Not much trash talk between Cowboys, Giants | Cheap Cowboys Tickets

By Ralph Vacchiano
October 25 2010,

Arlington, TX — There was a noticeable lack of trash talk this week from both sides of this heated rivalry. Of course, the Cowboys couldn't say much while they're struggling at 1-4 and on the brink of losing their grip on the season.

But the Giants didn't say much either about the opponent they love to hate. After all, why risk reviving Dallas by stating the obvious?

"Thus far things just haven't been going their way," said Giants safety Kenny Phillips. "We're not trying to have them turn it around against us."

Left unsaid is this: The Giants (4-2) have a chance to absolutely bury the desperate 'Boys by winning Monday night at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys were everybody's preseason favorite to win the NFC East, but they'll need a miracle to do that if they fall 3-1/2 games behind the Giants this early in the season.

And if you don't think the Giants are relishing the chance to come down here - where they spoiled the Cowboys' stadium opener last season, 33-31 - and kick Dallas when it is down ... well, then, you just haven't been paying attention as the Giants have won four of the last five games between the teams.

"We understand what we're getting ourselves into as far as how much they hate us and how much we hate them," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "We understand that there is going to be a lot of emotion going into this game. They're going to be fired up and trying to get their season back on track, and we're going to be fired up and trying to keep the good times rolling."

The good times certainly have rolled for the Giants during their three-game winning streak that salvaged their season after a disappointing 1-2 start. Even with a semi-close call against Detroit last week (a 28-20 win) they've dominated their opponents recently, especially on defense. They have 15 sacks in the last three games and are giving up an average of only 223.6 yards per game, as their new-look defense has risen to second in the league.

But it may not be so easy to dominate quarterback Tony Romo and the Cowboys. Despite their miserable record, the Cowboys have the NFL's third-ranked offense, and the No. 4 passing attack that averages 305.0 yards per game. Romo is completing 69.4% of his passes and has 1,566 yards and 10 touchdowns.

And he's backed by the NFL's fourth-ranked defense. The Cowboys haven't lost a game by more than a touchdown this year.

"We're not looking at them as, 'Oh, they're 1-4,'" said center Shaun O'Hara. "Anybody that's seen any of those games, they were winnable. They didn't get blown out four times. They've found a way to lose some games, but that doesn't mean that they're not a good team."

What's killed the Cowboys are penalties and turnovers - something that should be familiar to anyone who remembers the Giants' 1-2 start. The Cowboys have 49 penalties - more than all but two NFL teams (Detroit and Oakland). And their minus-5 turnover ratio is third-worst in the league.

Those numbers aren't far off from what the Giants did during their 1-2 start. And they managed to clean up their play and turn around their season.

The Giants seem well aware that the Cowboys are capable of doing the same.

"They are always dangerous," Eli Manning said. "They're a talented team. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball, guys you have to pay special attention to that can change the game. They've lost some close games, and every game has come down to the fourth quarter. If they get a play here, a play there, if they get a bounce, their record can easily be reversed."

This is the perfect chance for the Cowboys to reverse their spiral - a nationally televised game against a hated division rival. On conference calls with the New York media this past week, Romo and embattled Cowboys coach Wade Phillips downplayed the significance of that.

But the Giants aren't fooled. And they insist they're ready.

"They're going to come out fighting, come out hitting hard, and we have to be prepared for it," said running back Brandon Jacobs. "They aren't just going to come out, lie down and let us walk all over them"

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