DALLAS — The Cowboys and Giants have plenty of history, but Sunday night’s season opener will give Dallas an immediate opportunity to show whether this team is different from last year’s group.
The NFC East rivals have opened the season against each other 12 times, with Dallas winning 11 of those matchups. The Cowboys will look to add another victory when they travel to New York for NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has been particularly successful against the division. Since entering the NFL in 2016, Prescott is 37-10 against NFC East opponents, the most wins by a quarterback against his own division over the past decade.
Dallas also enters the season with one of the league’s strongest opening-day records. The Cowboys are 41-24-1 all-time in season openers, a .629 winning percentage that ranks second in NFL history behind Denver. Dallas’ 41 opening-day victories are tied for seventh all time.
The franchise once won 17 consecutive season openers from 1965-81, an NFL record.
But history won’t help Dallas address the questions facing this year’s team.
Cowboys columnist Mickey Spagnola believes stopping the run will be one of the first things to watch. New York’s arrival under head coach John Harbaugh could make that challenge particularly important, given Harbaugh’s reputation for building physical teams that want to run the football.
The Cowboys struggled in that area last season, allowing 12 of 17 opponents to rush for more than 100 yards. Dallas has a new defensive coaching staff and different personnel, making Sunday an early test of whether those problems have been corrected.
One of the newcomers to watch is rookie safety Caleb Downs, who is expected to see significant work as the team’s nickel defender. Downs has spent much of camp working in the slot.
The Cowboys also enter the opener without Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith, putting added responsibility on T.J. Bass. Bass has experience at both guard and center and has made 10 NFL starts.
There is plenty of firepower on the other side of the ball. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens combined for 2,506 receiving yards in 2025, the second-highest total by a receiving duo in the NFL.
Dallas also added veteran pass rusher Von Miller, who returns to his native North Texas for his 16th NFL season. Miller enters 2026 as the NFL’s active career sacks leader with 138.5.
The Giants will counter with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, one of the league’s most productive interior pass rushers. Since entering the NFL in 2019, Williams has recorded 41.5 sacks, seventh among defensive tackles during that span.
For Dallas, the opener offers a little bit of everything: a familiar rival, a strong track record on opening day and several new pieces facing their first real test.
After a 20-24 loss at Philadelphia to begin the 2025 season, the Cowboys will get another chance to start the year on the right foot — this time under the lights in New York.
