Big Blue expect best from NFC rival

The Giants do not plan on taking the Cowboys lightly, with or without Dallas star running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Elliott, who had been accused of domestic violence, was handed a six-game suspension without pay by the NFL after more than a year of investigations Friday.

After the Giants’ preseason opener against the Steelers at MetLife Stadium, multiple players spoke of the Elliott suspension and how it has affected their mindset heading into their season opener against Dallas.

Cornerback Eli Apple, who was teammates with Elliott when they were both at Ohio State, put his loyalty to his college teammate first by hoping Elliott powers through his current situation.

“I know Zeke on a personal level, so with me, I just hope he makes it through it and hopes he [continues] to stay the course and everything,” Apple said. “I’m just wishing him the best and hoping he gets through the situation.”

For linebacker Jonathan Casillas, Elliott’s suspension “[Doesn’t] take away from Dallas and what they’ve built over there before him. They were running the ball really good with [Alfred] Morris and [Darren] McFadden … [Dallas] is still a really good team without him.”

Casillas did not hold back his praise of Elliot saying: “He’s a really good back, let’s not get it twisted.” Yet Casillas gave a lot of credit to the Cowboys’ offensive line.

“If you take away [Elliott] and plug in any decent back, you can still get decent yardage with that great OL that they have.”

Nevertheless, there were some Giants players, such as safety Landon Collins, who were looking forward to taking on the best the Cowboys had to offer.

“Wish he was playing in Week 1,” Collins said. “You want to play against the best to become the best. He’s one of the best out there now, so you want to play against the best. Just prove yourself as a defense as a whole and not want to hear the backlash of this person wasn’t there or this person wasn’t.”

Unless Elliott follows through with a planned appeal, it looks as if Collins will have to make due with facing a somewhat diminished Cowboys team in the season opener.