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The New York Giants will take on the Dallas Cowboys at 8:20 p.m. EDT on Sunday in Metlife Stadium. The game will be broadcasted on NBC.
New York ended its 2022 campaign with a record of 9-7-1. It defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs, but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in the Divisional round. The Giants went 0-2 against the Cowboys in 2022, but kept both losses within eight points during games in MetLife Stadium and AT&T Stadium.
What are some bold predictions for the Giants during New York's Week 1 matchup with the Cowboys?
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3. The Giants will hold off the Cowboys' rushing attack
New York made a few key moves to shore up its defense before the start of the 2023 season. The Giants needed to improve their run defense after they finished the 2022 season with 2,451 rushing yards allowed, putting them in 27th place in the NFL, according to NFL.com.
The Giants signed defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to a four-year, $90 million contract extension in May. They signed defensive linemen A'Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches in the offseason. Linebacker Bobby Okereke agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with New York in March. Okereke, a former third-round selection for the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, took second place on the Colts' roster with 151 combined tackles in 2022.
Even with their newest additions on defense and with running back Ezekiel Elliott signing with the New England Patriots in August, New York could be tested by Dallas's rushing attack.
Running backs Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke were all listed on Dallas's initial 53-man roster, according to Cowboys Wire. Pollard led the Cowboys with just over 1,000 rushing yards in 2022. The Cowboys ended the 2022 season with 2,298 total rushing yards, putting them in eighth place in the NFL.
2. Daniel Jones will throw for at least 250 yards
Jones will be an essential part of a potential win over the Cowboys in Week 1.
The fifth-year quarterback signed a four-year contract with the Giants in March. He finished the 2022 season with a career-high 3,205 passing yards, peaking at the 341 yards he recorded against the Detroit Lions in November. Jones passed for 196 yards against the Cowboys in Week 3 and 228 yards in Week 12.
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The Giants re-signed wide receiver Darius Slayton and drafted Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt in the offseason. Slayton led the Giants in receiving yards with 724 last year. Hyatt, a Biletnikoff Award winner in 2022, played in three games for New York during the NFL preseason.
Jones may not pick up where he left off at the end of last season. But with the signing and drafting of a few extra options at wide receiver in the offseason, Jones will have plenty of new and returning targets to work with as the Giants take on the Cowboys in Week 1.
“I don't think you can pick up where you left off. I think it's a new season,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said on Tuesday, via Giants.com. “We're going to have to do the things we need to do leading up to this week.
“He's had a good training camp, and now we've got to turn the page and get here on Dallas, which we've been the last couple of days, and go out there and practice and make sure we correct the things that are going to happen and ultimately play well and make good decisions and move the ball down. That's his role. But he's had a good camp.”
1. The Giants will take a close victory over the Cowboys
Jones had a confident response when asked how he felt about what the Giants have accomplished in training camp and where they are now going into Week 1 on Tuesday.
“I think we're in a good spot,” Jones said, via Giants.com. “I think we improved a lot throughout camp and made a lot of progress to get to this point and I think we're ready to go. We'll work throughout this week at practice and make sure we tighten up every little thing in the game plan and make sure we put our best foot forward on Sunday night, but I think we had a good camp. I think we're ready to go.”
The Cowboys will have a few important players of their own return for Sunday's matchup. Cornerback Trevon Diggs, who recorded a team-leading 14 pass deflections in 2022, was listed on Dallas's initial 2023 roster. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, a two-time Pro-Bowler during his three seasons with the Cowboys, took a starting spot on the team's 2023 depth chart.
If the Giants can tap into the potential of their new and returning options on both sides of the ball, it could be enough to earn a close victory at home against an NFC East rival.
