4. Dallas is going against the sound idea that the Giants have used to two superbowl championships, superior pass rush can cover up a suspect secondary. The Cowboys are trying to win with superior coverage and move Demarcus Ware all over to generate consistent pressure as well as confuse opposing quarterbacks with pre-snap movement.
Historically, Dallas blitzes Eli often almost 40% of the time without success, he has proved to be one of the league's best when pressure as he trust his receivers to go up and get the ball.
The gameplan was to show different looks with the safeties in the box, show blitz and then occasionally back out into deep half coverage. Then allow Brandon Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne to get physical at the line jamming the receivers and not give up the easy reception. It helps a lot when you don't have Terence Newman and Alan Ball as easy targets for Eli.
Throughout the first quarter either Church or Sensabaugh lined up in the box showing blitz but backed out of it. This time he would be coming and obviously Manning thought pre-snap he was going to back out of it.
15:00-2Q-43 in box but previous times had darted back into deep half coverage. This time 43 blitzes off edge, misses sack but 94 finishes the play. Sack
They catch the giants in a playaction with the fullback releasing up the middle. Sensabaugh has to finish the play but Ware is there.
Fast forward to the third quarter, pre-snap suggest two safeties back in deep half coverage, Manning is so good looking off his primary receiver then coming back. Dallas has seen it for years and beaten so often. However Barry Church is an aggressive safety who also hasn't been beaten badly in coverage yet. He is sitting in zone just playing the 10 yard curl and then undercut the route. He is in perfect position to make a play on the ball but just misses it. Play call was perfect.
10:19-3Q-Giants 1st and 10. Play is 10 yard curl to 80. Cowboys show man, 2 safeties deep. Both LBs in tight. 42 is playing that curl to make a play on that ball.
Dangerous to double move since he's playing aggressive like that. Here it works and almost gets a INT.
Carr's debut in Cowboy blue was good but by no means perfect. He is a smart corner who understands times when to be aggressive and when to back off to just not give up the deep ball. He was not a shutdown corner nor the aggressive tackler but he is the efficient corner who just does not give up many receptions especially deep ones.
13:43-4q-3rd down, giants in shotgun. 42 lines up in box, then just prior to snap backs out of it. Historically Dallas blitzed and pressured Eli a lot in passing but left secondary vulnerable. Rob Ryan used this history against Eli and it worked most of the night.
No blitz, coverage sack as Eli with no where to go with ball. Unlike last year, there is no Alan Ball or Newman to easily target for completions in secondary. 31 Butler sticks like glue to underneath route, 93 with inside pressure and 97 finishes the play with sack.
It wasn't all good as the Giants still had opportunities. The first one is one play Carr would like to forget.
6:31-3Q-3rd and 4 for Giants. Cowboys in nickel D appear to be playing cover 3 with Mana Silva responsible for the middle of the field. Carr is playing off. Play goes to 87 runs a go route inside of Carr. Manning fires as soon as 87 clears 43, Carr is in perfect position to undercut the route and at the very least knock the ball away.
However he times his jump terribly and Silva cannot close fast enough to knock the ball away. The scheme worked but player execution failed Rob Ryan's team.
10:50 in the 1st quarter brings up a Giants 3rd and 5. Victor Cruz is the slot on Eli's left side. They will be running a pick play with the outside receiver cutting to the inside hopefully to "accidentally" pick off the defender lined up on Cruz.
The Giants tried this route several times throughout the game but Dallas was either in off coverage or seamlessly picked up the receivers not giving the instant separation as on this play.
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