With a new season comes new players, new coaches, new strategies, and a whole new set of questions for every team in the NFL. The 2026 versions of the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants have new coaching staffs, bringing a whole new line of thinking from their previous iterations. John Harbaugh takes over the entire Giants org, while Christian Parker has revamped Dallas' defense. Both clubs added two first-round picks each, and their impacts on each team are a storyline in themselves.
The Giants had two opportunities to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, but went in a different direction each time. Will Downs take that personally? Can he make a bigger impact for the Cowboys than the two New York selections ahead of him? Here are the top storylines
to follow heading into Sunday Night Football.
Out with the old, in with the old?
New York brought in an entirely new coaching staff this offseason, but unlike most they didn’t go for an up-and-coming young star. The Giants decided to roll with John Harbaugh, who spent nearly the last 20 years as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. It's unlikely a coach who's been around for multiple decades is learning new tricks, and his offensive staff isn't young and up-and-coming, either.
Harbaugh added Matt Nagy as his offensive coordinator with previous stints in that role with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, and a short stint as the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Their offensive assistant is Greg Roman, who was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator for six years across two coaching stints. Can the old guard out-coach brand-new defensive coordinator Christian Parker? Week 1 will give everyone the answer, with each side having all offseason to prepare. Harbaugh's record is 11-8 on opening day and 7-3 in home games. Dallas will need to be prepared.
Youth movements
Both Dallas and the Giants are relying heavily on young prospects from the last two draft classes. Last year's first-round pick, Tyler Booker, is the starter at right guard. Their second-round pick, Donovan Ezeiruakuu, is being looked at as the big-impact pass rusher in his second season, and Shavon Revel Jr. could be a starting outside corner. In this draft, Dallas added Caleb Downs to start at nickel corner, Malachi Lawrence and LT Overton to rotate on the defensive line, and Jaishawn Barham as a linebacker who gets plenty of snaps. The Cowboys are leaning on these young players to make an impact on both sides of the ball.
New York has its own young studs it's building its entire team around. Their 2025 draft class includes their starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart, and running back, Cam Skattebo, along with two defensive line starters, Abdul Carter and Darius Alexander.
Carter was the second-overall pick and is expected to be a game changer as a pass rusher. The 2026 draft class includes two top-10 picks. Arvell Reese is a linebacker with some pass rush to his game, and guard Francis Mauignoa is the next big piece to rebuilding their offensive line. Colton Hood was a top 40 pick at corner who Dallas really liked, and Malachi Fields might be Malik Nabers' running mate at receiver. The Giants must win this matchup to get a win in Week 1.
Dak’s dominance against the NFC East
Dak Prescott is 37-10 as a starter at quarterback against the NFC East, a nearly 80% winning percentage. He has thrown 89 touchdown passes to only 23 interceptions with a passer rating over 100. His 14-3 record against the Giants is his second-best winning percentage in the division, only behind his 13-2 record against the Washington Commanders.
Prescott is 3-1 against the Giants in season-opening matchups, winning his last three. Prescott had a winning streak of 14 games snapped to end last season, but he only played part of that game in Week 18 with the season already over. The Cowboys quarterback has thrown for over 250 yards per game, nearly two touchdowns per contest, and averages just one interception every two matchups. Can Prescott continue his dominance against the NFC East for a decade straight by beating New York at MetLife Stadium in Week 1?
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Dak's division dominance among 3 key Cowboys-Giants opener storylines
