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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- **While offensive miscues were largely responsible for the Giants' undoing in the team's 36-31 loss to the Cowboys last night, Broncos players who stayed glued to their TVs watching the game were more concerned with what could have been if the New York offense had eliminated the six turnovers it squandered.
And, as players pointed out on Monday, that's precisely the course of action the Giants will try to take against the Broncos on Sunday.
"They lost a game by five and they had six turnovers, and I feel like they still could have had a chance to win the game," wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. "They're going to preach this week about turnovers, try not to have turnovers. I feel like if they didn't have the turnovers, it would have been a different game."
The 478 yards of total offense – including quarterback Eli Manning's 450-yard, four touchdown passing performance – and 31 points that the Giants rolled up, in spite of six turnovers, were a stirring reminder for safety Duke Ihenacho of the offensive firepower the Giants possess.
"That tells you about what kind of team they are, to have that many turnovers and still be around and still be competing for the win," Ihenacho said. "They're a dangerous team and they're a good team and we know that. That's how we're going to approach it."
One longstanding connection that again proved to be particularly dangerous on Sunday night was the one between Manning and wide receiver Victor Cruz.
Cruz hauled in five catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys – and while the Manning to Cruz tandem is hardly a new occurrence, being aware of their effectiveness doesn't make defending against them any less of a challenge, Ihenacho noted.
"I think we've always known that they can throw the football down the field," Ihenacho said. "Eli Manning is a good quarterback. Victor Cruz is a good receiver. So they pay them all that money for a reason, you know what I mean. It's going to be a challenge but we're up for it."
Manning and Cruz aren't the only threats, as safety Rahim Moore pointed out.
"They have no weaknesses, man. They can run the ball, they have a real solid offensive line," Moore said. "Their receivers are dynamic – they can do all kinds of things, especially with Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and (Rueben) Randle. We have to go out there and do what we can to try to tame those guys. They have so many targets."
And while the off-day gave Broncos defenders the opportunity to take a live look at the Giants offense in motion, linebacker Shaun Phillips noted that watching a team operate the previous week only goes so far in helping prepare for how that team will line up the following weekend.
"They may attack us different that the way they attacked a team last week, we don't know. That's why you don't know anything until you get to the game," Phillips said. "You prepare yourself to win the football game, you prepare for every situation but you don't know any of those things until you actually get to the game and have a drive or two that goes your way or go against you and then you figure those things out."
That was the case for the Broncos defense in their 49-27 win over the Ravens in the opener. After allowing the Ravens to drive for an early score, the Denver defense stiffened and forced a pair of Ravens turnovers.
But, just as the Broncos defense will look for another stout showing, Moore noted that the Giants will be equally determined to not repeat their Week 1 wobbles.
"Let's not get it mixed up. Just because they had a (little) setback yesterday, that's what happens in the NFL," Moore said. "That's what makes you play better the next week. It'll motivate you."
