The New York Giants (0-0) host the Dallas Cowboys (0-0) on Sunday Night Football to open their 2026 regular-season schedule.
Here are six things to know entering this week's contest at MetLife Stadium.
The series
This will be the 128th regular-season meeting between the Giants and Cowboys since 1960, when Dallas entered the NFL as an expansion club. Dallas leads the all-time series, 78-47-2. The team met once in the postseason. The Giants won that game, 21-17, in the Divisional Round in 2008 en route to their Super Bowl XLII championship.
The Giants won the most recent meeting between the two teams, 34-17, in Week 18 at MetLife Stadium this past January. It was the Giants' first victory in the series in 10 games, going back to 2021, and only their second
since 2016.
A familiar opening-week matchup
The Giants and Cowboys have opened the regular season against each other 12 times, with Dallas winning 11 of those matchups. The clubs have opened the season against one another in primetime five times since 2012, and Dallas has won all five.
Dallas is 41-24-1 (.629) all-time in season openers, the second-highest opening-day winning percentage in the NFL, trailing only the Denver Broncos (41-23-1; .641).
The Giants, since 1960, are 27-37-2 (.424) in regular-season openers.
The last opening-week meeting between the clubs was in 2023, when Dallas won, 40-0. It was the largest shutout victory in the history of the Cowboys and the Giants' largest shutout loss at home in their history, as well as their worst season-opening defeat.
Welcome, John Harbaugh
Harbaugh comes to the Giants as their new head coach after serving the last 18 seasons in the same capacity with the Baltimore Ravens. Harbaugh compiled a regular-season record of 180-113 (.614) and led four different Ravens teams to the AFC Championship game, including a 28-13 victory over the New England Patriots en route to a victory over his brother, John, and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. He has a postseason record of 13-11.
During Harbaugh's 18 seasons with the Ravens, he compiled a 13-8 record: 4-1 against the Cowboys, 3-2 against both Philadelphia and Washington, and 3-3 versus the Giants.
Dak Attack
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is a notorious Giant-killer. He has a 14-3 career record against Big Blue, an .824 win percentage, which is the second-highest of his career against a single opponent. Prescott is 13-2 versus Washington (.867).
In 2019, Prescott set the Cowboys' franchise record for passing yards in a season opener when he shredded the Giants for 405 yards. Last year, he ranked third in the NFL in completions (33) and tied for fourth in attempts (73) on throws that traveled 20-plus air yards
He is best when under pressure. Last season, Prescott completed 136-of-193 passes when blitzed (which is anytime the opponent sends five-or-more pass rushers). Prescott’s 70.5 percent completion rate against the blitz led the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
Notable debuts in the series
Cowboys: Safeties Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson, defensive end Otito Ogbonnia, linebackers Rashan Gary and Dee Winter, and cornerback Cobie Durant.
Giants: Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese, defensive linemen D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris, cornerback Greg Newsome II, punter Jordan Stout, kicker Dominic Zvada, running backs Najee Harris and Patrick Ricard, wide receivers Malachi Fields and Darnell Mooney, right guard Francis Mauigoa and tight end Isaiah Likely.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: 6 things to know about Week 1
