Isaiah Likely Shines as New York Giants Top Dallas Cowboys 28-20

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The John Harbaugh era is off to a feel-good start for the New York Giants.

Amid the solemn backdrop of honoring the sacrifices of those affected by the events of September 11, 2001, the Giants rode a standout performance from tight end Isaiah Likely to a 28-20 victory over their divisional rivals the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in Week 1 of the 2026 season.

Likley caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Malik Nabers, who made his return from a torn ACL suffered in Week 4 of last season, impressively caught six passes for 69 yards.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart went 23 of 29 with 230 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 54 yards in the victory effort. Dallas’ Dak Prescott completed 22 passes for 175 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the loss.

With a victory in their season-opener, the Giants have infused a sense of optimism into their fandom. In that regard, here is a look at the action from a balmy, late-summer night in East Rutherford.

Giants Strike First

The Giants channeled their inner “Cobra Kai” in Week 1 by converting a 10-play, 83-yard drive into their first scoring series of the 2026 NFL season.

In fact, it was the team’s first season-opening drive touchdown since 2022. Nabers, in his first offensive series since Week 4 of the 2025 campaign, caught a nine-yard pass through contact — indicating that the third-year receiver had indeed returned to full action.

Dart, on 2nd-and-10 from his own 41 yard-line, rushed for a significant 22-yard gain. Cowboys’ DeMarvion Overshown gave the Giants an additional 15-yards thanks to a late hit on Dart which resulted in an unnecessary roughness penalty. The 37-yard sum gain took the Giants deep into Dallas territory.

Running back Cam Skattebo put the finishing touches on the drive with a three-yard touchdown run on 2nd-and-7 from the Cowboys’ 15 yard-line. With the addition of a Dominic Zvada extra-point, New York took a 7-0 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) carries the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dallas Strikes Back

The Cowboys first scoring drive of the night came on 10-play, 85-yard series, which was aided by a pair of costly Giants penalties. New York cornerback Greg Newsome was whistled for a defensive pass interference penalty against Dallas receiver George Pickens, advancing the Cowboys 38 yards.

The Giants again found themselves on the wrong side of the penalty flag — a 19-yard DPI against defensive back Dru Phillips who was attempting to cover Dallas tight end Jake Ferguson.

Despite stopping Dallas’ running back Javonte Williams on 1st-and-GOAL, Prescott found three-time All Pro CeeDee Lamb for the one-yard touchdown. A successful point-after attempt from Dallas’ kicker Brandon Aubrey tied the score at 7.

Teams Swap Turnovers, Giants Re-Take Lead to Close the Half

With the Giants threatening to re-take the lead late in the second quarter, running back Tyrone Tracy fumbled the ball while attempting a left-end run, which would have taken them into the red zone. Cowboys’ defender Quinnen Williams forced the turnover, which was recovered by cornerback Shavon Revel at the 8-yard line.

Fortunately for the home team, Big Blue would not be denied their chance at redemption. As the Cowboys attempted to push further into field goal range, Prescott was intercepted by safety Jevon Holland at New York’s 45.

From there, Dart led his team on a six-play, 55-yard drive, highlighted by two big-gain connections to receivers Darnell Mooney (18 yards) and Nabers for 16 yards. The drive was capped by a 15-yard scoring catch by Likely, who earned his first touchdown in a Giants uniform.

Likely Continued to Shine in Second Half

The Giants opened the second half with a 12-play, 74-yard drive, which featured an pair of impressive catches from Nabers for 16 and 19 yards respectively.

Likley continued to show his prowess and potential as a red-zone weapon by snagging a two-yard touchdown pass from Dart, giving the tight end his second score of the night. Behind Dart’s two touchdown passes, the Giants took a 21-7 lead with time winding down in the third quarter.

Still, Dallas refused to go quietly into the humid New Jersey night. Prescott led his team on a 12-play, 75 yard drive, highlighted by a 15-yard connection with Lamb to advance the Cowboys deep into Giants territory. Williams took a one-yard rush into the end zone, cutting New York’s lead to 21-14.

The Giant Chokeslam

New York put its exclamation point on its offensive output with a 13-play, 65-yard drive for the fourth-quarter score. Dart utilized the versatility of Giants back Devin Singletary, who paced the drive with catches for 13 and seven yards respectively. Singletary capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown reception, giving the Giants a 28-14 lead.

Though Dallas would close the gap by adding six additional points on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to Javonte Williams, the Giants were able to gain key stops when needed, while protecting the football on offense. As a result, they earned every inch of the 28-20 victory.

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely (9) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Superlatives

With the win, the Giants have obtained their first Week 1 victory at home since 2010, the same year in which MetLife Stadium opened.

The Giants have extended their streak of collectively rushing for over 100 yards to 10 straight games, dating back to last season. New York ended 2025 having rushed for 100+ yards in nine straight games, the longest streak by any team in the NFL last season. It was the longest streak by a Giants team since 2010 (also nine games). The new streak now stands at 10.

Blue Notes

The Giants commemorated the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001 with several pregame, in-game and halftime events. In addition to tribute performances, as well as appearances by scores of first-responders, players and coaches from both teams will also wear commemorative NYPD, FDNY and PAPD pregame apparel, along with "Never Forget" t-shirts.

Earlier in the week, the Giants committed to “honor the bravery, sacrifice and service of first responders, military members, 9/11 family members and the countless individuals whose lives were impacted by the events of September 11, 2001.”

Honoring those we lost pic.twitter.com/YbQ17w8tev
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 14, 2026

NFC East Recap

NFC East rivals went head-to-head earlier in the day, as the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders squared off from Lincoln Financial Field in the City of Brotherly Love. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns in the 24-22 Eagles’ victory.

Philadelphia begins the 2026 season at 1-0, while the Commanders fall to 0-1. The Commanders will travel to Dallas for a showdown with the Cowboys, while the Eagles will take on the Tennessee Titans in Nashville in Week 2.

What’s Next?

The Giants will attempt to earn a 2-0 record when they visit the West Coast for a Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) from SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21.

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