Coach Marlier's NFL NFC East Corner: Featuring the Dallas Cowboys-Game Breakdown of Week 4 of 2024
Michael A. Marlier Professional Football Executive, Pro Coach, Scout
NFL CFL UFL AF1 IFL GFL1 UDFA Pro Football Player Intermediary, Career Consultant & League Liaison
New York Giants hosting Dallas Cowboys
Amazon Prime 7:15 PM Thursday Night Football 9-26-24
Pro Analytics Coach Marlier’s NFL Game Unit Scouting Game Breakdown Notes
Dallas Offense
First Half
Dallas opens up with running left off tackle with zone read by RB Dowdle gashing the interior DL of Giants. Giants on TFL with RB Dowdle running right off tackle. Giants exhibiting excellent Bracket Coverage of WR Lamb. 3 and out punt by Dallas.
Dallas attacking the seam effectively with WR Lamb in the quick passing game. WR Lamb effective to the left boundary in breaking bracket coverage to the Flat by Giants secondary. RB Vaughn excellent swing pass to the flat negated by Tolbert PI. WR Lamb lining up at RB in Ace running outside run scheme to right off tackle strong side with success downhill to second level. QB Prescott excellent scramble pass conversion to RB Luepke. WR Lamb being moved around in Offensive scheme with reception off quick slant offensive right. Dallas exhibiting great rhythm and tempo in the quick passing game. WR Cooks effective off release with switch with TE Ferguson at POA in a natural pick in the RZ off deep slant. LT Guyton hand to the face for 10-yard penalty in RZ. Good pass protection by Dallas OL in preserving the pocket. Screen pass left to RB Dowdle for RZ TD. 7-3 Dallas.
RB Elliot physical in inside power with 8 yards. Giants blew up mesh point in QB Prescott not freezing the Giant DE off option run scheme. Critical 4th down conversion made by RB Luepke off stretch concept in run game. WR Lamb playing the X TD reception off go-route beating bracket coverage for chunk play YAC. 14-6 Dallas.
Quick passing game remains effective with QB Prescott utilizing WR lamb and TE Ferguson up seam. QB Prescott sacked for 8 yards in 2-minute drill. QB Prescott off LT scramble for WR Tobert completion in FG range negated by LT Guyton hold off off-setting penalties. WR Cooks’ incompletion to right boundary. P Anger Punted.
14-9 Dallas at Halftime.
Second Half
TE Ferguson continuing to be featured in effective Dallas quick passing game. LT Guyton on untimely holding penalty continuing to not effectively handle DE Thibodeaux’s inside pass rush. Drive stalled. FG Dallas. 17-12 Dallas.
Dallas continues success off tackle and inside power in run offense with RB Elliot. LT Guyton not holding his block in anchoring with WR Lamb getting blown up for TFL. Drive ends with Dallas punt.
Quick passing game to TE Ferguson up the seam and to the boundary continues to be effective. RB Dowdle continuing Dallas success in inside power game. Dallas starting to push football by going up tempo. FG Dallas. 20-15 Dallas.
Dallas being ultra conservative in FG range in Giants territory. Giants stacking the box. Dallas stonewalled in Rushing Offense by stout interior Giants DL on a 3 and out. Missed FG Aubrey. 3 points left on the field. 20-15 Dallas. ???
Dallas Defense
First Half
Dallas opens with a 43 Base. Varying 7-8 players in the box in 43 and 53 Fronts. Noted 41 Front in Dime coverage by Dallas. Noted 60 Front in Nickel package pass defense. DB Booth struggling off WR Nabers double move for Giants chunk passing play to the boundary for 39 yards. Dallas edge contain good with rally. Dallas effective in A-gap DL Blitzing with QBH. 52-yard FG was good. 3-0 Giants.
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Dallas LB play is stout to interior against Giants Run Defense. Poor Flat tackling by DB Lewis in breakdown. Contain of most dangerous player WR Nabers effective to boundary. DB Diggs INT negated by DE Lawson. LB Kendricks arm tackling with poor breakdown in space to Flat allowed conversion. DB Booth not playing with discipline and balance in technique in giving up 29-yard chunk play reception tot Giant’s Receiving Corp. LB Overshown excellent physicality and tackling in space. Giant FG. 7-6 Dallas.
Dallas opens with 52 and 42 fronts. DB Booth playing soft coverage not flipping hips effectively in space continuing to be targeted as a key mismatch in Giants Receiving Corp passing game. S Wilson free to mesh point in poor tackling breakdown missing critical TFL on Giants 4th down conversion by RB Singletary. LB Kendricks not getting off blocks in space in defensing Giants screen passing concepts in attacking the Flats. RB Singletary being featured on drive by Giants Run Offense. Dallas has only allowed 1.8 yards a carry in playing stout Run Defense. Dallas using Defensive left blitzing overloads. Dallas undisciplined in awareness with 12 men on the field and pre-snap offsides calls. Critical Sack DE Lawence off DE Parsons QBH funneling in pocket collapse forcing Giants FG. 14-9 Dallas.
Dallas Defense exhibited consistent excellent rally and high energy to the ball.
Second Half
Giants' Offense opens up with the ball. DT Smith opens with TFL at the mesh point in the Giants backfield. Giants go up tempo and push the ball downfield in attacking the flats in passing game working the whole field. Giants shredding the Dallas Defense with misdirection and disguise. DE Lawence with key foot injury in QBH of QB Jones at 9:58 in the Third Quarter. Out of game. LB Overshown with key RZ Left Flat Tackle inside the 10 of Dallas to prevent Giants TD. FG Giants. 14-12 Dallas.
DE Kneeland demonstrates discipline off edge in sack of QB Jones in Flat in space at POA. Dallas demonstrating sound pass coverage in forcing Giants punt.
Dallas opens with 51 Front. DB Digg’s poor flat breakdown in arm tackling miss of WR Nabers. Dallas excellent rally to the ball by DL when play breaks down. Dallas Pass Defense soft seam play. Dallas thin in secondary off rotation. Giants FG. 17-15 Dallas.
Dallas Defensive line collapsing the pocket on QB Jones consistently of blitzing. TFL DE Parsons. DE Parsons rolled up on with high ankle sprain sustained at the 3:30 mark of 4th Quarter. DE Diggs TOD with WR Nabers concussion down left boundary with PBU.
Dallas Defense destroying A-gap in collapsing the pocket of DL jailbreaks. INT OFF QB Jones Bomb attempt with DB Oruwariye sealing the game in taking over for DB Booth.
20-15 Dallas win.
Dallas Special Teams
Game Ball is shared with the Dallas Defense. Once again Special Teams remains a bright spot for Dallas due to production and consistency week and week out. Overshown's play on Special Teams. Anger's Punt average of 55 yards a punt. Aubrey's 8 points with 2 PATS and going 2/3 with 6 points on FG's.
I have reviewed the game log statistics. Source profootballreference.com.
Offensively
Prescott's efficiency in the passing game with a 125-rating going 22-27 221 yards with two TD's stood out in the Lamb Ferguson one two punch. Giants Passing Defense had 3 PBU's. Rushing Offense finished with a 3.48-yard average on 23 carries for 80 yards. OL gave up 5 TFL's to Giants Run Defense.
Dallas did not consistently finish drives in not converting third downs (3/10) with a TOP of 24:23. 9 drives with two TD's, two FGs made with critical FG missed inside of two minutes in the 4th Quarter.
Penalties at LT with Guyton potentially stalled drives. OL only gave up 1 sack and 3 QBH's.
Coach Marlier's Reasoning: Dallas remained a more balanced but predominant success came from the quick passing game. Dallas lacked the ability to sustain drives consistently with the Blindside at LT (Guyton) being a matchup problem in DE (Thibodeaux’s) controlling the LOS inside disrupting the Dallas offense in the second half.
Defensely
Game Ball is shared with Special Teams. The Dallas Pass Rush produced 1 sack and 3 QBH's. The Dallas Run Defense shined in only allowing 1.08 yards a carry in 24 rushes for 26 yards. 6 TFL's in destroying the mesh point.
Dallas held the Giants Offense to 30% (5/16) on third down but allowed 3/4 fourth down conversions in losing the TOP edge at 35:37 due to the Dallas Offense not sustaining drives and the Defense not getting off the field on 4th Down 75% of the time (3/4 Conversions allowed). Dallas held the Giants to 5 FG's and no TD's.
Coach Marlier's Reasoning: Dallas won the game due to making the Giants one dimensional by dominating the LOS in Run Defense. Control of Third Down allowed Dallas to hold the Giants to FGs through execution. Kendricks and Overshown at LB controlled the second level forcing the Giants to try to beat Dallas downfield without success at Level 3. Result win.
Other
Untimely penalties cost Dallas Turnover opportunities on Defense and stalled Offensive Drives in settling for FG attempts making 2/3 opportunities.