Less than a week out, the Dallas Cowboys are finally ready to play football that counts, kicking off their season against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Sure, Dak Prescott has a decent 4-6 record in season openers, but three of those four wins? Yup, they came against these very Giants, and he hasn’t lost to New York since his rookie season. Last time these two met under similar circumstances, it was a 40-0 Cowboys blowout. Prescott’s stats against the Giants in openers are actually better too: 87 for 140 attempts compared to 140 for 221 against other teams, with his yards per game up almost 40, and a perfect five touchdowns to zero interceptions. The guy usually shows up against New York, but this Week 1 game isn’t just on the quarterback.
Dominate the Trenches, Or Else
If Dallas wants to bag a W in Week 1, they absolutely have to dominate the rushing game. Their whole team philosophy is built on running the ball to open up play action, and then stopping the run to force offenses into those nasty third-and-long situations. They even dropped two first-round picks on guards, though Tyler Smith is out for this one, and a top-100 pick on their center just to get that movement up front and absolutely punish defenders. This matchup is screaming for that kind of play, especially when you look at the Giants being 31st in rush yards allowed per game last season and losing Dexter Lawrence. With how fierce New York’s edge rushers are, avoiding third-and-long is mission-critical.
On the flip side, their defense got a total overhaul just to shut down opposing run games. They traded for Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, and Rashan Gary, brought in Otitto Ogbonnia and Jonathan Bullard in free agency, and drafted LT Overton all for run-stopping power. The entire defensive rebuild is geared towards stopping the run cold, then letting their pass rushers feast on quarterbacks in favorable situations. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s how this team is supposed to win.
This Defense Can’t Be Last Year’s Disaster
Remember last season? Yeah, Dallas can’t have *that* defense showing up for Week 1. They let Russell Wilson drop 450 yards and three touchdowns on them early last season, and the dude got benched a week later! Bryce Young threw for three touchdowns and a 114.8 QB rating, Jacoby Brissett and J.J. McCarthy each torched them for over 250 yards and two touchdowns, and Jaxson Dart finished the season throwing for 230 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Seriously, Dart only threw for just over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 starts with a QBR of 57.5 all season, but he looked like an All-Pro against Dallas. The coaching staff and roster got purged for a reason.
This new squad cannot start the season allowing a guy like Dart to carve them up again. If this Dallas defense can’t keep him from looking like an MVP candidate, it’s gonna be a long, long season for them. The stakes are clear: perform, or face another year of defensive headaches.
This Week 1 game isn’t just another opener; it’s a statement for Dallas. They need to prove their rebuilt defense is legit and that their commitment to the run game will pay off. If they can’t dominate the trenches and prevent another defensive meltdown against the Giants, it’s going to set a seriously worrying tone for the rest of their season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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