The New York Giants have had a long, eventful offseason, headlined by the hiring of former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh as the next leader of the locker room, and it's now culminating in the opening week of the 2026 season.

With Harbaugh at the helm and a heavily retooled roster, the expectations are high for the organization. The bar starts with showing progress from the 4-13 record the Giants posted in 2025, but the Super Bowl-winning coach believes his new franchise has all the makings of a playoff contender.

Time will tell if Harbaugh's vision becomes reality in year one. The first step is winning a game in Week 1, then building on that momentum to see if the Giants can ensure they play meaningful football from December into January.

That game will be an NFC East battle against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football, where defeating their division rivals goes beyond the thought of 1-0.

Harbaugh's Giants will likely have two ugly streaks looming in the back of their minds when they take the national stage.

They've struggled against the Cowboys, the Giants having taken all but two games in the past decade of this historic rivalry. The primetime games have been no friendlier, with New York having posted a  3-17 record dating back to the 2020 season.

Between keeping pace with the other opponents in their division and getting the Harbaugh era started on the right foot in front of their fans, the Giants have a lot to play for on Sunday night.

A rare statement win over the Cowboys would not only electrify the city, it could also put the Giants in a position to stare down a favorable slate through the rest of September and a winning record after one month of play.

As Harbaugh has stressed since he stepped up to the podium as the Giants' next coach, the franchise must take it one day, one practice, and one game at a time. Go out and defeat Dallas in Week 1, and then the rest will take care of itself.

Be sure to check in with New York Giants On SI for all the pre-game, in-game, and postgame coverage.

Cowboys (0-0) vs Giants (0-0)

Regular Season Series History

The Giants and Cowboys have met 128 times (including one postseason game) during the regular season since 1960, with Dallas holding a dominant 78-48-2 advantage over Big Blue.

More recently, the annual series has swung largely in the Cowboys' favor, including 16 of the last 18 meetings and four of the last five at MetLife Stadium. The most recent season opener in East Rutherford happened in 2023, when the Giants were shut out, 40-0, in primetime.

The Giants' last victory over the Cowboys came in the Week 18 finale at home last season, when they defeated Dallas 34-17 to close out a 4-13 season. They haven't won both meetings in a single season since 2016.

Television

The game will be aired on NBC. Mike Tirico will handle the play-by-play duties, with Cris Collinsworth joining him as the analyst and Melissa Stark serving as the sideline reporter.

Radio

Fans can also listen to the game on WFAN 101.9 FM. Bob Papa will be the play-by-play announcer, with Giants legend Carl Banks joining him as the analyst and Howard Cross serving as the sideline reporter.

Referee

Carl Cheffers is the designated lead referee for Sunday night's matchup. He joined the NFL back in 2000 after beginning his career officiating games for the Pacific 10 and Western Athletic Conferences.

He has worked mostly as a side judge but was promoted to referee in 2008, and he has worked in four Super Bowls, most recently Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

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