Ryan Clark details how the Giants' defense was able to hold the Cowboys to 1-for-15 on third down. (1:01)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For a franchise known for its defenses, it had been a long time since the New York Giants were in one of those low-scoring kick-each-other-in-the-teeth slugfests and come out on top. On Sunday night they won their first game with 10 points or fewer since 2002, when they beat the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

“Can't say enough about the defense and the effort they played with,” coach Ben McAdoo said of the 10-7 win at MetLife Stadium.

The old-school Giants-type defense is back, at least to some degree. They’ve been dropping hints now for months that this was a possibility, but until they did it against a bonafide top-tier offense, there were always going to be doubters.

The last time the Giants allowed more than 24 points was Week 3, and Washington is the only team to accomplish it against them this season, despite the Giants’ offense continually handing out turnovers as if they’re Halloween candy.

Improving Giants Defense 2015 2016 Run D 24th 7th PPG 27.6 18.8 Red zone D 12th 1st Third-down D 32nd 4th Sacks 30th 12th

The Redskins scored 28 against the Giants back in late September. Nobody else has topped 24 this season. They’re allowing 18.8 points per game.

“I’ve been saying it since the beginning of the year,” cornerback Janoris Jenkins said. “We can be as special as we want to be. We just have to buy in and continue to buy in.”

The Giants defense is undoubtedly good. Just how good?

-- The Giants didn’t have a single difference-maker on their defense last season. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was coming back from a horrific hand injury, safety Landon Collins was a rookie and there was an overall dearth of premium Pro Bowl talent.

They had four should-be Pro Bowlers on the field Sunday night, even with Pierre-Paul injured. Defensive tackle Damon Harrison can dominate games from the interior, end Olivier Vernon tears apart game plans from the edge, Jenkins shadows and silences No. 1 receivers and Collins has grown into a playmaking safety who is always around the ball.

That’s three free-agent signings and a draft pick. You can win with that on the field. Just look at the Giants.

-- To quote McAdoo, stats may be for losers. But not this one: The Giants have the top red-zone defense in the NFL. They’re allowing teams to score on just 43 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line. It’s a simple concept. If you consistently keep teams from scoring touchdowns, you have a good chance to win on a weekly basis.

-- The Giants have the league’s fourth-best third-down defense. Teams are converting only 36 percent of their third downs against the Giants this season. That’s a pretty good way to keep teams from sustaining consistent drives.

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-- It’s difficult to run against the Giants, which starts with Harrison. He’s a load in the middle and sheds blockers better than any 350-pound man in recent memory. The Giants are seventh in the NFL, allowing 92.7 yards per game. They don’t need to put extra resources into stopping the run with their starting tackles and ends all solid run defenders.

No wonder Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys weren’t able to wear out the Giants as they do most teams. Elliott had 21 yards on nine carries in the second half Sunday night.

-- It flies under the radar, but this remade Giants defense with six or seven new starters (depending on how you count) is built for the scheme that coordinator Steve Spagnuolo runs. The Giants have two physical corners to help in the run and screen game on the edges, and who can thrive in the bump-and-run coverage he likes to employ? They have defensive ends who can move around and have versatility, and linebackers who can run. The relatively obscure Keenan Robinson may be the unsung hero for this Giants team. Spagnuolo also has a safety in Collins, who is a weapon as a blitzer. Overall, the personnel matches the scheme much better than last year.

-- The leadership was lacking last season. The Giants had a lot of veterans with experience but who were not natural leaders. They didn’t have the voice to command the locker room.

The void has been filled this year, with Harrison being one of the most respected men in the room. When he talks, the team listens. Veteran middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard is also an unheralded leader, while Jonathan Casillas plays a bigger role now as team captain. Any idea that the defense lacks strong, respected voices seems uninformed.

Put it all together, and this Giants defense has a lot working for it this season. The results showed Sunday night.

“We took a tremendous step,” Sheppard said. “I’d be kidding myself and lying to you if I told you we didn’t take a tremendous step [Sunday].”

The defense right now has been upgraded to very good. In the next month or so it will be determined if it can be great.