5 New York Giants to Watch vs. the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7

On the surface, a 3-4 record for the New York Giants at the bye week would not be that bad—just ask the winless NFL teams such as the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars how fast they would trade for that mark.

However, a 3-4 bye-week record for the Giants would put them in an insurmountable hole because two of those four losses would have come in consecutive weeks against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, NFC East opponents.

A loss to a division opponent technically puts a team a half-game behind that victor in the division race because the first tiebreaker used to determine the division standings is the head-to-head competition.

With a continued accumulation of losses against division opponents, a team puts itself even deeper in the hole, thanks to the second tiebreaking procedure, the division record.

That is why the Giants cannot leave Dallas without a win on Sunday.

Besides regaining some of the pride that was lost in last week’s disastrous showing in Philly, a win would be a tremendous psychological boost to a team that lost its star receiver, Victor Cruz, to a horrific knee injury.

Even more importantly, a win would tell the outside world a lot about the character of this Giants team. Does it have the mental toughness to overcome adversity?

We better hope so because the next four opponents—Indianapolis, Seattle, San Francisco and the Cowboys—are all over .500 and have a combined won-loss record of 16-7 prior to the start of Week 7’s action.

The spotlight is going to be on every Giants player who takes the field this week, but here is a look at the five (four individuals and one group) that really need to bring it on Sunday in Big "D."

RT Justin Pugh

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

It is probably little consolation to Giants fans that right tackle Justin Pugh confirmed what anyone watching the Giants-Eagles game Sunday night saw.

“That’s the worst game I’ve ever played in my life, in anything,” Pugh told Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.

How bad was it? Of the eight sacks allowed, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) credited Pugh with giving up four.

OK, so where does Pugh, who also told Samuel that the problem was “100 percent my technique,” go from here?

There is only one way to go, and that is up. The good thing about Pugh, besides owning up to his shortcomings, is that he is the type who will not let it happen again.

We saw that resiliency and fight in him last year, when as a rookie, Charles Johnson of the Carolina Panthers schooled Pugh, who allowed two sacks, per PFF.

After that meltdown, Pugh cleaned up his technique and did not allow another sack until Week 10, as outlined by PFF.

The other question with Pugh concerns his injured left elbow, which head coach Tom Coughlin finally acknowledged this week when he spoke to reporters.

Jordan Raanan of NJ Advanced Media pointed out that Pugh has been wearing the brace for several weeks.

“Hopefully by the end of the bye week, I'll have no brace on the elbow," Pugh told Raanan.

CB Jayron Hosley

Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Giants, who have already lost two slot cornerbacks (Walter Thurmond and Trumaine McBride) to season-ending injuries, are hoping that the third one will not only survive the rest of the season but also play at a high level.

That would be Jayron Hosley, a third-round draft pick in 2012. Due to a series of injuries and a recently completed four-game league-imposed suspension, Hosley has just not developed into the player the Giants hoped he would become.

Hosley, who made it through the spring and all of summer this year, did not have a very good preseason showing.

Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he allowed 12 of 16 pass targets against him to be completed for 82 yards and one touchdown (106.8 NFL rating).

He admitted this week that his looming suspension at the time was weighing more heavily on his mind than he realized.

“If I said it wasn’t, I’d be lying, but at the same time football is my main focus,” he told reporters. “When I’m out there, I’ve got to block those things out. It’s hard, but at the same time you’ve got to know what’s more important. Off the field is off the field; on the field is on the field.”

Hosley, who coming into the pros really didn’t have much experience playing the slot, believes he is ready to handle the challenge before him.

“I’ve grown at the position. I learned to play the position. I feel more comfortable than I did my rookie year, so at this point I feel like I’m more prepared to play and play that role and be effective,” he said.  

The Giants hope he is right.

The Wide Receivers

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

With Cruz gone for the year, the onus shifts to his fellow receivers to pick up the slack.

The problem, though, is that no one from a list that includes Rueben Randle, Preston Parker, Odell Beckham Jr., Corey Washington and Kevin Ogletree, has Cruz’s credentials.

The remaining receivers know they have to step up, and they seem confident they can get the job done. 

 “I’ve just got to continue to do what I’m doing, and whatever they throw at us, we have to adjust to it,” Randle, the most senior of the group in terms of service to the team, told reporters.

Beckham, the No. 1 draft pick whose speed and skill set seems to most closely match what Cruz brought to the table, could very well be the key.

“I definitely feel more comfortable with where I’m at now as far as the playbook and getting my body underneath me,” Beckham told reporters.

“It’s tough to fill that role that he played—not just what he did on the field but off the field, his presence.”

"We all have confidence in ourselves within the receiver group," Parker told Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media. "We don't lack confidence, we're strong-minded guys, and that's how you gotta be in this league."

That is fine that the receivers have confidence, but if we learned anything from last week’s game, talk is cheap.

CB Zack Bowman

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The good news is that starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was able to make it through part of Friday’s practice after missing Wednesday and Thursday due to hamstring and ankle issues.

The bad news is that on Thursday, Rodgers-Cromartie estimated he has been playing at “60 percent” when he spoke to reporters and questioned whether he would be able to play on Sunday against the Cowboys if he didn’t get enough practice time in beforehand.

“You definitely need that time on the field because you have new things in,” he said. “It is definitely hard to play without practicing.”

The good news is that moving forward, Rodgers-Cromartie believes that rest—the Giants have their bye after this weekend—will help, especially with a tough four-game schedule on the horizon starting with the Monday night home game against the Colts.

“I think I can fight through it,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “I think with a little bit more rest and with the bye week, everything will be a go.”

If Rodgers-Cromartie can’t go, veteran Zack Bowman, who has started 22 NFL games with the Chicago Bears, will get the call.

“Zack Bowman has played against [Dallas] and had a lot of success against these guys when he was in Chicago,” defensive coordinator Perry Fewell told reporters. “I am very comfortable with Zack if he has to play.”

“It’s not my first rodeo; I’ve played in games before,” Bowman told reporters when asked about the possibility of him seeing increased reps on the defense.

“The main thing is being confident and know what I’m doing out there and obviously to go out there and have fun.”

Bowman, who has 23 career passes defensed and 11 career interceptions, has eight tackles, two passes defensed and one interception in 77 defensive snaps this year, per Pro Football Focus(subscription required).

LB Jon Beason

USA TODAY Sports

The good news is that Jon Beason, the Giants’ middle linebacker, made it through his first full week of practice since returning from a three-week absence after aggravating his toe injury.

However, he is still working his way back to being the player the coaches know he can be.

“He was rusty. He did some good things; I’m not saying he didn’t. We have such a high level of expectation out of Jon Beason,” defensive coordinator Perry Fewell told reporters when asked about Beason’s showing against the Eagles last week.

“There were some plays out there that when you go back there and look at the tape in the ballgame and saying, ‘Jon Beason would’ve made that play.’”

“With more practice, more reps and more looks, he is going to make those plays for you. I would look for him to be even better this week,” Fewell added.

Beason told reporters that he was pleased with how he moved on the field and with how he read the plays. He hopes to build off that progress.

“If that is the starting point coming off of an injury with limited amount of practice, then I was somewhat happy,” he said. “[I] made it through the game, and obviously, I want to build on that, and I know I can play a whole lot better.”

Beason’s improved play would sure help the Giants defense against the Dallas running game, which features the league’s rushing yardage leader in running back DeMarco Murray.

“Murray is a power back. He has speed. He is elusive. He runs hard. He plays every down. He is the complete package,” Beason said.

“Their offensive line has done a great job if you look at what they have done collectively. [They] have opened up some big holes and are playing together. They are playing very, very physical, so we have to match that on Sunday.”

That is why it is a good sign that Beason was able to make it through the entire week of practice, including one practice held on the rigid turf of the team’s indoor field house because of inclement weather. 

Last week against the Eagles, Beason finished with a minus-1.4 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), where he took 31 of his 57 snaps.

In pass coverage, the Eagles targeted him three times, per PFF, allowing two receptions for 16 yards, breaking up one pass.

It will be important for Beason to be extra alert against Murray, whose exceptional vision allows him to spot and quickly cut back into a hole.

Beason, as well as the rest of the Giants' defensive front will have to exercise sound gap control to take away those cutback lanes and force Murray to the outside.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) unless otherwise noted.

All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.