Giants lack of luck against Dak Prescott is evident with latest stat

The New York Giants have played 120 games against the Dallas Cowboys. Although the two NFC East teams have had a long history against each other, the rivalry has mostly been one-sided.

With the exception of a six-game winning streak that began in 1988, the Giants have mostly succumbed to the Cowboys. Out of the 120 matchups, New York won just 47 times. That gap only widened last season when the Cowboys outscored the Giants 89-17 in their two divisional games. 

Moving forward, the Giants are hoping to turn the tide and improve on their 39.1 win percentage against Dallas. To find consistent success in the division, the Giants will likely have to channel their former glory, when all-time great outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor struck fear into Big Blue’s opponents.

Giants sacked Dak Prescott for the first time since 2021

During a penalty-ridden game on Thursday Night Football, the Giants took the first step toward returning to a defense-oriented approach. Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux ended a three-year drought when he sacked Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the second quarter.

The takedown was the first time the Giants have sacked Prescott since the 2021 season, per Art Stapleton of USA Today.

New York’s last sack against Dallas occurred on Dec.19, 2021, when Lorenzo Carter strip-sacked Prescott for a 6-yard loss. The ball was recovered by Austin Johnson, but the Cowboys ultimately won the game, 21-6.

The obscure stat highlights New York’s struggles against Prescott, who had won his last 12 starts against the Giants before Week 4. 

Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was asked about the team’s sack drought against Prescott before Thursday’s game, and the defensive captain was confident that they could end the dry spell.

"That's going to change," Lawrence said, h/t the team's official website. "I feel like we can get after him pretty good. We just got to hone in on the plan and execute it well."

The Giants entered Week 4 with 14 sacks, second-most in the NFL. A large part of that production came against the Cleveland Browns, whose injury-riddled offensive line allowed New York to feast on quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Giants generated eight sacks against the Browns, marking their highest sack total in a single game since 2014. 

If New York can produce that level of pressure against Dallas, they’ll give themselves a much better chance to compete for the division title.

The Giants last won the NFC East in the 2011 season, when their vaunted defensive front seven led them to a Super Bowl championship against the New England Patriots.