The New York Giants enter their Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys with a legitimate opportunity to put up big numbers on offense.

The Cowboys’ 2025 defense was comically bad, finishing worst in the NFL in EPA per play, second-worst in EPA per rush allowed, and second-worst in EPA per pass allowed. Dallas fired their previous defensive coordinator and hired Christian Parker as his replacement, but how much can one offseason truly fix?

The defensive line favors the Giants’ tackles

Dallas returns Kenny Clark, added Quinnen Williams at last year’s trade deadline, and brought back Donovan Ezeiruaku. The Cowboys also signed Rashan Gary, drafted Malachi Lawrence in the first round, and added Von Miller in a limited role. Despite their overall defensive struggles in 2025, this group ranked 11th in quarterback pressure rate, so they were still generating some heat.

In my book, the Giants’ offensive tackles should have the advantage in this matchup, though. Gary has been a decent player throughout his career, and Lawrence was a raw prospect out of UCF who is likely a year away from reaching his true potential as a pass rusher. 

The real danger lies on the interior with Clark and Williams. The Giants’ offensive line needs to focus on the interior group having a great game. Francis Mauigoa should play well, but Clark and Williams could cause problems for Jon Runyon and John Michael Schmitz. Schmitz missed time during the preseason and didn’t look good in his third preseason game appearance, which is a legitimate concern.

The Giants have the better overall offensive line, and that advantage should translate into an ability to run the football effectively.

Linebackers won’t stop the Giants’ ground game

Dallas added Dee Winters and drafted Jaishawn Barham, who projects as a multi-use weapon after transitioning from the line of scrimmage to inside linebacker. DeMarvion Overshown also returns. 

This is not a group that should keep Giants fans up at night.

The Giants should find success running the ball against this linebacker corps. The game plan needs to center on establishing the line of scrimmage early, working Isaiah Likely into mismatches against linebackers who probably won’t keep up with him, and building the physical rushing identity the coaching staff has emphasized all offseason. If New York can lean on the run game early and assert its physicality, the passing game should open up around it.

The X-factor is Caleb Downs

The Cowboys’ secondary was abysmal in 2025, giving up explosive plays at an alarming rate. Giants fans remember the game last season when wide receiver Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson went off against this group. 

Dallas responded by adding safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Cobie Durant and drafting first-round safety Caleb Downs. while returning Malik Hooker and Daron Bland.

Nabers should still have a productive game, but the rest of the Giants’ receiving corps may find it harder to break through against these upgraded pieces. Durant was an underrated pickup, and Thompson adds stability.

The player Giants fans need to lock in on is Downs. Projected as the Cowboys’ nickel defender, Downs has the instincts and intelligence of a five-year NFL veteran. His tape coming out of Ohio State revealed one of the most brilliant young defenders in recent draft classes. He tackled well, disrupted tight ends in college, and processed plays at an elite speed. Giants fans should not dismiss him as a rookie. If he gets into a rhythm early, his ability to fly around the field could make it a difficult day for New York’s passing attack over the middle.

The hype around Christian Parker combined with the hype around Downs makes their partnership the potential secret weapon Dallas is about to unleash. The Giants could get caught up in the emergence of that relationship operating at a high level.

Giants’ key to the game

The main takeaway from this matchup is straightforward. The Giants have the opportunity to run the football, and they need to be aggressive about it. New York has a chance to out-physical the Cowboys along the line of scrimmage and allow everything in the passing game to open up around the run. The best path to a Giants victory involves moving the ball, controlling the pace, and keeping the Cowboys’ offense off the field. That will be New York’s best defense on Sunday night.