Well, after eight long months, we have finally arrived at week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys will travel to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, to play a familiar foe, the New York Giants, in the Sunday Night game on NBC.
The Cowboys have had their way with the G-Men, having won five of the last six contests between them, but this is a new group they will line up against to kick off the new season. Led by budding second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart, the Giants are looking to rebound from an injury-plagued 2025 season.
With that in mind, here are three things that the Cowboys should be prepared for against New York as they will see a new offense under John Harbaugh, who is starting anew in the Big Apple following a very successful 18-year run with the Baltimore Ravens.
3 things Cowboys must be ready for vs. the Giants
1. The Giants will try to pound the run game
If you've followed Harbaugh over his stint with the Ravens, you know that he is a run-first guy who wants to stuff it down your throat to set up the pass.
Second-year back Cam Skattebo will look to both test his surgically repaired ankle and soften up the interior of the Cowboys' line from the opening snap. He's a hard-nosed runner who loves to deliver more punishment to tacklers than he receives.
Quinnen Williams and the rest of the Cowboys' defense better have their helmets strapped up, because Skattebo would love nothing more than to see if you can lower the boom for four quarters. When Skattebo gets a breather, new Giant Najee Harris will tote the rock, along with the shiftier third-down backs Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. spelling him.
2. Jaxson Dart will scramble early and often
We aren't sure whether Christian Parker will be employing a spy on Dart, but he is definitely preaching to his unit to be aware of the QB's legs and ability to escape pressure. Dart will have a handful of designed runs, but will primarily look to extend plays as a runner or to suck defenders toward the line of scrimmage and deliver the ball over the top.
In 14 games (12 starts) as a rookie, Dart took off running 86 times for 487 yards and nine touchdowns. Only Josh Allen and Justin Herbert had more rushing yards at the position, and only Allen had more rushing touchdowns.
This will be a terrific test for first-round pick Caleb Downs, who will be tasked with overseeing defensive integrity on the back end while also being a willing tackler from the nickel position when Dart breaks contain. Cowboys linebackers Dee Winters, Demarvion Overshown, and Jaishawn Barham will face a similar challenge dealing with Dart's dual-threat ability.
3. Malik Nabers is back and hungry
Malik Nabers had a breakout 2024 campaign before suffering a season-ending torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee (along with a partial labrum tear) in Week 4 of 2025. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday is a man on a mission as he looks to become the next great LSU receiver in the league.
Dart is a proficient deep-ball passer, and if corners DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant don't stick on him like white on rice, he has the speed to take the top off a defense and house it deep. Expect Nabers also to be used as a decoy, allowing the Giants to spread the ball around to other pass catchers, Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, and new tight end Isiah Likely, who accompanies Harbaugh over from Baltimore.
Defensively, the Giants are looking to improve on what was the 28th-ranked unit in 2025. They were particularly susceptible to the run, allowing 145 yards a game on the ground (second to last in the league). Javonte Williams will see a lot of reps against a new, Harbaugh-led defense that features new coordinator Dennard Wilson and first-round linebacker Arvell Reese out of Ohio State.
The Cowboys should be able to move the ball against this unit, but they must be prepared to stop the run, account for Jaxson Dart's scrambling, and contain Malik Nabers in his first game back from a torn ACL.
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