Dec 21, 1:00 pm (FOX) - Giants at Dallas
Dallas vs the Giants - last time.
The last game between these two teams could have been won by Jim Fassel and the Giants. Wanting to make sure they had some kind of 'second chance' if they muffed the go-ahead field goal, Fassel
called a timeout and with 14 seconds left, Matt Bryant's kick of a 30-yard field goal was good, but it gave Dallas the ball back with 11 seconds left. Everything went bad for the Giants after
that, and Bill Parcells was able to tie the game up, go into overtime and steal the sure victory away from the Giants.
Fassel did it to himself.
In the second half, facing a 23-7 deficit, Fassel coached the Giants offense to 3 touchdowns and a field goal while having the defense hold the explosive first half Cowboys to just two fieldgoals.
Nobody remembers that. Fassel wiped it all out of everyone's mind by trying to be an 'exrta-smart coach'. He called for the field goal, that put the Giants up 32-29, on second down and with
extra time, in case things went wrong on the snap.
Fassel wanted to show a national audience like the one who watched the Giants in the playoffs with San Francisco, that he was much wiser than before. Right there on Monday Night Football,
for all the world to see, Fassel could have won that game by running the clock down to a few seconds and kicking the field goal. Instead he made one of the biggest mistakes of his coaching
career.
How bad was that?
Fassel's Giants had just come off an impressive 23-13 win over the Rams and would have been 2-0 with a win over Dallas.
The' Cowboys would have been 0-2 having lost to Atlanta 27-13 the week before, and they were facing a long bye week to think about it.
Instead, Parcells notched his first win as the new Dallas head coach, and he did it on national TV.
This was the beginning of the end of Jim Fassel's coaching career with the Giants, but we're not going to get into all that right now.
Also on the hook.
We're not going to get into General Manager Ernie Accorsi's capabilities with drafting and signing free agents right now either, except to point out in that Dallas game it was already becoming
apparent that the Giants offensive line was very weak. Since 2000, the Giants have not drafted an offensive lineman in the first two rounds, and have taken just one in the third, Jeff Hatch
last year.
Also, as if to drive another point home, on the last overtime drive for Dallas, you had former Giant Dan Campbell, making his first catch for the Cowboys to the tune of 23-yards, right down
to the Giants 6 yard line to set up the easy winning fieldgoal. Giants tight ends coach Mike Pope had called Campbell the best blocking tight end in the league, but they let him get away to
Dallas. After losing that first game to Atlanta, even with Bill Parcells as head coach, Dan Campbell was by his locker talking about why this year was going to be different, and about how
winning the Monday night game in New York could make everything different. Boy, was he right.
Dallas vs the Giants - this time.
All eight of 'ESPN's experts' pick Dallas to win this game. Don't think about those 3 touchdown passes Kerry Collins threw to Ike Hilliard, Jeremy Shockey and Amani Toomer last time against
the Cowboys. Kerry's not around for this game. Shockey's not around for this game. Hilliard may be, but if so, just barely.
Don't think about the Ralph Brown interception and 29 yard touchdown return he had against Dallas last time out. Brown was placed on injured reserve this week to join eight other players,
and the Giants haven't intercepted a pass in their last three games. Don't think about the Giants with all the injuries and rookie starters taking a resigned head coach and a six-game losing
streak on the road against a Bill Parcells Dallas team that needs just one victory to clinch a playoff spot.
Try not to think too much about this one guys. Your only hope is this. The football can take a lot of funny bounces, and anything can happen in a game. Just ask Jim Fassel or any NY Giants
fan.
Notes.
Jim Fassel announced that the final two games of this season will be his last with the Giants.
Giants have allowed 150 or more yards rushing in three straight games.
Michael Strahan is second in the NFL in sacks with 14.
Tampa Bay's Simeon Rice has 15.
Jesse Palmer's 26-yard run last week was the longest by a Giants quarterback since Jeff Hostetler had a 27-yarder at Washington on Nov. 1, 1992.
Dallas is ranked first in the NFL in total defense (253.7 yards a game), passing defense (159.9) and first downs allowed (14.6 a game).
Dallas is ranked sixth against the run (93.8 yards a game).
Dallas kicker Billy Cundiff tied an NFL record with 7 field goals against the Giants in their first meeting, including the 52-yarder that tied the game and sent
it into overtime.
Kerry Collins, with 265 passing yards, has thrown for more than any other quarterback against the Cowboys this season.
Amani Toomer, with 7 catches for 126 yards, is the only receiver to gain 100 yards against the Cowboys so far this season.
Two Giants made the Pro Bowl: TE Jeremy Shockey, and DE Michael Strahan.
Four Cowboys made the Pro Bowl -- OT Flozell Adams, OG Larry Allen, DT La'Roi Glover and FS Roy Williams.
Next Game
Carolina at Giants Dec 28, 4:05PM.
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