Clarence Hill: What the Dallas Cowboys must do to beat the New York Giants

So the question to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak was simple. And so was the obvious answer.

But accomplishing the task is not so easy.

How do the Cowboys, coming off their most dominant and impressive performance in arguably years in last Sunday’s 40-3 victory against the Minnesota Vikings, continue to maintain that level of play going forward, starting Thursday against the New York Giants in the annual Thanksgiving Day showdown at AT&T Stadium?

Before Prescott could answer, receiver CeeDee Lamb chimed in: “Keep kicking (expletive).”

“Yeah, you heard CeeDee, keep kicking (expletive),” Prescott said with a laugh. Honestly. Cool as hell, let’s just keep kicking (butt).

“I think coach (Mike) McCarthy said it best,” Prescott continued. “Take a picture of that. Take a picture of what it felt like, of what it looked like when we were at our best, obviously individually as a unit and as a team. And to keep that at the forefront of your mind. And when you’re not, remind yourself or do the things that are necessary to get back to that.

“You need games like we just had, too, just to continue to propel and show us sometimes what we can do on all units.”

McCarthy had said that if he knew, “he would have bottled it up and got rich off it” and not be at a podium talking to the media.

Because of the short week, the Cowboys haven’t had any problem moving on from the Vikings game and turning their focus to the Giants and the NFC East standings.

Both have identical 7-3 marks and are tied for second place behind division-leading Philadelphia Eagles (9-1).

Running back Ezekiel Elliott said the Cowboys gained confidence in how they played against the Vikings but they will not take the Giants lightly.

“I think we know where we’re at. I think we know where we need to go,” Elliott said. We know we have a big one coming up this week, not only division game but I think, what we’re tied in the division. We’ve got to go out there and win this football game, big-time division game, Thanksgiving. They’re going to come out fired up. We’ve got to come out just like them.

“I just really think we don’t have the type of locker room to even get big-headed. I think we’ve all got a lot to prove. We’ve all got a lot to play for. I don’t think any of us are satisfied with being 7-3. We know what the bigger plan is, the bigger goal, and we’re not even close to it yet. So it’s hard to get big-headed.”

The Cowboys, who beat the Giants 23-16 in September, want to continue the strangle hold on their division rivals. Prescott has won every start against the Giants since 2017.

The Cowboys have won 10 of the last 11 in the series.

They are also going to continue to remember their struggles in the 31-28 overtime loss against the Green Bay Packers a week early that gave them the motivation to unless their frustrating on the Vikings.

Micah Parsons said he is not letting that anger go.

“I’m staying mad. Once the disrespect is out there, people are going to still try you,” Parsons said. “It’s almost like the bully trying to take your lunch money every day until you say ‘no, that’s enough.’ They’re going to keep taking your lunch money. I’m at that point, that’s enough, you’re not going to keep taking my lunch money.”

5 Things the Cowboys need to do beat the Giants:

Continue to run the football with with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard

The blueprint for success on offense is clear.

The foundation was laid when Cooper Rush was quarterback and the team has started really hit it’s stride with Dak Prescott back in the fold.

It starts with running the ball with Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott or with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.

It doesn’t matter whose name comes first. It doesn’t matter who gets the most carries. When the Cowboys lean on the run and use them both to the fullest extent, it opens everything up in the offense, allowing Prescott to make plays down field in the passing game.

Pollards leads the Cowboys with 701 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Elliott, who missed two games due a knee injury, has 485 yards and six rushing touchdowns.

“Our focus is complimentary football,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I think the mechanics of how you get that are playing to one another. I mean, certain statistics don’t always tell the whole story but it gives you insight on where you want to be, so you control the clock, keeps your defense fresh, running the football really highlights two of our premier players on offense, with both Zeke and Tony.”

“When you run the football, the action passing game comes off of that.”

Stop the run, rush the passer

The Cowboys stopped the run against the Vikings. But it remains a supposed weak link of the defense and they must prove themselves again against the Giants and running back Saquon Barkley.

Unlike the Vikings, the Giants will force the run with Barkley because it’s the smart thing to do and because they have to, considering quarterback Daniel Jones and the passing game is not a real threat to win the game.

Barkley is the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 953 yards and six touchdowns on 213 carries.

Linebacker Micah Parsons said stopping Barkley is the Cowboys primary focus.

“Yeah extremely important for how explosive a year he’s having,” Parsons said. “We’re probably looking at, he’s been a top 2-3 back this year easily, the way he’s been carrying his team this year with his workload has been almost unstoppable. So we’ve got to find a way to stop him and get him off the field as much as possible.”

Navigate the illness in the locker room

The Cowboys are preparing for the Giants on a short week while trying to fend off an illness that is ravaging through the locker room.

Defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna and punter Bryan Anger dealt with before last week’s game against the Vikings and cornerback Kelvin Joseph sat out the second half of the game with the bug.

The illness has impacted the defense this week with Tarell Basham, Dante Fowler, DeMarcus Lawrence and Johnathan Hankins missing practice with the illness.

It is unknown how it’s going to impact the Cowboys on Thursday.

But coach McCarthy said the team is taking added precautions with some players choosing to wear masks to help prevent the spread.

“We had a number of people wear masks,” McCarthy said. “A lot of what we went through in the pandemic served us well in these types of challenges.”

Win and go get Odell Beckham

Thursday game is considered by some to be the Odell Beckham Jr. bowl.

The free agent receiver has listed the Cowboys and Giants as two teams he’s interested in joining.

Both teams have identical 7-3 records and viable playoff contenders. The winner could take huge step forward in the race for Beckham.

The Cowboys already have a victory over the Giants and they have made no secret about their interest in Beckham.

The team has been recruiting Beckham for weeks via owner Jerry Jones, coach Mike McCarthy and the players on social media.

Quarterback Dak Prescott said he has reached out the Beckham personally to let him know of his interest. They have exchanged messages back and forth.

“If you’re able to add a talent like Odell that can be special,” Prescott said. “Hopefully everything is going great in the recruiting process. He knows how much I want him here and a lot of these guys in this locker room, I’ve seen, have reached out on their own in different ways to making sure that he understands that this is a team that he can help. And we want him to come help.”

Although Beckham has other suitors, including the Giants, Prescott said there is mutual interest between both sides.

“Mutual. Honestly, it’s mutual,” Prescott said. “That’s the reason I said it’s business. It’s more than just somebody’s feelings of wanting to be somewhere. I understand that will come into play, but I’m feeling like it’s mutual.”

Take advantage of an injury-ravaged Giants roster

The Cowboys are dealing with a number of illnesses but the Giants are coming into Thursday’s game not knowing who is going to play due a plethora of injuries.

The Giants lost receiver Wan’Dale Robinson to a torn ACL in his right knee during last Sunday’s 31-18 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Cornerback Adoree Jackson has already been ruled for the Cowboys game with a knee injury suffered against the Lions.

Several others are game time decisions.

Cornerback Fabian Moreau is uncertain due to an oblique injury.

Right tackle Evan Neal (knee), who has missed the past three games, is iffy. Center Jon Feliciano, left guard Josh Ezeudu and right tackle Tyre Phillips also all have neck issues, while starting left tackle Andrew Thomas (illness) and guard Shane Lemieux (toe) were added to the injury report Tuesday.

“It’s going to go right to the end,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “We’ll see who we have healthy.”