Keys to a NY Giants Week 18 Win vs Dallas Cowboys

Here's what the Giants need to do better to come out victorious in their second matchup with the Cowboys to close out the season.

Dec 25, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks on during warmups before the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

With the New York Giants' 2025 season not heading for the postseason field for the eighth time in the last decade, it all comes down to one more contest in the regular season finale against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Both the Giants and Cowboys, who are also out of playoff contention at 7-8-1, have nothing significant to play for, as their respective organizations are about to shift their focus to bringing in the right puzzle pieces to help them return to the main conversation in 2026.

Like last week, that won't be the Giants' players' mindset as they take the field in front of their home fans one last time. They have been the proverbial punching bag for their NFC East division rivals over the past several seasons, losing 16 of the last 17 matchups. They would like to put that trend to rest with a strong showing against the 'Boys that will give them some momentum heading into next season.

The last time the two sides faced off in Week 2, the Giants came very close to upsetting Dallas on the road, losing heartbreakingly in overtime, 40-37, after they had gone ahead by three points with 25 seconds left in regulation from Malik Nabers' second huge touchdown catch of the day.

If New York wants to close the gap and leave as the victors this time around, it'll need to show improvement in these three key areas to wrap up the journey with a much-needed divisional win.

Establish the Run

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2025 season as one of the NFL's worst teams against the run and weren't in a much better position to stop it with the personnel on the current roster that lined up against the Giants in Week 2.

However, the ability to establish a strong rushing game and control the game on the ground was somehow a struggle for the Giants in that first meeting. They were held to a collective 84 yards on 21 carries and only averaged 4.0 yards per attempt despite relying on five different players to push the pigskin.

That number marked the Giants' third-lowest rushing total this season. While the run game wasn't heavily needed with the 450-yard passing masterclass that quarterback Russell Wilson was putting on in his second start for Big Blue, it was a stark contrast from the upward tick that the backfield has been on lately.

Entering Week 18, the Giants have become a much stronger rushing team, as their offensive line protection has improved by leaps and bounds. New York currently ranks sixth in the league in rushing yards (119.6 per contest) and has been cashing in via the legs of their ball carriers to tally the fourth-most rushing touchdowns (21) down the stretch.

One can't forget that those results came without rookie Cam Skattebo, after the bruising running back was lost for the season with an ankle injury in Week 8. Skattebo was quickly becoming the lead guy in the equation, and his absence has called upon quarterback Jaxson Dart and fellow backs Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary to pick up the slack and maintain that gritty attitude in the run.

The trio has certainly assumed the torch effectively, as the Giants have surpassed 100 rushing yards in eight consecutive games and 142 yards in four of those games. Last Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, they moved the ball through the air with ease and also dominated on the ground, notching 155 total yards and punching in three scores to secure the 34-10 rout.

A few months later, the Cowboys have not done their part to close the gaps and make it harder for their opponents to set the tone in the trenches. Dallas boasts an impressive run-stop win rate (32%) with one of the top five defensive tackles in Quinnen Williams, who has come over from the Jets and elevated his game to a 46% run-stop rate and 41% against double-teams up front.

Still, their struggles to finish tackles at the point of contact have hurt their consistency in that department. With one game left in the season, they are allowing the fifth-highest average carry of 4.7 yards and are coming off two games in which their defense was trampled for at least 138 yards, allowing their opponents to stay in the game.

With how flashy the Giants' run operation has been in recent weeks, they should be able to get out there and establish a presence that will test the interior of the Cowboys' defense, which is likely to be a little battered in the final week of the regular season.

The longer they can do that and keep the ball in the hands of their offense, it will mean the less time that Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense can have to do the type of damage that they tend to do when facing the Giants, to whom they've lost just twice since Prescott put the big star on his helmet.

Turn Pressure into Mistakes

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks to pass the ball against the New York Giants during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The quick mention of Dak Prescott brings us to the second key to the second matchup with the Cowboys' talented quarterback: the Giants' need to keep him uncomfortable in the pocket and scare him into making poor decisions with the football.

For much of Prescott's tenure with the Cowboys, he benefited from the strength of his team's offensive line, which has boasted some of the NFL's best pass blockers in the recent era. When that protection is stout all game long, he plays with the utmost confidence as a passer, which has been seen in many of his battles with the Giants, where he holds a career 101.9 passer rating against them.

If Prescott has all the room that he needs to throw the football to his arsenal of talented weapons, he can do some serious damage to a Giants secondary that has struggled immensely in coverage all season long. The 32-year-old has six games with over 300 passing yards against New York and has connected for at least two touchdowns in those contests since his sophomore campaign.

This season, the Cowboys' pass protection hasn't been as elite, but they've been respectable enough to provide their starting gunslinger with the timing he needs to perform at his best. It's the reason why Prescott leads the league in passing production with 4,482 yards (280.1 yards per game), 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions for his fourth season with such stats amassed.

As the season has wound down, the Cowboys have suffered some tough injuries up front, which have thrown a wrench into Prescott's success in the pocket and actually forced him and the offense into making costly mistakes with the pigskin.

The Cowboys are short on depth on the left side of their offensive line, with left tackle Tyler Guyton on IR for the rest of the year and both current starters, Tyler Smith and third-year left guard T.J. Bass, questionable to play in the finale with knee ailments.

It's that side of the ball where the Giants' defensive pass rush has feasted over the past couple of weeks, especially last Sunday against the Raiders' left tackle Stone Forsythe, who had been a turnstile with the league-most 11 sacks allowed.

The Giants' core 20 total pressures, including five sacks and six hits, two interceptions, and made it nearly impossible for Las Vegas to thread the football through the air, with just 192 total passing yards and one touchdown allowed in the win.

The Giants' defensive interior has noticeably improved under the guidance of interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen, who has been experimenting with some more creative pressure packages to confuse opposing offenses.

The result has been the seventh-ranked pass rush win rate (41%) through 16 games, and Brian Burns and Abdul Carter are combining for two of the top 20 edge rushing resumes in the league. Burns, who leads the team with 16.5 sacks, figures to see some time on that left side and could add a couple more takedowns before his Pro Bowl-caliber season comes to a close.

With their lack of depth along the line of scrimmage, the Giants might not find themselves in a better situation to put some heat on Prescott and company and tempt him into throwing some errant balls. He certainly can by himself some time with his legs, but has still been taken down five times twice in the last five games.

If one wants an interesting stat to keep in mind, the Cowboys typically struggle to hang around in games when they are throwing the ball away. This season, Dallas has turned the ball over at least twice in five games and has lost four of those contests by at least two scores.

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