CeeDee Lamb teased Giants cornerback Nick McCloud. On the final play of the first quarter Thursday night, the Cowboys’ star wide receiver ran briefly toward the sideline then abruptly cut back past McCloud for a 25-yard gain into the Giants’ red zone. On the very next play, running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed up the middle for a touchdown.
“Just got to execute better, me personally,” said McCloud, who also got beat for another touchdown later in the game.
Despite Lamb’s relatively quiet quarter until that point, with just one carry and one reception, the play served as an omen of the havoc the receiver was going to wreak on the Giants in the second half of Dallas’ 28-20 win over New York. As Lamb heated up, so did the Cowboys offense. And there seemed to be nothing the Giants’ depleted secondary could do to stop it.
On Dallas’ first possession in the third quarter, quarterback Dak Prescott lobbed a pass deep downfield, inside the Giants’ 5-yard line, and almost as soon as the ball hit the ground, so did a yellow flag. Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes, who’d been often matching up with Lamb in the slot, was called for holding. On a third-and-7 situation, the penalty was a killer. The flag extended the Cowboys’ drive, which ended 10 plays later in a Dalton Schultz touchdown that put Dallas ahead for good.
Prescott found Lamb again later in the third quarter, gaining 21 yards. Lamb caught it one-handed, and Holmes ended up on the ground. The cornerback picked up a defensive pass interference penalty in coverage, which was declined, and the Cowboys scored a touchdown three plays later.
Lamb finished Sunday with six receptions for 106 yards. Even on the passes he didn’t catch, he was finding space in the Giants secondary. Lamb beat reserve safety Jason Pinnock for another incredible one-handed grab, losing out on a touchdown only to the end line in the back of the end zone.
With Lamb wreaking havoc, the Giants’ answers to the secondary struggles were sitting on the bench. Top cornerback Adoree’ Jackson injured his knee in Sunday’s loss to the Lions, and he’s not expected back anytime soon. The Giants’ No. 2 cornerback, Fabian Moreau, left last weekend’s game with an oblique injury.
Their absences were certainly felt Thursday.
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