Cowboys at Giants: Matchups to watch in the season opener

The Dallas Cowboys kickoff their 2026 NFL season against a familiar foe, their division rival, the New York Giants. While these two teams always play one another tough, it’s a matchup that has heavily favored the Cowboys in recent years, and there’s no reason to believe that will continue this season. There are a few matchups that could sway the game one way or another, which we discuss below.

With Tyler Smith sideline 4-6 weeks due to a thumb injury that required surgery, all eyes will be on T.J. Bass at LG as his injury fill-in. The Giants will likely throw everything at Dallas’ new starting LG, but DJ Reader is the player who could give them the most trouble. Reader may not be the player he once was, but he still good enough to give Bass some trouble with he’s not at his best in Week 1.

This is a welcome to the NFL matchup for the tenth overall pick this year, the player taken when the Giants passed on Caleb Downs. Williams won’t be the only Cowboys DT to challenge Mauigoa in Week 1, but as one of the best players at his position he will certainly give the Giants rookie RG all he can handle and more. This head-to-head battle is one that heavily favors the Cowboys and could help sway the outcome of the game in their favor.

George Pickens has arguably been the best player throughout the offseason for the Cowboys and we fully expect that to carry over into the Week 1 matchup with the Giants. It doesn’t really matter if it’s Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome, Deonte Banks, or Dru Phillips, they will struggle to contain No. 3 in single coverage. Any attempt to do so favors Pickens, and double-teaming him opens things up for one of Dallas’ other receiving weapons, not that CeeDee Lamb needs any help.

Which of these matchups will be the biggest in the game? Or do you have a different one in mind?