Matt Citak: In order to get a true understanding of my biggest takeaway, I want to take everyone back to January 20, 2026. During his introductory press conference, John Harbaugh opened his tenure as head coach of the New York Giants with the following:
“As we begin a new chapter in New York, our focus is simple, it starts with building a team that is physical and tough, that’s capable of overwhelming their opponent from beginning to end, and especially at the end, that understands how to finish, that is smart and disciplined, that plays the game the way it should be played, and that everybody watching it, including those playing it, would be proud of.”
Anyone who watched last night’s game could see that from the very first play of the game, this is exactly what the Giants did. It began with a quick three-and-out by the defense and continued into the offense’s first drive, where they drove 83 yards in 10 plays and finished with a touchdown. This quickly set the tone for the entire game, as the Giants controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Prior to Jaxson Dart’s three kneel-downs in the victory formation, the Giants ran the ball 34 times for 170 yards, good for an average of 5.0 yards per carry. Cam Skattebo led the team with 81 yards on 18 carries, but Dart wasn’t too far behind with 59 yards on eight carries prior to the kneels. Both Skattebo and Dart were able to have so much success on the ground due in part to the guys in front of them. The offensive line, along with Patrick Ricard, pushed around a talented Cowboys defensive front all game, which allowed the offense to completely dominate the time of possession. The Giants had the ball for 21 minutes and 33 seconds in the second half, limiting the Cowboys to just two total possessions. That right there is a recipe for success.
On the other side of the ball, the defense limited a high-powered Cowboys offense that ranked as one of the best in the NFL last season. Dak Prescott threw for just 175 yards, but more importantly, the Cowboys could not establish the run game. Javonte Williams was held to 3.4 yards per carry, and as a team, Dallas averaged 3.8 yards per carry. This performance in primetime was an encouraging step in the right direction. Now let’s see if they can repeat this performance next week against another talented team in the Rams.