Giants vs. Cowboys: NFC East rivals square off on 'Sunday Night Football' in John Harbaugh's debut
Week 1 of the 2026 NFL campaign features an old divisional clash under the lights on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 8:20 p.m.
ET, as the New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. This marks the ninth opening-week showdown between these NFC East competitors over the previous 20 years—the highest frequency of any pairing in that timeframe—including seven evening contests and six on Sunday night.
Dallas boasts an unblemished 8-0 record when playing New York in opening-week night games, outscoring their rivals 59-3 across the last two encounters, highlighted by a 40-point shutout in East Rutherford back in 2023. Ahead of the NBC and Fubo broadcast, oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook have established Dallas as three-point favorites with an over/under set at 48.5, as John Harbaugh makes his debut.
Dallas enters the contest showcasing an extensively redesigned defensive roster following a league-worst 2025 performance that yielded 30.1 points per game. Proprietor Jerry Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer dismissed Matt Eberflus after just one campaign, tapping former Philadelphia Eagles assistant Christian Parker to modernize communications and restructure the unit.
Reflecting that change, 46.2 percent of defensive plays logged by Dallas last season were executed by athletes who are no longer on the roster. Notable fresh additions to Parker's personnel include established pass rusher Rashan Gary alongside first-round rookie talents Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawr.