Cowboys, Giants were close but yet so far

The Cowboys could have prevented all this.



It was the Cowboys who stood in the way of the New York Giants from making the
playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl. Had the Cowboys won the regular-season
finale on New Year's Day in New Jersey, it would be them, not the Giants,
winning the NFC East title and advancing to the playoffs.



It was that close, New York’s 9-7 record against Dallas’ 8-8. And yet it really
wasn't.



The Cowboys had two chances to knock off the Giants in the last four weeks of
the season and couldn't get it done. In the first game, the Cowboys couldn't
close out the game. In the second one, they couldn't get started.



Yet there is a persistent feeling in some quarters that the Cowboys and Giants
weren't that far apart. The Giants simply got hot at the end of the season, at
least that's what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters at the Senior Bowl
this week.



That kind of thinking is what has gotten the Cowboys in trouble in the past.
The truth is, in most of the important categories, except maybe quarterback,
the Giants are significantly better than the Cowboys.



Look at those two head-to-head meetings. The Giants came back from a 12-point
deficit in the fourth quarter to win 37-34. That game encapsulated what was a
storyline throughout the season for the Cowboys: they had a hard time finishing
off opponents.



In the second game, with everything on the line, the Giants broke out to a 21-0
lead in the first half and it was over. Sure, the Cowboys came back to within a
touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the Giants pulled away for a 31-14 win.



While the Cowboys were competitive, by varying degrees, in both games, one has to
remember that games in the NFL are close. Super Bowl contenders often win games
over also-rans by close margins. It's why there are rarely huge point spreads
on NFL games, unlike college football. It's just the nature of the pro game.



The biggest stat differential from the two games is 9-2. The Giants sacked Tony
Romo nine times in their two wins. The Cowboys only sacked Eli Manning twice.



In the first game, the Cowboys never touched Manning, who passed for 400 yards,
while the Giants put Romo down six times. The Cowboys were credited with two
sacks of Manning in the second game, although it's hard to remember them
getting much pressure.



The strength of the Giants, other than the high-level play of Manning, is their
pass rush. They come at quarterbacks in waves of talented defensive linemen,
including Chris Canty whom the Cowboys let walk away in free agency.



The Cowboys have perhaps the league's best pass rusher in DeMarcus Ware. Other
than that, Jay Ratliff can be an effective rusher at times as a nose tackle,
but Anthony Spencer and others are inconsistent.



The Cowboys and Giants both have holes in their offensive lines and defensive
secondaries. The Giants' big backs are capable of grinding out yards, while
it's hard to judge the Cowboys' rushers since rookie phenom DeMarco Murray broke
his ankle in the first meeting with the Giants.



The Giants have a huge edge at receiver. Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and
Victor Cruz have proven to be huge playmakers willing to go up and get the ball
for Manning.



The Cowboys receivers? September pickup Laurent Robinson was the bright spot this
season. Dez Bryant continues to be more about potential than production and
Miles Austin couldn't stay healthy enough to have much of an impact.



Then there's the quarterback issue. Romo had a brilliant season and fought
through injuries to keep his team competitive, but he lived up to his
reputation for mistakes in the clutch during the early part of the season.



Manning, on the other hand, has been masterful in the playoffs. He knows when
to secure the ball and take a sack and never seems to try to do too much. When
he does take a downfield risk he has receivers who will make plays for him.



The Giants were far from perfect this season. They suffered through a 1-5
stretch, including a dismal, December loss to the Redskins. But when the Cowboys
defense was healthy and the games mattered most, they answered the bell.



The Cowboys went 5-1 for a stretch against weak opponents, but at the end they
couldn't stay healthy and couldn't win in the clutch, closing the season on a
1-4 run.



Their win-loss records made it look close, but in the things that mattered the
Cowboys and Giants were far apart.



Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire