The New York Giants (0-1) and Dallas Cowboys (0-1) will add another chapter to their storied rivalry this Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The winner will get a confidence boost, while the loser finds themselves in the NFC East basement with serious questions to answer — and potentially forced into making changes.
New York enters as decisive underdogs (+5.5) with good reason: they haven’t won in Dallas since 2016, and the Cowboys have swept the season series in four consecutive years.
But head coach Brian Daboll believes his team is prepared to shock the football world and flip the rivalry in their favor.
Here’s what Big Blue needs to do to win in a place they haven’t conquered in eight years.
Don’t Get Too Cute in Red Zone
When New York reaches the red zone, they must maximize every opportunity and come away with touchdowns instead of field goals. They can achieve this by avoiding the overly clever play calls that plagued them last week.
On first and goal from the one-yard line in the second quarter, trailing 7-0 to the Washington Commanders, Russell Wilson attempted a pass to offensive lineman Marcus Mbow that fell incomplete. The Giants settled for a field goal — their closest chance at tying the game.
Despite the team’s offensive struggles, attempting a pass to an offensive tackle isn’t wise. Hopefully, Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka learned their lesson and will abandon passes to offensive linemen.
Scheme Ways to Get Receivers Open
With Wilson under center this year, we expected more explosive plays and offensive creativity. Instead, the attack looked as predictable as ever against Washington. Aside from a few catches from Malik Nabers, receivers couldn’t generate yards after the catch.
Wilson managed just 68 passing yards, Darius Slayton was held without a reception, and Wan’Dale Robinson averaged only 9.2 yards per catch.
When an offense stagnates, play callers must devise ways to get the ball into their playmakers’ hands in open space. Dallas limited Philadelphia to 152 passing yards last week, so New York’s offense needs creativity to attack the Cowboys secondary.
If the offensive line loses the battle at the line of scrimmage again, have Wilson roll out where he can throw on the run.
Force Dallas to Beat You Without CeeDee Lamb
Dak Prescott’s favorite target is clearly CeeDee Lamb. Despite Lamb’s drops in their 24-20 loss to the Eagles, the duo connected seven times for 110 yards. The rest of the team’s pass catchers managed just 78 receiving yards.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen needs to neutralize Lamb by having Paulson Adebo shadow him or deploying double coverage. Prescott loses effectiveness when forced to distribute elsewhere.
Stop the Run
This will remain the season’s theme until the defense proves it can stop opposing ground games. Washington rushed for 220 yards last week, and Dallas will test New York’s run defense with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. The tandem carried the ball 19 times last week for 107 yards, with Williams scoring twice.
Perhaps the Giants will activate third-round pick Darius Alexander this week to help shore up run defense. Regardless of Alexander’s status, the front seven must win at the line of scrimmage and stop Dallas runners in their tracks.
Create Turnovers
New York will be underdogs for most games this season, and the best way to pull off upsets is through defensive takeaways.
Sunday presents the perfect opportunity for Abdul Carter to record his first career strip sack, while Adebo and Jevon Holland can grab their first interceptions as Giants. If New York achieves a plus-two turnover differential or better, they’ll win this game.
