How Cowboys defense dominated Giants in 40-0 shutout: Takeaways, reaction and highlights

This day is historic for NFL overreactions, so we will temper any long-term projections but, dear lord, the Cowboys looked phenomenal on Sunday night in a 40-0 rout of the New York Giants. They played fast, scored fast and their defense looked like the grandchild of the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers. The rain pounding on NBC’s audio matched the pounding New York took in the swamps of New Jersey. The scary thing is the offense has room to grow.

We already know the NFL is a viewership machine every year. But it’s an interesting thought exercise to consider: What kind of viewership numbers will we see if Dallas is a legit juggernaut?

Here are 12 additional media thoughts (we’ll have some more on Tuesday) from the first weekend of the NFL season.

Andrew Thomas was one of the last Giants left in the locker room as an abysmal Sunday night nearly ticked into Monday morning.

The Giants’ highly paid left tackle, along with his fellow offensive linemen and anyone else who spoke this night, were tasked with trying to explain what had just happened. No easy task after the Giants were shut out by the Cowboys, 40-0, in the franchise’s worst loss in 50 years.

“It’s embarrassing to lose like that at home,” Thomas said.

Right tackle Neal offered the same sentiment minutes earlier.

“I feel horrible,” he said. “I feel embarrassed. I mean what do you expect, losing by 40 points?”

The collapse of the offensive line became the focal point in a game that was initially billed as one that would demonstrate the progress the Giants had made in closing the gap to their division rival, who had beaten the Giants twice last year. In particular, Neal was under the microscope with the idea that his offseason spent making necessary changes to his game would lead to better results against a Cowboys front that embarrassed him last season. Instead, over the course of four rainy, miserable quarters, the Cowboys made it abundantly clear the gap between the two teams had, if anything, grown larger. As for Neal, well, all the hard work he put in this offseason didn’t seem to help very much.

The Athletic on the how Sunday night's embarrassment is a sobering reminder that the Giants still aren't on the Cowboys' level.

The Athletic on the Cowboys making a statement in Week 1 with a dominating defensive performance.

You wouldn't think it was possible, but it just keeps getting worse for the Giants.

The team just handed their kicker a three-year, $16.5 million extension on Friday.

The Giants' loss by 40 points tonight is their fourth biggest loss in the Super Bowl era and their largest since 1973. The largest in franchise history came in 1966, when the Dallas Cowboys defeated them 52-7.

Don Meredith threw five TD passes for the Cowboys that day.

In 1973, the Oakland Raiders shut out the Giants out 42-0. All told, tonight's 40-0 defeat was the Giants' worst loss in 50 years.

A few of the Giants' lowlights…

• Worst season-opening shutout loss in franchise history
• Worst shutout loss in any game for Giants since 1973 (lost 42-0 at Raiders)
• -3 turnover margin (1 fumble, 2 INTs, 0 takeaways)
• Sacked seven times (for loss of 47 yards)
• Allowed blocked FG return TD and pick six

Join Robert Mays and Nate Tice on The Athletic Football Show's live stream as they break down all of the NFL Week 1 action.

Watch the live stream here.

At this point, I don't think anyone understands why Giants coach Brian Daboll is allowing Daniel Jones to keep playing in this game. He's getting pummeled.

By backups no less. He'll need to answer that question here soon.

Join Robert Mays and Nate Tice as they break down Cowboys-Giants as well as all the other Week 1 action on The Athletic Football Show as soon as this game goes final.

Watch the live stream here.

If the 40-0 score holds, this would be the biggest shutout victory in a season opener in Cowboys history and the biggest shutout loss in a season opener in Giants history.

There hasn't been a season-opening shutout of 40 or more points in the NFL since 1999 when the Steelers beat the Browns 43-0 in Cleveland's first game back as an expansion team.

Entering tonight, the Cowboys have had two 30-plus-point shutouts in openers in their history.

Dallas went on to reach the Super Bowl in both seasons.

Deonte Banks is still dealing with cramps and is questionable to return.

Dak Prescott can now add tattoo artist to his resume. After getting a massive tattoo Saturday that covers almost his entire right leg, the Cowboys quarterback inked “DAK” on the inside right wrist of tattoo artist Andres Ortega.

“He did it like a professional,” Ortega said. “This was his first tattoo. It was so cool. I was like, ‘What the f—, he knows how to do it?’ He did it so perfect. Dak looked like a complete tattoo artist. It’s crazy.”

Ortega, 32, spent 40 minutes on a video call with The Athletic on Wednesday, showing off his new shop, Onder Ink, in Glendale, Ariz. Several printed photos used to design the mural on Prescott’s leg were sitting on a couch inside the shop. The plan is to frame them and display them in the office. Ortega also had two Dallas Cowboys hats signed by Prescott sitting on a shelf and an empty frame for a jersey he’s going to get signed by Prescott.

Read more here.