Behind the Numbers: Cowboys at Giants Week 1

Each week, we’ll examine the numbers surrounding the Cowboys and their next opponent on the schedule. This data includes historical points as well as more recent numbers that may indicate which team has the edge in the upcoming matchup.

The Cowboys lead the head-to-head matchup with the Giants all-time 78-48-2.

The Dak Prescott-led Cowboys are 14-3 against the Giants. Two of those losses came in Dak’s rookie campaign while the other came in 2025. In that matchup, the Cowboys had already been eliminated from the postseason and Dak was pulled at halftime.

In 17 games, Dak Prescott has thrown for 4,346 yards, 31 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and has a passer rating of 101.5. These are some of the best numbers that the Cowboys quarterback has against any team in the NFL.

The new Giants head coach John Harbaugh is 4-1 against the Cowboys. The single loss came in 2016 during Dak Prescott’s rookie season.

Week 2 of 2025 featured a ferocious display of offensive fireworks with an NFL record tying six lead changes. Dallas would go on to win this game in overtime off the leg of Brandon Aubrey.

New York has won zero of their Week 1 home openers since their last victory in 2010. This losing streak includes a 40-0 loss against the Cowboys in 2023.

The Giants have won just three home games against the Cowboys since 2016. Dak Prescott played a total of six quarters in those three losses.

Last season, the Giants had a record of 3-5 at MetLife Stadium. They were 3-3 at home with Jaxson Dart at the helm.

Dak Prescott finished the 2025 season with 32 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Led by CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, Dallas finished with the number two ranked passing offense in the NFL.

Javonte Williams led the rushing attack with 1,201 yards on the ground. This was good enough to finish ninth in yards among all running backs.

Continuity is key for the Cowboys offense in 2026. This front office lost zero offensive starters from last year’s roster. The one meaningful change is that Tyler Smith will now be out for 4-6 weeks with the thumb injury.

In 12 starts, Jaxson Dart finished his rookie campaign with 24 total touchdowns. Nine of those touchdowns were scored on the ground. He threw only five interceptions.

Dart was sacked nearly three times per game last season.

The Giants run game averaged an impressive 129.1 yards per game (fifth in the NFL).

New York ranked 17th in scoring offense and 26th in scoring defense.

The Cowboys are the clear favorites on paper. Even without Tyler Smith, the Cowboys possess too much firepower for the Giants to match. Dak has been dominant against the Giants throughout his 10-year career. Some of his best performances have come against this NFC East rival. There is little reason to expect a different result considering the weapons Dallas possesses.

Defensively, this will be Christian Parker’s first game calling plays. The question this season will be how quickly this defense can reach its full potential. The Giants offense may have some ability to create big-time plays throughout the game depending on the health of Malik Nabers, but Dallas will most likely see a heavy run-first committee approach from John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy.

That backfield features both power and speed with the mix of Cam Skattebo, Najee Harris, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. Jaxson Dart can also catch fire if you allow him to utilize his legs. The good news for the Cowboys is the new defense was built to stop the run first and foremost. If they’re able to do that with consistent light boxes, Dallas should expect to keep the Giants run-heavy offense quite limited.

This is week one of the new NFL season, so last year’s stats will only contribute so much to the story that is about to unfold in front of our eyes. However, the tale of Dak Prescott and the Cowboys over the last decade paints a clear and consistent picture versus the Giants. That picture tells us that Dallas should win this game convincingly.