Giants’ defensive dominance started with a timely text message

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — At 4:30 p.m on Sunday, nearly four hours before kickoff, Giants defensive end Romeo Okwara received a text. Okwara was preparing for the Dallas Cowboys, who arrived here winners of 11 straight games. Soon, Okwara would be starting for injured Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

This was big stuff for the undrafted rookie from Notre Dame. This was his first NFL start.

The text came from Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“He told me I am in this position because I deserve it,” Okwara said. “He told me he trusted me. He told me to do the things we have been working on, the things they brought me here to do. It made me feel better.”

As play after play unfolded, Okwara made Spagnuolo, the Giants, and most of the 80,874 fans in MetLife Stadium feel better. He kept landing in the Dallas backfield. He kept whacking Cowboys and making prickly defensive plays. He gained his first NFL sack. He made eight tackles, three quarterback hits, and defended a pass. He helped set the edge. He helped give the Giants the edge.

Okwara had plenty of help. The Giants defense held Dallas scoreless in the final three quarters as the Giants won, 10-7, improving to a 9-4 record while snipping the Cowboys’ 11-game winning streak. The Giants helped their playoff chances while denying Dallas the joy of clinching the NFC East title on Giants turf.

No Giant wanted that.

“You don’t ever want a thing like that happening on your home field,” Giants safety Landon Collins said. “Romeo just joined in. He did what we have been trying to do every week. Every player on our defense wants to be great. Everyone on our defense wants to make a name for himself. So, we went out there, set the edge, built a wall, and played every down with our eyes open.”

That led to Dallas opening the game with a three-and-out series, then scoring on a tricky, 31-yard bootleg pass play from quarterback Dak Prescott to receiver Terrance Williams to lead 7-0.

From that series forward, this was the way each Dallas drive ended: Interception, punt, punt, punt, missed field goal, punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, punt, fumble, downs.

Dallas converted only 1-of-15 third-down attempts.

That ruined the Dallas formula of long drives, of ball control offense led by a power running game, of Prescott making just enough big passing plays, and the Dallas defense often being rested and protected. It put more pressure everywhere on the Dallas offense, one that had averaged 26.2 points per game.

Twice now, the Giants defense has led in victories over Dallas, their only losses this season. This one without Pierre-Paul. This one with Okwara making a name for himself. Pierre-Paul is 6’5, 278 pounds. Where do you find another end that size? One with even a slightly comparable motor? The Giants did, literally off the street, in Okwara, who is 6’5, 265 pounds.

“They had other guys come out and play well,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. “They brought pressure, they did a lot of different looks to create and you know Spags (Spagnuolo) is good at that and has done that over the course of his career. I give him a lot of credit.”

Credit for a timely plan — and a timely text.

“Romeo did what he had to do,” Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon said. “It takes confidence to stand up like that in this league.”

Once the Giants had the Dallas offense choked, the Giants scored all 10 of their points in the third quarter to win it. Odell Beckham, Jr.’s 61-yard catch-and-run on a slant pattern was mesmerizing. Dallas cornerback Brandon Carr had a favorable angle on Beckham while in pursuit. But Beckham outran him.

“I thought I was going to get caught,” Beckham said.

Dallas coach Jason Garrett added: “It was a slant. It was a good route. It was well thrown. He split the defense.”

That’s about as black-and-white as it gets.

Dallas is impressed with the Giants defensive acquisitions since last season, especially Vernon and cornerback Janoris Jenkins. They think the Giants secondary is greatly improved. They salute the Giants pass rush.

The Cowboys will try to discern why it’s usually dominant offensive line was so stymied by the Giants. They will seek to understand why running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed 24 times for 107 yards, yet, always seemed contained. They will study extra hard why Prescott had 20 incompletions, three sacks and two interceptions. They don’t want to entertain the Tony Romo talk. Like, will Romo be inserted if Prescott falters. That maybe he should have played against the Giants as sort of a “relief” quarterback?

Garrett was already asked about it after this game and answered: “We feel good about Dak Prescott playing quarterback for us right now.”

They feel good about being 11-2. They do not feel good about being swept by the Giants. They know a third meeting is possible — in the playoffs.

The Giants hope to get there by playing at home next against Detroit then traveling to Philadelphia and Washington to end the regular season. More victories, better chances. It is a season where the Giants defensive makeover is glowing.

The Giants defense was scorched last season. It routinely blew late leads. But now it has a bunch of players trying to be great. Trying to make a name for themselves. Distancing the bitter taste from last year.

“I wasn’t here last year,” Okwara said. “I’m just trying to be me. We have a lot of guys that feel that way.”