Good morning, New York Giants fans! Here are the stories you need to know on a day we remember those that we lost 25 years ago today.
Big things expected from John Harbaugh’s Giants | ESPN.com
This is Harbaugh’s program. He’s hoping building a bigger, more physical team pays immediate dividends because the schedule doesn’t let Harbaugh’s Giants ease into the flow. The Giants face an unusually big game in Week 1 considering they get the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams on the road next Monday night. It makes their matchup in Week 1 with a division rival
that has owned them for years that much more critical. But nobody seems to be giving Harbaugh the sort of grace period new head coaches generally receive. Instead, the rhetoric is to turn it around immediately, even though the Giants won seven games combined the past two seasons.
“I get it from the standpoint of expectations, but of course we expect to win,” Harbaugh said. “How do you go out there and compete at this level if you don’t expect to win? If you don’t expect to win, you certainly aren’t going to. I’ve said this before, we expect and we plan to and we’ll be playing to win every single one of our games this year. That’s our expectation, that’s our plan, that’s what we’ll be striving for. We think we can [win], we believe we can [win], wholeheartedly.”
Giants-Dallas is a hot ticket
2026 NFL offensive line rankings: Broncos, Eagles and Buccaneers open in top three | PFF
23. New York Giants. Andrew Thomas was arguably the Giants’ best player last year, as his 90.3 PFF grade tied for a career high. His issue has been staying healthy, having missed significant time both in 2023 and 2024. New York drafted Francis Mauigoa in the first round, and if he can hit the ground running, then the unit looks a lot stronger. But, it’s a group that just might be another season away from making a bigger impact.
How Giants are molding Jaxson Dart into savior they need him to be | The Athletic
Harbaugh oversaw one of the best Year 2 leaps in NFL history while in Baltimore. After making seven starts as a raw rookie in 2018, Lamar Jackson blossomed into an MVP while leading the Ravens to an NFL-best 14-2 record in his second season. No one is banking on that type of breakout season for Dart. But there is at least a blueprint for the coaching staff to follow as Dart transitions into his second season.
“I think the approach has been similar from the basic idea that we’re trying to build an offense for Jaxson Dart that is amenable to his skill set,” Harbaugh said. “We did the same thing with Lamar. But they’re different people, different quarterbacks — all those kinds of things are different.”
Unexpected Match: John Harbaugh & Jaxson Dart’s Obsession Could Be Enough To Fix Giants | FOX Sports
On paper, it’s a mismatch. The 63-year-old coach with a somewhat stoic, all-football demeanor and the flashy 23-year-old who seems to love everything that comes with being a celebrity in New York. Dart is a showman, whether it’s on Instagram, at parties or on celebrity row. Harbaugh, on the other hand, seems more at home in a film room with the lights down low.
But what Harbaugh quickly learned was that Dart’s appearance was deceiving. The old coach spent hours talking with the young quarterback before he took the Giants job. That’s where he first learned of Dart’s “obsession” with the details, with becoming a better quarterback, and with the hard work he knew he had to put in to get there. And just in case he wasn’t convinced, he took calls from former Giants coach Brian Daboll, Eli Manning, and several others raving about Dart’s football acumen and work ethic, too.
Jaxson Dart’s 10-word text to Giants linemen reveals QB’s bold intentions before facing Cowboys | New York Post
The text was sent Tuesday night. Late. “It was kind of just random, out of nowhere,’’ left guard Jon Runyan Jr. told The Post.
Jaxson Dart has several different text chains within the Giants locker room, and this particular one was with the five starting offensive linemen. The message was transmitted into the phones of Runyan, Andrew Thomas, John Michael Schmitz Jr., Francis Mauigoa and Jermaine Eluemunor.
Giants’ Darius Slayton replacement ready for big shot vs. Cowboys: ‘Pressure is a privilege’ | NJ.com
John Harbaugh, the Giants’ new coach and football czar, sent Darius Slayton packing because he believes he has better options to play opposite Malik Nabers.
And those two outside receiver options — who both now face significant pressure — are seventh-year pro Darnell Mooney and intriguing third-round rookie Malachi Fields, a big-bodied red-zone weapon. So what does Fields think about being thrust into a significant role immediately, starting with Sunday night’s enormous season opener at home against Dallas?
OBJ’s Blonde debut (h/t Art Stapleton)
Why New York Giants are taking different approach to team captains in 2026 | USAToday.com
Game-day captains were handled differently. Rather than naming a permanent group for the season, Harbaugh selected captains on a week-to-week basis. The choices could change depending on circumstances, the opponent, or simply an opportunity to recognize a particular player’s leadership.
Rather than relying solely on traditional captains, they have established a leadership council selected by their teammates consisting of Andrew Thomas, Jaxson Dart, Jevon Holland, Jordan Stout, Brian Burns, Jameis Winston, Tremaine Edmunds and Chris Manhertz.
New York Giants to honor heroes and remember 9/11 during Sunday Night Football against Dallas Cowboys | Giants.com
Fans arriving at MetLife Stadium will be welcomed by Ladder 343, a ceremonial FDNY firetruck named to honor the 343 members of the FDNY who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Outside the gates of the stadium, The Tunnel to Towers Foundation will conclude their Steel Across America tour with an authentic steel beam from the World Trade Center displayed, creating a visible reminder of the resilience and unity that emerged in the aftermath of 9/11.
Players and coaches from both teams will also wear commemorative NYPD, FDNY and PAPD pregame apparel, along with “Never Forget” t-shirts. A limited number of hats will be available in the team store on gameday, with proceeds benefiting the respective first responder agencies. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 8pm for player introductions, when the Giants will take the field led by New York City first responders, who will form a gauntlet for the team to run through.
From Big Blue View
- Malik Nabers says decision to play or not play vs. Cowboys will be his
- C.J. Okoye says landing with Giants ‘a really good outcome’
- Giants to unveil new-look, physical offense against Cowboys
- Watch the NFC East Mixtape’s Week 1 Preview!
- NY Giants vs. Cowboys, NFL Week 1 2026: Everything you need to know
This week’s opponent
- How the Cowboys offensive line matches up with the Giants front | Blogging the Boys
- Quinnen Williams: Captain patch ‘means a lot’, looks to set a physical tone vs. Giants | DallasCowboys.com
- Why Cowboys are so confident in their new DC Christian Parker entering Week 1 | The Athletic
- Cowboys Valued at Record $17B as Forbes Reveals Most Valuable NFL Teams of 2026 List | Bleacher Report
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