Cowboys vs. Giants: 3 things you need to know

At 3-7, the New York Giants' playoff hopes are fading quickly. A loss to the division rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday would extinguish those hopes entirely.

The last time these two teams squared off, the Cowboys exploded for 435 yards of offense and came away with a 10-point victory. They went on to lose two straight, but got back on track in Week 10 with a 31-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. They've also had a week to rest up. 

The Giants, meanwhile, have lost five straight and sit four games back of the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.

Here's what you need to know:

New-look offensive line

Sunday's game will feature some changes to the Giants' offensive line, as starting right tackle Justin Pugh has been declared out with a quad injury. Veteran tackle Geoff Schwartz is slated to make his season debut after being activated off injured reserve, but the team has not said where he will line up. 

"We have some guys moving around right now competing for spots," offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said. "Anytime that you have competition, it’s a good thing. It's a good thing for your football team, it's a good thing for that unit and it's a good thing for the individuals. … You roll them in there. Whoever has the best week of preparation plays."

Can the Giants slow down Murray and Bryant?

The Giants have given up 498 rushing yards over their past two games and rank 32nd in run defense. They now face the NFL's leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, who shredded them for 128 yards in Week 7.

But Murray isn't the only player New York needs to be concerned with. Dez Bryant had one of his best games of the season against the Giants, catching nine passes for 151 yards. 

With cornerback Prince Amukamara out for the season with a torn biceps, the Giants will turn to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to contain Bryant. 

"There's going to be a lot of trash talk. You know (Bryant), he's a guy that’s very animated," Rodgers-Cromartie told reporters earlier this week. "He catches passes, he does this and that. Any time, as a corner, you get called on like that and they get up and do their little dances, it's not a good feeling."

Cowboys lead all-time series

The Cowboys share a storied history with the Giants that dates back to the 1960s. Dallas has won the last three meetings between the two teams, and leads the all-time series 60-43-2. 

Next to the Washington Redskins, Tony Romo has faced the Giants more than any other team during his career. In 18 games (9-9), Romo has thrown for 4,008 yards, 34 touchdowns and 19 interceptions against the Giants.

Eli Manning is 10-10 against the Cowboys in his career with a quarterback rating of 90.6. In those 20 games, he has thrown for 5,129 yards, 41 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.