Nobody believes in the New York Giants in week 1, but win or lose, this game will prove one major thing. Bring on the Cowboys.
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The 2026 NFL season is officially underway. We finally made it through the months of offseason. For Week 1, the New York Giants are set to face division rival Dallas in the first Sunday night game of the year. A lot rides on this game and this season for New York.
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We have talked all offseason how new head coach John Harbaugh brought legitimacy and competency to the Giants; things they had been lacking in numerous coaching regimes over the years. Well, saying Harbaugh levels up the franchise is one thing; we’ll need to actually see results. But no one expects him to win this first game of the year, so what exactly is on the line? One thing will be proven, can they hang.
New York Giants Week 1 First Impression
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Harbaugh doesn’t have to immediately win Week 1. The season isn’t a failure if New York begins 0-1. However, this is a hinge game. The Giants begin the season with a relatively easy schedule. We expect them to lose Week 2 at the Rams, but the rest of the first six weeks are all winnable. This Dallas game is the one inbetweener. Dallas isn’t a definitive Super Bowl threat like Los Angeles, but they are certainly playoff hopefuls. If the Giants want to be in that conversation, they must show out against fellow playoff-caliber teams.
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Last year, the Cowboys had what we have come to expect from them: a great offense and terrible defense. This year, the Cowboys should have a great offense and a somewhat respectable defense. The skill players on offense are going to be a lot for NY to handle. With CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, Dallas offers two receivers the Giants will struggle to guard. If they go all-out to stop them, the run defense (the bane of NYG existence the past few seasons) will be over stressed. It’s a bad matchup for New York unless the pass rush is in Dak Prescott’s face all night.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Cowboys seem to have put together a competent unit. Micah Parsons is long gone, but the pieces that have accumulated to replace him are pretty solid, including Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Rashan Gary. If Caleb Downs is as good as advertised in the secondary, there are fearsome groupings on defense for Dallas.
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That means a lot is going to fall on the shoulders of Jaxson Dart and the New York offense. They will need to gel immediately under Matt Nagy’s leadership while attempting to keep pace with Dallas’ firepower.
Even if the Giants end up being a playoff contender, this feels like a bad matchup to me. I think Dallas has an advantage on both sides of the ball (and has the best kicker in the league for good measure). Again, I don’t think 0-1 would be an obituary on the season, but it will put the spotlight on Harbaugh that he may not be used to after all those years in Baltimore.
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Dan Salem: Just Don’t Get Blown Out
Everyone expects the Giants to begin the season 0-2, so their goal is to have the ball in the fourth quarter with an opportunity to win the game. This is especially true against division rival Dallas in Week 1, because the team will never be more prepared for a game all year. New York also needs to prove it can hang and hang around with above average football teams.
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If we’re being generous, we can call the New York and Dallas defenses equal. The Cowboys have a better offense and the Giants have a better head coach. Both teams underperformed last year and both have reasonably high expectations this year. The Giants are at home, but Dallas is favored. I’m trying really hard, but the only way New York wins this game is if Dallas loses it.
I don’t think coaching will be enough for the Giants to hold off the Cowboys offense and I don’t think New York’s offense is ready to control a game against a unit like Dallas has defensively. Unless the Cowboys make a bunch of mistakes, which is entirely possible on the road in prime time against a seemingly weak division rival, the Giants are going to come up short. They simply need to prove they can hang around and give themselves a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
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There are ample opportunities for New York to have a positive outcome in this week 1 game, win or lose. But one outcome would certainly feel like an obituary, if Dallas blows them out. This seems unlikely, which sets the Giants up for a “moving in the right direction” outcome and a chance to build momentum heading into week 2 versus the Rams.
Meet our Sports Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
New York Giants Week 1 – This Is The End
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