It won't be long until the Dallas Cowboys begin preparing for their Week 1 showdown with the New York Giants. It's a familiar way for Dallas to open the season, and this year's edition comes with the added spotlight of Sunday Night Football.
Even though the matchup is months away, it's only natural to start identifying advantages for the Cowboys. One that already stands out is the Giants' injury crisis, which is headlined by star wide receiver Malik Nabers undergoing a second knee surgery.
John Harbaugh was hoping for a better start to his tenure, and Giants legend Carl Banks didn't help matters when he crowned Dak Prescott as the NFC's premier quarterback.
"Washington has a very elite quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Dak Prescott is the best quarterback in the conference, not just in the NFC East," Banks told Bolavip. "He’s the best quarterback in the conference. ..."
Well, well, well.
Giants legend Carl Banks anoints Cowboys' Dak Prescott as the NFC's best QB
You have to give Banks credit for being honest, but a Giants legend declaring Prescott the best quarterback in the conference is a brutal look for a New York team that's desperately trying to get off the mat. The result won't show up in the standings, but the Cowboys can pencil in an early victory over the Giants all the same.
One could argue that this Giants L was long overdue.
It would've been unfair to pile on after the team's rash of season-ending injuries and the unfortunate Malik Nabers update, even if they're undeniable advantages for Dallas. While injuries are part of the game, they're also largely out of a team's control.
What is within the Giants' control, however, is avoiding unnecessary bulletin-board material. At the team's annual Town Hall, Harbaugh essentially spent several minutes saying his team is going to "kick the Cowboys' ass." That's a bold proclamation from a franchise that is just 4-16 in its last 20 meetings with Dallas dating back to Prescott's rookie year in 2016.
CeeDee Lamb swiftly stuffed Harbaugh and the Giants in a locker, replying, "Lol. That's cute," on Instagram after Harbaugh's statement went viral.
While we're on the subject, remember Nabers' reaction when Dallas traded up for Caleb Downs, whom he played against when Downs was at Alabama? He threw his arms up in disgust before saying, "I'd rather get him than play against him."
That wasn't all Nabers had to say.
"I gotta play against this thing again. Bro, he's good. He's very good. He's VERY good. Bro, he's very good. I had him No. 1, he's very good."
See what we're saying? Not only did the Giants legend put his New York allegiance aside to praise Prescott, but current Giants players have also publicly pushed back on decisions made by the new coach. Add in Lamb's insult, and it's been one offseason loss after another for the Giants.
But we'll be nice and call it 1-0.
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