The New York Giants did not know what hit them during their first game of the new NFL campaign — a 40-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have been projected by many analysts to put up one of the best defenses in the league, especially when Micah Parsons leads the frontlines of what is a stacked defensive unit. And on Sunday night, the Cowboys showed that their stellar play on that end of the field may be what carries them home to the promised land if all goes according to plan in 2023.

The Cowboys impressive scored their first two touchdowns of the season off of stellar defensive plays, with Noah Igbinoghene and Daron Bland both taking the ball home towards the end zone in the first quarter of their demolition of the Giants. And in doing so, the Cowboys tallied a few feathers in their cap along the way — perhaps a good omen for a fruitful 2023 season that is to come.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Cowboys' 40-0 win over the Giants made them just the fifth team in NFL history to open the season with a 40+ point shutout — the first of its kind since 1999 when the Pittsburgh Steelers thrashed the Cleveland Browns.

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Just to put their feat in more extraordinary perspective, per ESPN Stats & Info, the Cowboys became just the third team in NFL history to record both a special teams touchdown and a defensive touchdown in the first quarter of the season, joining the 1967 and 1986 Bears in that exclusive club. And then according to Cowboys PR on Twitter (X), this was the first time in franchise history that the first two touchdowns of the season came from defense/special teams.

Simply put, the Cowboys will be a nightmare to face throughout the 2023 season, especially if their key defensive pieces remain healthy. Micah Parsons is as locked in as any to win Defensive Player of the Year, while the Cowboys have a ton of high-level depth pieces who should help sustain this kind of play in the long run.

And for Dak Prescott, he could not have asked for a better night from his team, especially when the Cowboys' passing game hasn't come alive just yet.