When the Giants and Cowboys take the field for Monday Night Football, the narrative will be quite different from September’s season opener. How you ask?
This will be the first time since the 2004 season someone other then Eli Manning will start against the rival Cowboys. Manning who was benched for rookie Daniel Jones in week 3, had a below .500 record against Dallas (13-17).
Nothing to go crazy for but Eli has had some of his greatest moments against the Cowboys in big games. Some which Giants fans will never forget. (We will dive into the rivalry later in the weekend)
Please do not think that Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett has forgotten about Eli’s amazing performance against his team. Nothing but respect for the two Super Bowl winning QB.
“We have the upmost respect for Eli” said Garrett during a media call on Thursday. “He’s been such a great player in this league for so long. We’ve had the great fortune, or the misfortune, of having to compete against him a couple times a year, because it’s always been a great challenge. I hold him in the highest regard.”
Knowing that their is a new captain of the ship leading Big Blue down the field, Garrett was asked his impressions of Daniel Jones since the season opener.
“It’s not surprising to us that he was drafted as high as he was” Garrett recalled. “Just a really talented guy. He’s big, he’s athletic, he can throw the ball, he can make plays in the pocket, he can make plays out in space with his feet. He keeps his eyes up, makes a lot of plays when he’s on the move throwing the ball down the field, plays with a competitive spirit. He’s someone who seems calm and poised and handling it all really well and getting better and better every week. We are very impressed by him.”
Besides the QB change, the Giants will look different as more weapons become available for Jones as Sterling Shepard most likely returns to the line up.
“I think it’ll help us” Said Daniel Jones at his media conference on Thursday. “Those are all really good players (Tate and Shepard). When you put them all together there’s a lot of different things that we can do, a lot of different ways to attack. I think the guys who stepped in have played well throughout the season. But yeah, getting Shep (Sterling Shepard) back this week will help.”
The Giants and Cowboys have a storied history and it’s one that players often downplay. With that said, Jones has a tough act to follow with the man who has written a lot of success in this rivalry sitting right behind him itching for one more shot on the field.
The question is can Jones perform at a top level to make his mark in this rivalry.
We will look at more of the Giants-Cowboys match up on Sunday morning with a full preview.
