If Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham is working on a secret cloning machine, now would be a good time to reveal it.
As the Giants heard last time facing the Cowboys, gluing Pro Bowler James Bradberry to Amari Cooper only achieves as much as Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb are also No. 1 caliber wide receivers.
“All three of these guys could fit into that label as a top team receiver and feature matchup man,” said Giants coach Joe Judge.
What sets the trio apart from the Cowboys? The stats tell part of the story, as Cooper, Gallup and Lamb are responsible for 210 catches, 2,759 yards, and 15 touchdowns in 15 games. Darius Slayton, the Giants’ leader in receiving yards, would be fourth in the Cowboys.
“You get a lot of receivers across the league who might be bigger, faster targets that are threats in the field. Then you get other guys who are maybe a little smaller, faster who are catch-and-run threats, ”Judge said.
“These guys are all good size, they have very good speed, they can build up their speed and keep their speed low on the field, they have good hands to make disputed catches, but they do exceptionally well by extending their plays. . “
The pieces from recent game tapes are still fresh in Judge’s memory: Cooper on a slant, Gallup on a screen, Lamb nestling in the middle. All big winners without the risk of a rock bottom.
You might initially think of Ezekiel Elliott’s running back when it comes to Cowboys’ attack, but it’s the receiving corps that makes this such a difficult matchup for the Giants in more ways than one.
“They’re getting all these awards, are they blocking?” Graham said. “What strikes me are the guys who go in and block.”
And they are rewarded by the air. Bradberry held Cooper at a meeting in Week 5, but Lamb had eight catches for 124 yards and Gallup made back-to-back catches over 57 yards to score the winning field goal.
“This is a special group,” said security Xavier McKinney. “We are definitely going into the game prepared and ready for a dog fight.”
McKinney missed the first rivalry match after foot surgery, but is now part of the force of the Giants’ secondary group: a three-safety spin with Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan.
McKinney is more in the lock than expected for his training camp injury, although fellow rookie Darnay Holmes (knee) is leaning towards a return after missing three consecutive games.
McKinney and Lamb played in a national semifinal of the College Football Playoff once before when McKinney’s beat Alabama Oklahoma, despite Lamb getting eight passes for 100 yards from Kyler Murray.
“I always thought he was a great receiver,” said McKinney. “That was definitely a problem to deal with in college.”
Graham relies on covert zone coverage to protect his inexperienced cornerbacks, but quarterbacks are starting to find the weak spots. There’s nothing veteran Andy Dalton hasn’t seen.
“Andy has a very clever understanding of where to take the ball,” Judge said. ‘He won’t last long. Most of his passes are actually completed within 20 meters. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t an explosive game. “