If defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is working on a secret cornerback cloning machine, now would be a good time to reveal it.
As the Giants learned from the last time they faced the Cowboys, pasting Pro Bowler James Bradberry on Amari Cooper does not do much until Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb are also the largest caliber recipients.
“All three guys could fit the label of being the best recipient of a team and the guy in the special fight,” said Giants coach Joe Judge.
What distinguishes the Cowboys trio? Statistics tell part of the story, as Cooper, Gallup and Lamb are responsible for 210 receptions, 2,759 reception yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games. Darius Slayton, the leader of the Giants in receiving yards, would be fourth in the Cowboys.
“You have a lot of receivers across the league that are perhaps bigger and faster targets that are field threats. So you have other guys who may be smaller and faster who are threats to catch and run, ”said Judge.
“All of these guys are a good size, they have very good speed, they can increase their speed and keep it on the field, they have good hands for making contested tracks, but they do an exceptional job of extending the plays.”
The play of recent game tapes is fresh in Judge’s mind: Cooper bent over, Gallup on the screen, Lamb settling in between. All big winners without the risk of a deep shot.
You can first think of chasing Ezekiel Elliott when it comes to the Cowboys attack, but it is the receiving body that makes this confrontation so difficult for the Giants in more ways than one.
“Are they getting all these compliments, are they blocking it?” Graham said. “What I see are the guys who go there and block it.”
And they are rewarded by the air. Bradberry kept Cooper under control at a Week 5 meeting, but Lamb had eight receptions for 124 yards and Gallup made consecutive catches covering 57 yards to establish the winning field goal.
“This is a special group,” said safety Xavier McKinney. “We are definitely going to enter the game prepared and ready for a dog fight.”
McKinney lost his first rivalry game after foot surgery, but is now part of the strength of the Giants’ secondary: a three-man rotation with Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan.
McKinney is in the slot more than expected before his injury on the training ground, although fellow debutant Darnay Holmes (knee) is tending to return after losing three games in a row.
McKinney and Lamb clashed once in the College Football Playoff national semifinal when McKinney’s Alabama defeated Oklahoma, despite Lamb having managed eight passes for Kyler Murray’s 109 yards.
“I always thought he was a great receiver,” said McKinney. “That was definitely a problem in dealing with college.”
Graham relied on disguised zone coverage to protect his inexperienced cornerbacks, but defenders are starting to find weaknesses. There’s nothing veteran Andy Dalton hasn’t seen.
“Andy is very smart to understand where he needs to go with the ball,” said Judge. “He doesn’t hold it for very long. Most of your passes are actually completed within 20 yards. But that does not mean that it is not an explosive piece. “