

Another week, another significant starter on the Giants' offense was sidelined with a knee injury in the first half. Only this time, star left tackle Andrew Thomas wound up returning.

Thomas was rolled up on inadvertently by Cowboys defensive lineman Mazi Smith, who was making a tackle on Barkley in the first quarter. Thomas was face down and in obvious pain and the Giants' medical staff hustled onto the field quickly. Thomas was able to walk off under his own power, but went directly into the medical tent on the Giants' sideline and then rode the cart back to the locker room.

Thomas injured his hamstring in Week 1 against the Cowboys and missed seven games before returning to action last week. This comes after Jones tore his ACL on the first play of the second quarter in last Sunday's loss to the Raiders.

The Giants had a goal line stand on the Cowboys' opening series when Azeez Ojulari and Dexter Lawrence combined to stop Tony Pollard short of the goal line. CeeDee Lamb broke a scoreless tie when he scored on a 14-yard run as the Cowboys took a 7-0 lead.

What were the odds anyway?

The Giants closed as 17.5-point underdogs, according to BetMGM, the fourth time they faced a double-digit spread this season (at San Francisco, at Miami and at Buffalo). They were 15-point underdogs on the road against the Bills last month and came within an untimed down at the goal line of pulling the upset, losing 14-9.

Spent some time researching the largest point spread the Giants have faced as underdogs - ever - on Pro Football Reference.

I've reached 1966 and plan on stopping here.

Ready? The Giants were 25-point underdogs on Dec. 4 to the Cleveland Browns, and covered, losing 49-40.

They were 20.5-point underdogs to the St. Louis Cardinals, who were undefeated at the time, and only lost 24-19. They were 23-point underdogs to the Cowboys that year and lost 17-7.

The biggest blowout that season for the Allie Sherman-led Giants, who finished 1-12-1: they were 17-point underdogs to Washington and lost 72-41.

The fact that the Cowboys beat these Giants by a score of 40-0 on opening night played a factor in the number here.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: Big Blue whacked again, 49-17