The to MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football to kick off their regular season.
With both teams coming off disappointing seasons and missing the postseason, the division rivals know how significant a Week 1 win would be.
The teams split last year’s series in two high-scoring games, although it should be noted that they met at MetLife Stadium in Week 18, when the Cowboys played their starters with little left to play for.
Here are three reasons for optimism ahead of the prime-time matchup:
Under a new regime
The new coaching staff built around Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh has given the Giants a sense of excitement. After New York landed the high-profile hire, many wondered whether the Giants could compete right away under Harbaugh. A win against the Cowboys would be quite the statement for Big Blue.Harbaugh is one of the better coaches in the league, and given how close last season’s Week 2 matchup was, the change in coaching staff may make all the difference Sunday.
Scoring against Cowboys defense in 2025
The Giants were able to move the ball and put up points against their division rivals last season. Across the two matchups, New York scored 71 points. The Giants piled up 506 yards in the first meeting, before Jaxson Dart took over as the starter, and 380 yards in the season finale without Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo.The Cowboys defense has struggled over the last several years, and the Giants should have their chances to score again on Sunday.
Dallas has made a few notable improvements on that side of the ball, but the Cowboys defense still has a long way to go before it ranks among the better units in the league.
Cowboys key injury
Earlier this week, the Cowboys announced that star left guard Tyler Smith had been placed on injured reserve (IR). That leaves the door open for the Giants defensive line to have a big game Sunday. If New York’s front can get after the quarterback and make life difficult for Dak Prescott, Big Blue could unlock a major advantage.The injury may also affect Dallas’ running game. The Giants need to improve against the run, and Smith’s absence certainly does not hurt their chances of a strong defensive start. The Giants are also under new management on that side of the ball with defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
Given how poorly the defense performed under Shane Bowen last season, the move to Wilson should not be a step backward.This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: