Two key matchups for Giants and Cowboys
October, 25, 2010
Oct 25

The New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys renew their division rivalry on Monday Night Football (ESPN, coverage begins at 7 ET).

There are two small things to keep an eye on tonight that will have a big impact on the result. The Cowboys, who have ranked in the top seven in the NFL in sacks each of the last three seasons, are currently twelfth in the league in sacks per game.


And this is with an increased effort to get to the quarterback. Entering Week 7, only four teams in the NFL blitzed more often than the Cowboys, who were in the middle of the pack in that statistic last season.

That's bad news for the Dallas defense, as Eli Manning is sixth in the league in passer rating (104.9) against five or more pass rushers, with five touchdowns and just one interception.

And the Cowboys pass defense has been poor outside the numbers this season as well. Entering Week 7, only the Philadelphia Eagles had a higher passer rating allowed on throws outside the numbers in 2010.


Cowboys Defense 2010 Season vs Passes Outside Numbers
NFL Rank
Passer rtg 117.2 31st
Yards/att 9.2 30th
Att/TD 17.4 22nd
Att/1st down 2.6 27th

This could be another big advantage for Manning. The Giants quarterback has been exceptional throwing outside the numbers, passing for seven touchdowns and just one interception, with a passer rating of 113.3.