Football is back, and so is the five points column. Last year, this article came after the Dallas Cowboys played to break down what went right or wrong, and boy, a lot went wrong last year. I’m sorry if a lot of it came off as complaining. This year will hopefully be different.
Instead, this year it will come before each matchup to help set the table on both sides and highlight the key factors to watch for each week. Some points will be a little more on the nose, while others may be a little more obscure.
This will be the 13th season the Cowboys will begin the year with a game against the New York Giants. The Cowboys are 11-1 in the previous 12 games. History would dictate Dallas walking out of MetLife Stadium with a win, but the Giants have overhauled their team the same way the Cowboys have.
It should be a game that’s more competitive than people think. Here are five points to watch for on Sunday.
First Point: Did Dallas build their wall with sticks or bricks?
If you don’t believe in an over-the-hill Odell Beckham Jr., or Jaxson Dart to take the next step as a quarterback, be fearful of what the Giants defensive line can do to the Cowboys offense. Headlined by Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter, and rookie first-round pick Arvell Reese, New York has reimagined a slew of pass rushers that mirror how they won their Super Bowl matchups against the New England Patriots.
Dallas’ offensive line is young but growing quickly through continuity. However, Tyler Guyton needs to carry over his offseason bump to the regular season, Terence Steele needs to hold off Broderick Jones, and T.J. Bass has to fill in for All-Pro Tyler Smith for the next month or more.
A second-year leap from Carter could be the key to the Giants’ pass rush Sunday night, especially if they move him all over the defense similar to how Micah Parsons played in Dallas. When Carter was on the field, the Giants generated quick pressure on 18.6% of opponent dropbacks, which would have been the second-highest mark of any defense on the season, per NFL Pro.
How Dallas neutralizes the Giants’ pass rush will unlock whatever they want to do on offense. They can do that early by establishing the run and limiting the damage on the outside.
Second Point: Jaxson Dart prefers his eggs scrambled
If you have watched enough Cowboys football over the last decade, you understand the problem that’s plagued the Dallas defense has been the mobile quarterback. Rob Marinelli’s old saying of “keep the quarterback in the well” echoes every time an opposing QB scrambles for seven yards a carry.
New York’s second-year signal caller was one of the best at getting out of the pocket last year. Dart had 18 explosive runs last year, tied with Patrick Mahomes for most in the league, and a 61.6% rushing success rate, per NFL Pro. That was the highest among QBs with at least 35 carries last season, and the fourth-highest career mark among QBs with at least 75 carries in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).
The Cowboys’ defense gave up the third-most rush yards per game (23.4) and the most touchdowns (8) in the league to quarterbacks running. Having the league’s worst defense will do that.
If Christian Parker wants to put his stamp on this defense, it’ll be keeping them disciplined and not allowing Dart to run all over the field for first downs. Maybe someone like Caleb Downs can be used as a spy on Dart to make sure that if he leaves the pocket, he’s there to clean it up before it reaches seven to ten yards downfield.
Dallas no longer has a Micah Parsons on the outside to put Dart in pressure situations. Collapsing the pocket from the inside will bode well for Dallas’ defense. They need a big night from Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark.
Third Point: Calling your Schott
Brian Schottenheimer defied expectations placed on him last season as a play-caller. The Cowboys had a top-ten offense in almost every major category, along with career seasons from Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, and George Pickens.
The one black mark against the unit was how they fared in the red zone. Dallas finished 18th in red zone efficiency at 56.9 percent. Still middle of the league, but not good enough for an offense with this much talent. How Schottenheimer responds with his play-calling in year two, especially in the red zone, could be what puts Dallas over the top as a true NFC contender.
The Giants’ pass rushers can be mitigated Sunday night by how Schottenheimer calls the game, so the sequence of play calls and how in tune he is with Prescott will matter in Dallas winning Week 1.
Fourth Point: Passing the buck(eye)
Before the NFL draft, Cowboys fans had sugar plums dancing in their heads of what life could be like with Caleb Downs falling to them and pairing him with Christian Parker. All along, it felt like a pipe dream. There’s no way Downs would not fall past the New York Giants, who picked twice in the top ten.
John Harbaugh called Downs a generational talent at safety, almost tipping the internal feelings around the national champion. Then the unexpected happened. The Giants didn’t pass on Downs just once, but twice. The Cowboys traded up with the Miami Dolphins to pick 11, and the rest is history.
Schottenheimer talked about how they felt heading into draft weekend; there was no chance they would be lucky enough to land their No. 1 player, but that’s what makes it so fun—the unknown.
Downs will be making his professional debut as a member of the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football with all the eyes of the world on him—and yet he seems unfazed by it all. You wonder if there will be any extra motivation for someone who already plays with a chip on his shoulder, facing the team that passed on him twice.
Players have talked in the past about how things like this can give them extra motivation in a game. Hopefully, for the Cowboys’ sake, it could bring out the very best in Downs in primetime.
Fifth Point: Under-the-radar players
There are a few guys who have not been talked about as much this offseason that could be key to a Cowboys victory:
- Cooper Beebe – The Cowboys center has had a quiet offseason. For the center position, that’s a great thing. Dexter Lawrence is no longer in the picture for the Giants, leaving veterans DJ Reader and Shelby Harris to fill the void. Both players are nowhere near the same level as Lawrence, so Beebe should have some favorable matchups. How he fares against some of the edge rushers who line up on the inside will be the biggest challenge.
- Javonte Williams – The $24 million man is looking to carry the success from a breakout 2025 season into this year. Williams had 1,201 yards rushing and 13 total touchdowns. From a fantasy angle and production angle, his career year flew under the radar over the offseason. As the unquestioned bell cow for Dallas’ offense, Williams should have success running up the middle without Lawrence on defense.
- Tyler Booker – The second-year man out of Alabama had a great rookie season. He should be even better in his second year, with a full offseason and NFL acclimation under his belt. There’s a chance he could earn Pro Bowl honors when it’s all said and done.
- Jalen Thompson – It’s not often a team’s most expensive outside free-agent acquisition goes unnoticed, but Thompson has done just that. Unfortunately, he dealt with a lot of nagging injuries from mini-camp to training camp, so he didn’t see the field as much. However, the excitement around him and the type of player he can be for a Christian Parker defense shouldn’t be overlooked.
