The New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 on Sunday Night Football at MetLife Stadium, opening the 2026 NFL season with a victory that exposed persistent vulnerabilities and defensive lapses for Dallas.
The season-opening matchup at MetLife Stadium brought a familiar sinking feeling to Dallas, where a revamped defense ultimately yielded 28-20 to the New York Giants on September 13, 2026. That nervousness proved entirely founded as New York comfortably won this one.
Cowboys Defensive Vulnerabilities at MetLife Stadium
The Cowboys played way too much soft zone and the Giants were able to pick it apart, especially with Dallas not generating enough pressure, and that led to New York converting on 10-of-11 third downs. There was no resistance from the run defense, either, and tackling was poor, while communication issues further compounded the problems.
Jaxson Dart and New York Offense Statistics
Quarterback Jaxson Dart capitalized on the coverage gaps. Dart looked terrific in the first game of the season, completing 23-of-29 (79.3% completion rate) for 230 passing yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, alongside a 134.2 passer rating, plus 11 rushing attempts for 54 rushing yards. His primary targets included Isaiah Likely, who recorded 8 receptions on 8 targets for 78 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns, and Malik Nabers, who notched 6 receptions on 9 targets for 69 receiving yards. Additional stats from the matchup included CeeDee Lamb recording 5 receptions on 8 targets for 44 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown, George Pickens logging 3 receptions on 6 targets for 28 receiving yards, and Cam Skattebo tallying 18 rushing attempts for 81 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott threw an interception as he attempted to throw it out of bounds against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 13, 2026, with New York Giants safety Jevon Holland making the interception. Prescott finished the night completing 22-of-34 (64.7% completion rate).
Prior to the regular-season opener, the Cowboys concluded their preseason in the preseason finale on Friday night, coming up just short after a fourth-quarter rally and falling to the New Orleans Saints 27-24 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. Heading into the fourth quarter trailing 24-9, Dallas quarterback Sam Howell entered the game and put together his best stretch of football this preseason by going 12-for-18 for 155 yards and two touchdowns to bring the Cowboys all the way back to tie it in the fourth at 24 before New Orleans ultimately won.
Ahead of the regular-season kickoff, fans gathered in Frisco. Fitness fanatics got their muscles pumping in a kettlebell exercise class Sunday morning before the sun heated up the field at The Star in Frisco, and conversations about the Cowboys’ first regular-season game of the new season were just as hot. Joel Leos and the women in his class shared high hopes for the game. As someone that's from Dallas, I hope the Cowboys do win,
Leos said. My hope is that we have great coaching and we have great ownership who hopefully listens to the players and sees the potential that they have and can bring an offer to the team.
Brittany Gallegos also offered support: I wish them the best of luck. I really do hope they have their p's and q's all together. We're ready to go. Practice has been amazing. I'm just really hoping they take a win for tonight's game.
Rosalind Hawkins expressed different expectations: I believe the Giants will win tonight by at least three to seven points. They're a better team to me than the Cowboys. They have a younger quarterback, and he's very good. We have Dak, and he's decent at best.
John Harbaugh
The Giants entered the campaign with John Harbaugh as the coach of the Giants. That shift in the calculus of the franchise was immediately apparent at the start of the Harbaugh era.
