ARLINGTON, Texas -- A few thoughts on the New York Giants' 31-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

What it means: Pretty simply, that the Giants are not an NFC East contender. The first-place Cowboys are 6-1. The second-place Eagles are 5-1. The Giants, having lost to both of those teams in the past eight days, are 3-4. The season is obviously not "over" by any means, but at this point -- especially playing without Victor Cruz and Rashad Jennings -- the Giants are outmanned on offense. They don't have enough reliable playmakers or a good enough offensive line to compete with the league's top teams. They're a still-rebuilding team that has shown some progress and will surely show more but is most likely at least a year from serious contention.

Stock watch: Jon Beason's health, DOWN. The Giants middle linebacker practiced as fully this past week as he has at any time since injuring his toe in spring practices, yet he still couldn't even finish the first half as he aggravated the injury again. It's fair to wonder whether Beason can honestly expect to be a helpful player for the Giants this season. He gets two weeks now to rest and heal, but the pattern here is obviously not a hopeful one.

Prince on Dez: Cornerback Prince Amukamara's game deserves mention here, and for positive reasons. Yes, I know he was in coverage on the Dez Bryant touchdown that put the game away, but I don't think he or any corner in the league could have prevented that incredible catch by Bryant. With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured and unable to contribute, Amukamara had to cover Bryant all day and, in spite of what the final numbers say, did a more-than-respectable job. He also came up with his third interception of the season, which matches the total number he had in his first three years in the league.

Game ball: Odell Beckham Jr. The Giants' first-round pick has played three games now, and his role is likely to expand as the season goes on. But he's already a very handy weapon for Eli Manning in the passing game. Beckham caught two touchdown passes Sunday and now has three in his young career. He also had a 13-yard pickup on an end-around run early in the game, signaling the possibility that his talent will allow for more creativity going forward in the Giants' offensive game plan.

What's next: The Giants are on bye next week. Their next game is Monday night Nov. 3 at home against the Indianapolis Colts.