The Giants enter Week 1 with a new voice in the building, and around Big Blue View there’s a sense that John Harbaugh has already changed the temperature. The belief is that he has installed credibility, standards, and expectations the organization has not had since Tom Coughlin was head coach. That’s a big reason for the optimism: the work has been deliberate, the approach has been intentional, and the feeling is that the floor has been raised.
There’s also plenty of curiosity around how the offense will look if Malik Nabers is on the field. The expectation is not that he immediately looks like the player he was in 2024, and if he does play, the hope is that his presence alone helps open things up for everyone else. The guess here is that he would be used in a limited number of snaps.
At quarterback, Jaxson Dart is seen as a player who should move forward this season. The confidence comes from the fact that he cares deeply about winning and about becoming the best player he can be. Still, this is his first Week 1 start as a second-year quarterback, and mistakes are part of the package.
On defense, coordinator Dennard Wilson wants a unit that is “unapologetic.” The idea is a more aggressive Giants defense than the one fans have seen over the past couple of seasons, one that gets into receivers’ faces and presses them whether it’s man or zone.
“No easy releases.” Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese are expected to matter a lot in the middle, and there’s also a strong expectation for a big year from Abdul Carter.
The biggest concern is whether the defensive line has enough depth.
As for the game itself, the prediction from across enemy lines is a Giants win. It’s acknowledged that this is a homer pick, and even that it probably runs against recent history.
But the sense is that this will be an emotional night with a lot of 9/11 remembrances, and that the Giants have had an excellent summer and are better prepared to start the season than they have been in recent years. The view is that they will sell out to win this one, especially with a West Coast trip to face an angry Rams team waiting in Week 2.
In Other News...
Cowboys Suddenly Have A Joe Milton Problem They Cant Ignore
Sam Darnolds early exit in Seattles opener instantly turned a backup situation into a storyline worth watching, but it also put a familiar name back into circulation around the league. Joe Milton III, who is on the Cowboys practice squad, has already made himself interesting enough this summer to draw outside attention, thanks to the way he flashed in preseason action and reminded teams around the NFL that a high-upside quarterback can quickly become a talking point.
For Dallas, that is where the discomfort begins. The Seahawks are expected to stay the course with their current quarterbacks, and Darnolds hip injury is not expected to send him to injured reserve, but any quarterback injury in September tends to sharpen the market for depth. If another team decides it needs a live arm, the Cowboys could suddenly find themselves in the position every front office tries to avoid: protecting a developmental quarterback who has become more visible than they probably wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Should Be Watching What The Raiders Just Did
The Raiders have quietly created a little more room to maneuver by restructuring the contracts of Quay Walker and Jalen Nailor, opening up $8.2 million in cap space and pushing their total cushion to just over $11 million. For Dallas, that kind of financial flexibility is worth watching because it gives Las Vegas the ability to absorb salary in a trade, which is exactly the sort of move that can change the conversation around a roster in a hurry.
For the Cowboys, the name that hangs over this is Maxx Crosby, a player whose future has long drawn attention whenever the Raiders gain cap breathing room. Las Vegas could still decide to use the space elsewhere, whether on free agents or by rolling it into next season, but the restructure does at least keep the door open for something bigger, and that is the part Dallas fans will want to monitor closely. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Suddenly Have A New Running Back Depth Concern
The Cowboys left practice with a fresh concern in the backfield after Malik Davis had to be carted off the field during the teams final workout of the week. Dallas has been able to lean on its running back depth throughout camp, but any injury at this point of the week gets attention fast, especially for a player whose role can shift quickly depending on health and game plan.
The team has other backs on the roster and practice squad who could be asked to handle the load if Davis is not available, but the bigger issue now is simply waiting to learn what happened. His status for the upcoming game is unclear, and until the Cowboys get more information, they will have one more spot in the offense to monitor closely. [Read more 🡒]