IRVING — Rob Ryan hasn't burned the film from the two games the Cowboys played against the New York Giants last season. It would be hard to blame the Cowboys defensive coordinator if he did. The Giants' offense totaled 947 yards and 66 points in two victories over the Cowboys.
But Ryan said Monday that his group has learned from those losses.
"This is as tough of an opponent as we're going to face," Ryan said. "Obviously last year it was the toughest one that we faced last season, they won the Super Bowl for a reason. We've been working hard and we're looking to be a hell of a lot better than we were last year."
Did those losses bother Ryan personally? Of course they did.
"Hell, it knocked us out of the playoffs," he said. "Obviously I took offense to it. I had a lot to do with it and I don't want that to happen again. Did it ruin my off-season? No. They were the best team in the league. They won the Super Bowl. Do I plan to do something about it? Yeah. We plan on getting a hell of a lot better."
A second year in Ryan's defensive scheme should make a difference for the returning players. A better understanding should mean better communication, which should lead to fewer mistakes.
It also wouldn't hurt to get some additional pressure on Giants quarterback Eli Manning who was sacked twice in the two games against the Cowboys.
"There are a lot of routes that he gets rid of the ball really quick," Ryan said. "You're not going to sack Eli Manning if he wants to throw the ball in about one second. Sacks come and go. Sometimes you can get there with more coverage and tighter coverage. I think we were too loose on him the last two games. We plan on doing something about it."
