The first Sunday night of the 2026 NFL season brings an NFC East matchup that already has plenty of intrigue: the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants closing out Week 1 under the lights.
Dallas comes in with one of the league’s top offenses from a year ago and a big question hanging over the roster - can the defense do enough to push this team into playoff territory? New York, meanwhile, is opening a new chapter with John Harbaugh taking over as head coach.
The Cowboys have a quarterback who put together a huge statistical season in 2025. Dak Prescott ranked third in the NFL in passing yards with 4,552, and he added 30 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He also gets to work with one of the better receiver pairings in the league in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, giving Dallas the kind of firepower that can stress defenses all night.
That offensive ceiling is a big reason the Cowboys are drawing support as the favorite in this matchup. In the Week 1 edition of the Road to 272 Bets, the case for Dallas was straightforward: the Giants may have a new coach and some fresh energy, but there’s skepticism about whether Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo have shown enough to justify being only slight underdogs against a team that was already dangerous on offense last season.
The logic is simple enough. If Dallas can tighten things up on defense without giving back much on offense, it’s going to be a tough team to handle.
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Maxx Crosby Trade Talk Just Raised A Huge Raiders Question
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Any deal of that size would almost certainly require Dallas to part with Rashan Gary and draft picks, which shows how serious the cost would be for a team hoping to make a playoff push. For the Raiders, though, the more interesting question is whether they would even entertain moving one of their best defensive pieces, especially if trade chatter keeps building as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
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Cowboys Backup QB Decision Just Got A Lot More Interesting
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What makes the move notable is how tight the battle appeared to be between Milton and Sam Howell. The competition was close enough that experience likely became the separating factor in the final roster call, leaving Dallas with a clearer pecking order for now but an intriguing backup picture still worth watching. [Read more 🡒]