Why Cowboys Facing Giants in Week 1 is Great Omen for Start of Dallas' 2026 season

Slowly but surely there will be schedule leaks this week as the NFL prepares to unveil the entire slate on May 14, and we already have one for the Dallas Cowboys.

On Monday morning, the league confirmed that Dallas will take on the New York Giants in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, on "Sunday Night Football."

If you're thinking we've seen this show before, it's because we have. The Giants and Cowboys have faced off in Week 1 eight times since 2006. This will be the third time the two teams are squaring off at MetLife Stadium in that span.

A good omen for the Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks at his helmet during warmups before the game against the New York Giants. — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

This matchup is a fantastic omen for the Cowboys getting off to a positive start, and for multiple reasons.

Dallas is an impressive 7-1 against the Giants in their previous eight Week 1 matchups. The only time the Cowboys lost to the Giants in a regular-season opener since 2006 came in Dak Prescott's rookie season.

Furthermore, the Cowboys have won nine of their last 10 meetings with the Giants dating back to 2021. New York's last win over Dallas came in a meaningless Week 18 game last season.

This is actually the 10th time the Cowboys will open their regular season in New York since 2006 because Dallas faced the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in 2011.

Giants' early-season concerns

New York Giants coach John Harbaugh speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. — New York Giants coach John Harbaugh. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

We would expect the Giants to be more competitive this coming season. One reason behind that is the hiring of John Harbaugh, who adds some much-needed stability and credibility to the franchise.

The Giants also have plenty of young talent that is headlined by Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers and Abdul Carter, and four top-100 picks from the 2026 NFL Draft.

However, there are a lot of new pieces to get situated in New York. And, with a new coaching staff in place, the Giants will be learning new systems on offense and defense this offseason and that can often lead to slow starts.

It also remains unclear if the Giants are going to have Nabers on the field Week 1 as he recovers from a torn ACL. If not, that would be a huge break for Dallas' revamped defense.

Of course, the Cowboys have their own new defense to install, but the offense remains the same and that gives the Cowboys a huge leg up over the Giants in this matchup.

Hopefully the Cowboys hit the ground running on both sides of the ball in 2026, but if things are slow for their defense, Dallas' offense should be able to pick up the slack.

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