It won’t take long for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants to renew acquaintances, as the NFC East rivals have the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2023 season. Both teams are looking to return to the playoffs this year. The Cowboys and Giants will each try to dethrone the Philadelphia Eagles for the division crown.
See you next Sunday! 😍#DallasCowboys | #NYGiants pic.twitter.com/j5XqA3ttEX
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 3, 2023
Their journeys begin under the bright lights. Will the Cowboys win a fifth straight against New York? Can the Giants prove that last season wasn’t a fluke? Let’s find out what lies ahead.
Cowboys vs. Giants Odds and Match Details
| Team | Spread | Total | ML |
| Cowboys | -3
-120 |
Over 46.5
-110 |
-170 |
| Giants | +3
+100 |
Under 46.5
-110 |
+140 |
𝐁𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓 pic.twitter.com/eoTm21GN4e
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 5, 2023
- Fixture: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
- Date and Time: September 10, 2023 at 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Location: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy and 70 degrees
- Field Surface: FieldTurf Core
Cowboys vs. Giants Injury Report
Cowboys Injuries
- Tyler Smith (OT) – Hamstring: Questionable
- Samuel Williams (DE)- Toe: Questionable
- Viliami Fehoko (DE)- Shoulder: Questionable
- Dorance Armstrong (DE)- Hamstring: Questionable
- Donavan Wilson (S)- Calf: Questionable
Giants Injuries
- Wan’Dale Robinson (WR)- Knee: Questionable
- Cordale Flott (CB)- Hamstring: Questionable
- Nick McCloud (CB) – Groin: Questionable
- Gary Brightwell (RB)- Undisclosed: Questionable
- Gervarrius Owens (S)- Hamstring: Questionable
- D.J. Davidson (DT)- Knee: Questionable
- Bobby McCain (S)- Head: Questionable
Cowboys Key Stats
Last year’s Dallas Cowboys finished 12-5-0, second in the grueling NFC East. They went 1-1 in the playoffs, winning in Tampa Bay before bowing out against the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Mike McCarthy will have his hands full this season, seeking a third straight postseason appearance while also taking charge of the team’s playcalling.
That’s not the only drastic change offensively, with running back Ezekiel Elliot no longer with the team. Tony Pollard, who paced the 2022 team with 1,007 yards and 5.2 yards per carry, will assume the lead back role. Behind him is rookie Duece Vaughn, a standout at Kansas State. Dallas was eighth in rushing last season, a level of performance they’ll look to maintain in 2023.
Of course, every offense begins with the offensive line. Fortunately, the Cowboys were able to strike new deals with guard Zack Martin and tackle Terence Steele. Those moves should keep the line as one of the NFL’s dominant units for the foreseeable future, assuming the starters stay healthy.
That sets everything up for quarterback Dak Prescott to deliver for his offense following a subpar season. On the outside, he is reunited with All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and reinforced with newly acquired Brandin Cooks. Prescott also has second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker coming in at tight end to replace Dalton Schultz. Improving upon the fourth-most points per game won’t be easy, but the Cowboys have the personnel to make it happen.
Those sentiments also ring true on the defensive end. Last year’s unit finished fifth in points per game and ended the regular season with the most takeaways. Adding cornerback Stephen Gilmore to a secondary already featuring All-Pro corner Trevon Diggs could be lethal.
Turnovers weren’t the only source of success for the Dallas defense, as they also finished third in sacks with 54 last season. Micah Parson led the way with 13.5, including 2.0 against the Giants. He’s back as the face of the front seven.
This time next week 🙌 pic.twitter.com/fNibkBsZNW
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 4, 2023
The front seven’s greatest struggle last season was against the run. Dallas drafted defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round and can get a taste of his impact in a big game immediately. If run-stuffing issues persist, the Cowboys may be in for a long night.
Another area to keep an eye on will be the field goal team. Brett Maher is out as the kicker, and Brandon Aubrey is in after successfully winning the job this offseason. Those first few kicks in a packed MetLife Stadium will be an early mental test.
Dallas isn’t perfect, but no team is. Still, a roster that was dominant on both sides of the ball last season is largely intact, if not better on paper, heading into this one. Playing in the weaker NFC, there’s no reason that the Cowboys shouldn’t expect to contend for a conference championship.
Giants Key Stats
Reigning NFL Coach of the Year Brian Daboll begins year two of his Big Blue tenure at home. After going 9-7-1 with a playoff win last season, the team improved in many areas. However, a tough 2023 schedule and negative run differential in 2022 have many questioning if they can do it again.
New York added a lot offensively to improve their weakest group of the 2022 campaign. The front office brought in tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Parris Campbell, while also drafting another speedy wideout in Jalin Hyatt. Improvement upon a 27th-ranked passing attack seems inevitable, with Daniel Jones getting a second year to operate in this offense.
Even with Saquon Barkley back in the mix, there are still concerns about another top-five finish in the rushing department. The offensive line is still a question mark, outside of All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas. Evan Neal had a rough rookie season at right tackle, center John Michael Schmitz Jr. is going to be a rookie this season, and the guards are temporary band-aids right now.
Can that group finish improve upon the 21.5 points per game (5th) that they ended last year with? Between the two-headed rushing attack of Barkley and Jones, and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka’s creative playcalling, absolutely. Is there potential for regression based on the schedule and health concerns? Well, that’s also a yes.
Then there’s the defense, which loves to blitz thanks to defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. With one of the NFL’s best front fours, blitzing is more of a luxury than a necessity. Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Azeez Ojulari, and Kayvon Thibodeaux should be a fearsome foursome since all four players are healthy to begin this season.
Behind them, this group is a little less certain. Cornerback Adoree Jackson and safety Xavier McKinney are fantastic. Bobby Okereke was signed to lead one of the NFL’s worst linebacker groups. Elsewhere, the Giants are relying on a lot of players who are unproven, such as first-round rookie Deonte Banks.
Issues that plagued Big Blue’s defense in 2022 start with stopping the run. Only one team allowed more yards per carry, and New York finished 27th in total rushing yards surrendered. Along with that, no team finished with fewer interceptions last season.
Now for the good, beginning with a pass defense that held its own without many takeaways. The Giants allowed the eighth-lowest completion percentage and finished with the fifth-best third-down stop rate. Stripping the ball was a strength, too, as only the Cowboys came away with more fumble recoveries in 2022. The final product was a defense that finished 17th in points allowed last year, but firmly believes that the pieces are in place to improve this year.
Locked in for Week 1 💪 pic.twitter.com/locBe3H7qz
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 6, 2023
Quietly, the Giants have had one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers, Graham Gano, while punter Jamie Gillian also had a solid campaign last season. With long-snapper Casey Kreiter holding onto his job, that group shouldn’t concern the coaching staff. Rather, the offensive and defensive growth will be what everyone has their eyes on for this year’s team.
Game Prediction
Games between these teams are typically decided by one score, and that especially rings true when both sidelines have good teams. This season features two teams that had a winning record last season and only improved. Dallas may have won both of last year’s contests by a touchdown, but that’s in the past. The world is ready to see the best Giants team in years hosting a primetime game to kick off the season.
This New York locker room is impressive because of a coaching staff that knows how to optimize its talent. This offseason added plenty of tremendous athletes on both sides of the ball for the Giants to work with, making them much more dangerous than last year. The Cowboys needed the second half to secure both wins in 2022, but they’ll regret a slow start on Sunday night.
Dallas won’t be able to pack the box against Saquon Barkley this year because of the actual receiving threats at Daniel Jones’ disposal for once. On the other side of the ball, expect Adoree Jackson to follow CeeDee Lamb everywhere, taking away one of the players that hurt New York the most last season. The Giants’ improvement and health along the front seven will slow down Tony Pollard’s night on the ground. Don’t call it an upset when the Giants win.
