If defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is working on a secret corner cloning machine, now would be a good time to make it known.
As the Giants knew the last time they faced the Cowboys, hooking pro Bowler James Bradberry on Amari Cooper only gets so much when Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb are also No. 1 caliber wide receivers.
“These three guys could fit into that label of being one of the best receivers on a team and a man of competition,” said Giants coach Joe Judge.
What sets the Cowboys trio apart? The stats tell part of the story, as Cooper, Gallup and Lamb are responsible for 210 catches, 2,759 yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games. Darius Slayton, the leader of the Giants in receiving gardens, would be the Cowboys ’fourth.
“You get a lot of receivers all over the league who are maybe bigger and faster targets and who are threats in the lower field. Then you get other guys who are maybe smaller, faster and who are threats of capture and execution,” he said. say the judge.
“All of these guys are good size, they have very good speed, they can increase their speed and keep their speed on the field of play, they have good hands to make disputed catches, but they do an exceptional job extending the plays.”
Recent game tape plays live on in the judge’s mind: Cooper on a tilt, Gallup on a screen, Lamb settles in the center. All big winners without the risk of a deep shot.
First of all, you might think of Ezekiel Elliott’s runner up for the Cowboys offense, but it’s the receiving body that makes this such a tough confrontation for the Giants more than one.
“They get all these accolades, are they blocking?” Graham said. “What comes to mind are the guys who come in and get stuck.”
And they are rewarded by the air. Bradberry kept Cooper in check at a Week 5 meeting, but Lamb had eight catches of 124 yards and Gallup made 57 catches in a row to set the winning field goal.
“This is a special group,” security Xavier McKinney said. “We’re definitely going to the game ready and prepared for a dog fight.”
McKinney missed the first rivalry game after foot surgery, but is now part of the Giants ’secondary strength: a three-safety rotation with Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan.
McKinney is in the slot more than expected before his injury on the training ground, although his rookie Darnay Holmes (knee) has a tendency to come back after losing three games in a row.
McKinney and Lamb qualified once before in a national semifinal of the College Football Playoff when McKinney’s Alabama beat Oklahoma even though Lamb took eight passes to 109 yards from Kyler Murray.
“I always thought he was a great receiver,” McKinney said. “It was definitely a problem to deal with in college.”
Graham has relied on covert zone coverage to protect his inexperienced corners, but quarterbacks are starting to find weaknesses. There’s nothing veteran Andy Dalton hasn’t seen.
“He’s very smart at understanding where he has to go with the ball,” the judge said. “It simply came to our notice then. Most of his passes are actually done within 20 yards. But that doesn’t mean it’s not an explosive work. “