As a new feature during the 2026 NFL season, here at The Landry Hat, we will be digging into the history between the Dallas Cowboys and each of their weekly opponents. What better team to start with than the New York Giants, and a rivalry that goes way back to the Cowboys' inaugural season?
Cowboys lead Giants 78-48-2 in all-time series
Though they didn't become division rivals until Dallas' second season in 1961, the Giants did play the fledgling Cowboys in 1960. The game ended in a 31-31 tie, which was the bright spot for the Dallas expansion team that went 0-11 in its other games.
Upon joining what was then known as the Eastern Division in 1961, the Cowboys began playing the Giants twice a season for over 60 years. It started roughly for Dallas, with New York going 5-1-1 in the next seven meetings.
But the Cowboys emerged as a contender in the mid-60s, and the Giants became one of their favorite chew toys. From 1964 through 1980, the Cowboys went 26-4 against New York. It's no wonder that the "America's Team" moniker took off back then, as Dallas was so dominant over the country's biggest media market.
The old "you can throw the records out the window" mentality hasn't generally applied between these rivals. When the Giants have been good, like in the late 80s and again in the late '90s and early 2000s, they've had dominant streaks against Dallas. And that's gone both ways, with the Cowboys going 8-1 during their peak 90s dynasty seasons.
We're now in a very distinct era of the Cowboys-Giants rivalry, defined by Dak Prescott's arrival as the quarterback. Back in 2016, Prescott's first NFL start was a loss to New York. But then Dallas reeled off 11-straight wins, making Prescott one of the biggest stories in football. The red-hot Cowboys went into New York for the rematch and again suffered a loss during his rookie season.
In a campaign in which the Cowboys went 13-1 in their other games, the Giants were the only team to hang legitimate regular-season losses on them. From that point forward, Prescott has gotten his revenge.
From the 2017 season onward, Prescott has gone 14-1 against the Giants. Before last year, New York's only win over Dallas in the last decade came in a 2021 game that Prescott missed due to injury. While Prescott has enjoyed a lot of success against the entire NFC East during his run, the Giants have arguably suffered the most.
Signature Moment: Giants shock Cowboys in 2007 playoffs
In such a long rivalry, picking one signature moment is difficult. You could talk about Emmitt Smith's "shoulder game" in 1993, when he ran for 229 yards against New York with a separated shoulder.
You could talk about Carl Banks breaking Danny White's wrist in 1986, or Odell Beckham's infamous one-handed catch in 2014. The Giants spoiling the first regular-season game in AT&T Stadium in 2009 would also qualify.
But for two teams who pride themselves on Super Bowl success, nothing stands out more than their 2007 playoff game. Dallas had everything going that year: 13-3 overall and the first seed in the NFC playoffs. The offensive core of Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, and Jason Witten was humming. DeMarcus Ware led a strong defense, and the team seemed ready to return to greatness.
In their first playoff game that year, having sat out with a bye week before, Dallas hosted the Giants in their first, and still their only, postseason game against each other. Despite the Cowboys going 2-0 against New York in the regular season, New York pulled off a stunning 21-17 upset over the No. 1 seed.
Many have argued that the 2007 Cowboys were easily the best team that Jerry Jones has built without Jimmy Johnson's help, and his best chance at winning another Super Bowl. That it was the rival Giants who cut that championship run short added to the pain and remains their cruelest act against Dallas.
Last Time Around: Giants snap Prescott's streak in 2025 finale
You never have to look back too far for the last game between division rivals, and that's especially true this time. Dallas and New York's last real football game was also against each other in the 2025 regular-season finale. It wasn't exactly a high-stakes matchup: the Cowboys were 7-8-1 going in, and the Giants were 4-12.
Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, Dallas started Prescott. He exited at halftime with Dallas trailing 16-10, and Joe Milton III took over for the rest of the way. New York would go on to win 34-17, technically ending Prescott's 14-game win streak against them. But given the Cowboys' half-hearted effort in a meaningless contest, it feels like the streak is still alive for games that actually matter.
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