After eight months away, the Cowboys are finally back on the clock in Week 1, and the opener drops them into a familiar spot: MetLife Stadium for a Sunday night meeting with the Giants on NBC.
Dallas has owned this matchup lately, winning five of the last six games against New York. But this version of the Giants looks different, with second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart leading the way and John Harbaugh beginning a new chapter in the Big Apple after an 18-year run with the Baltimore Ravens.
That means the Cowboys have to be ready for a very specific kind of challenge. New York’s offense is built to come at you in layers, starting with the ground game, then forcing defenders to respect Dart’s legs, and finally trying to hit you with Malik Nabers when you get stretched thin.
The first warning sign is simple: the Giants want to run it right at Dallas. Harbaugh has long been a run-first coach, and that identity figures to show up immediately.
Second-year back Cam Skattebo will get the first crack at pounding the interior, and he’s coming in with a surgically repaired ankle that will be tested right away. When Skattebo needs a break, Najee Harris will handle the carries, with Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. mixing in on passing downs.
That puts pressure on Quinnen Williams and the rest of the Cowboys’ front to be ready from snap one. If the Giants can stay on schedule on the ground, they can make the rest of the offense a lot easier to manage.
The other major concern is Dart himself. Whether Christian Parker uses a spy or not, Dallas has to keep the quarterback from turning broken plays into backbreaking gains. Dart will have some designed runs, but the real danger is when he escapes pressure and forces the defense to account for him as both a runner and a passer.
His rookie numbers back that up. In 14 games, including 12 starts, Dart ran 86 times for 487 yards and nine touchdowns. At the position, only Josh Allen and Justin Herbert piled up more rushing yards, and only Allen scored more rushing touchdowns.
That creates a major assignment for first-round pick Caleb Downs, who has to help keep things clean on the back end while also being ready to tackle from the nickel spot if Dart gets loose. The same goes for linebackers Dee Winters, Demarvion Overshown, and Jaishawn Barham, who will all have to stay disciplined when Dart starts moving.
Then there’s Nabers, who gives the Giants a different kind of threat altogether. After a breakout 2024 season, he was knocked out in Week 4 of 2025 by a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, along with a partial labrum tear. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday and enters this game with something to prove.
Dart can push the ball downfield, and if DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant don’t stay attached, Nabers has the speed to turn one clean shot into six points. Even if the Giants don’t force-feed him, he can still serve as the decoy that opens up room for Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, and tight end Isiah Likely, who followed Harbaugh from Baltimore.
There’s also a Cowboys defense on the other side that should have chances to make life difficult for New York’s offense. The Giants finished 28th defensively in 2025 and were especially leaky against the run, giving up 145 yards per game on the ground, second to last in the league. Javonte Williams should see plenty of work against a defense now led by coordinator Dennard Wilson and first-round linebacker Arvell Reese out of Ohio State.
Dallas should be able to move the ball. But if the Cowboys want to control this opener, they’ll need to stop the run, keep Dart contained, and make sure Nabers doesn’t wreck his return.
In Other News...
Cowboys Enter Week 1 With A Tight End Problem
As the Cowboys get ready for their regular-season opener against the Giants, the tight end room is already looking thinner than anyone around the team would like. Luke Schoonmaker sat out practice with his status still unclear, while practice squad tight end Michael Trigg is rehabbing a toe injury, leaving Dallas to sort through a position group that has taken a hit before the games even start.
Princeton Fant and DJ Rogers are both on injured reserve, which is why the Cowboys may need to look at a practice squad move just to keep the depth chart functional. One possible answer is James Mitchell, who could be elevated if Dallas decides it needs another body at tight end for Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
John Harbaugh Is Already Turning Up The Tension Before Cowboys Opener
With Sunday nights opener against the Cowboys looming, John Harbaugh is already treating the week like a chess match. The Giants coach declined to get into game plans or specific player details at his press conference, making it clear he sees no value in handing over any competitive edge before the season even begins. It is the kind of early-week posture that tends to sharpen the edge around a division game, especially when two teams know each other well.
Harbaughs guarded approach comes as reports have also pointed to some pointed evaluations of quarterback Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo during camp. For Dallas, that only adds another layer to a game that already carries plenty of attention, with the Cowboys opening against a rival that appears intent on keeping every meaningful card close to the vest. The questions around how much the Giants are willing to reveal will wait until kickoff, and maybe well after it. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys May Have Found A Scary New Way To Use George Pickens
The Cowboys are already thinking ahead to 2026, and George Pickens is central to the plan. After a strong first season in Dallas, the wide receivers role could grow in ways that make the offense less predictable, with the team looking to move him around more and use him in different alignments instead of keeping him in one familiar spot.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer wants the passing game to create more problems for defenses, and Pickens versatility could be a big part of that approach. Dallas is hoping that a more varied deployment, including more work in the slot, can build on a season in which Pickens piled up 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns and turn an already dangerous weapon into something even harder to track. [Read more 🡒]