Key factors for the Giants in Week 2 against the Cowboys

Sunday marked the third consecutive year in which the Giants failed to score a touchdown in Week 1 as the Washington Commanders defeated them 21-6. Looking to leave the loss in the mirror, the Giants head on the road to take on another division foe, the Dallas Cowboys. 

AT&T Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Giants. The last time Big Blue took home a win in Dallas was opening night in 2016 when Victor Cruz caught the game-winning touchdown. 

Since then, the Giants have scored only 18 points per game in Dallas, allowing the Cowboys to score almost 33 points per game. 

Only one week in and the Giants already are in dangerous waters with plenty to work on in Week 2. 

Three Key Factors for the Giants in Week 2

1. Show signs of life in the run game

The Giants had little to show on the ground last Sunday. On 23 carries, the Giants mustered only 74 yards, just 3.2 per carry. The team's leading rusher was QB Russell Wilson, who finished with 44 yards on eight attempts. 

Last week, the Cowboys allowed 158 rushing yards (sixth most) and three rushing touchdowns (tied first most) against Philly's tough rushing attack. 

The running back tandem of Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo finished with 24 yards on 10 attempts and -3 yards on two attempts, respectively. 

With a chance to have star left tackle Andrew Thomas return Sunday, the Giants are in desperate need of a boost to their rushing attack. Although the Giants' run game fails to compare to the Eagles, New York can still show signs of improvement this week at Dallas.

2. Continue to attack the quarterback

The Giants' fearsome defensive front got off to a bit of a cold start last week. Allowing 432 total yards (fifth most), 212 through the air (15th most) and 220 on the ground (second most), there was little resistance to the Commanders' offense. 

Where the Giants had some success was in attacking the QB. Brian Burns brought Jayden Daniels down twice, while Kavon Thibedeaux split a sack with Abdul Carter, who also tipped a punt. 

With that, the Giants need to continue to put even more pressure on opposing QBs. Their defensive identity is through their line. How well the whole defense plays relies on its line. Their line will need continuous pressure for quarterbacks. 

3. Throw the ball more efficiently 

Over his 14-year career, Russell Wilson has never had a season in which he finished with a completion percentage lower than 60%. On Sunday, Wilson was 17 of 37 passing for 168 yards. 

With a 45.9 completion percentage, Sunday marked the 10th game in Wilson's career where he completed less than half of his passes (Wilson 200 career starts). 

The Giants' biggest passing problem was the inability to connect with Malik Nabers. The second-year stud finished with five catches for 71 yards on 12 targets. 

The good: Nabers led the team, seeing 36.4% of the targets thrown his way. The bad: Nabers also finished with a 41.7% catch percentage, ninth worst in Week 1 according to NFL Next Gen Stats. 

The problem isn't finding Nabers, it's cashing in with completions. If Wilson can't improve the Giants' offense, the team may opt for the rookie Jaxson Dart. Regardless of who's throwing the ball, they need to start hitting their receivers more consistently.