There is a lot to like about the New York Giants, but there are also some clear issues.
The New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 28-20 on Sunday night in a game that wasn't really as close as the final score indicated.
The Giants dominated from wire-to-wire, thanks to a dynamic offense and a much-improved run defense that held the Cowboys to just 69 yards on the ground.
New York also prevented big plays from CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, which was really the key to the game.
But while the Giants did not allow home runs from Dallas, we cannot ignore the fact that the secondary is still a significant concern. Specifically at cornerback.
Deonte Banks in particular was a bit of an issue, giving up four catches on seven targets — including a touchdown. Paulson Adebo only saw the field for nine snaps, but was burnt for a couple of catches on three targets.
And while Greg Newsome II only surrendered one reception on the three targets on the night, he received a 40.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.
Pro Football Focus certainly isn't a be-all-end-all, but it is usually a decent indicator of how well a player has performed, and in the case of Newsome, it seems pretty clear that Dak Prescott missed some throws that could have been made in his direction.
I definitely liked how the safeties played. Jevon Holland had a very impressive performance, corralling an interception while doing a terrific job with help over the top. And I'll be honest: Tyler Nubin may have had his best game as a Giant.
The less said about nickelback Dru Phillips, the better.
But cornerback could be a major issue, especially considering we saw both Newsome and Banks briefly exit the game with injuries. The former in particular has been prone to injury throughout his career, and the Giants don't exactly have a ton of depth at the position.
Adebo had a rough training camp and didn't look very good in brief action against the Cowboys. That $54 million contract looked fine at the time, but it isn't aging well.
Colton Hood is just a rookie, so it's hard to come to any sort of conclusion on him just yet.
This makes a potential pursuit of disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. that much more plausible, but whether or not New York would want to surrender any draft capital after already being relatively thin in that area is the question.
The Giants' front seven did an outstanding job of clogging the middle and winning the battle in the trenches. That certainly made things easier for the defensive backfield. But you do have to wonder just how long the corners will hold up in this state.
