The New York Giants made a statement with their win on Sunday Night Football in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Not only was it on primetime with no other games to compete with, but the Giants took care of business against a team that had beaten them in 14 of the previous 16 meetings.
For some, though, it was the style of the victory that stood out. That approach caught the attention of future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski.
“I really like the New York Giants, how they play the game of football. It’s old school. They’re running it down your throat," Gronkowski told the New York Post. “Cam Skattebo and Jaxson Dart, they’re bringing a new mentality to New York and the Giants. And you’ve got to appreciate that, because it’s a mentality where
if they don’t win, they’re going to be criticized and scrutinized big time, and they’re taking it on.
“You’ve got to love a player and a team that takes on all the noise and then they go out on the football field and they punch the Dallas Cowboys in the face. You’ve got to respect that.”
Skattebo and Dart combined for 135 rushing yards as the Giants stuck to a ground-and-pound game plan. Skattebo averaged 4.5 yards per carry as the team’s leading rusher.
Ironically, Gronkowski did not mention that tight end Isaiah Likely contributed in a big way in his Giants debut.
Following the hiring of John Harbaugh, the Giants made a clear commitment to running the football successfully. There may have been no bigger indication of that than the signing of fullback Patrick Ricard, who followed Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens.
The Giants’ running game slowly wore down the Cowboys in the second half. It was that ground attack that allowed New York to control the tempo, especially after halftime, when Dallas managed only two offensive possessions.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Rob Gronkowski digs New York Giants' old-school, smash-mouth style
