The Dallas Cowboys have a good chance to notch their first victory of the 2025 season on Sunday when they face the New York Giants, a team they’ve defeated in their last eight matchups.
The Giants arrive at AT&T Stadium as underdogs, with their head coach’s job hanging by a thread after two losing seasons and a poor showing against Washington in Week 1.
Here are five things to know about the Cowboys’ upcoming opponent, the New York Giants:
Daboll on the hot seat
Cowboys
Brian Daboll was hired as the 20th head coach in Giants history in January 2022 and directed one of the franchise’s most successful debut seasons.
He was named the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year after leading the team to nine regular-season victories, its first playoff berth in six years and its first postseason victory in 11 seasons.
Since, Daboll’s glory days have faded.
Over the past two seasons, the Giants have compiled a record of 9-25, and in Week 1, they suffered a crushing 21-6 loss to the Commanders.
Starting this season, Daboll handed over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
By freeing himself from that responsibility, Daboll aims to spend more time developing his players’ potential.
“Maybe [Daboll] makes some other changes in how he operates going forward,” Giants president and owner John Mara told ESPN.
“I talked to him about it, ‘Do you really believe it’s in our best interest for you to continue calling the plays?’ I said, ‘I’m not going to demand that you do one thing or the other. But are you better off letting somebody else call the plays?’”
With his boss closely watching over him, Daboll could become the first head coach to lose his job this season.
Anemic offense
Russell Wilson wasn’t the catalyst the Giants had hoped for to lift their offense out of the futility it’s fallen into over the past two years.
Against the Commanders, the Giants failed to reach the end zone and barely managed to gain 231 total yards. On the ground, New York gained just 74 yards, with 44 coming from their quarterback.
Wilson threw for 168 yards, completing 17 of 37 pass attempts.
The Giants lacked rhythm in their play-calling, and their execution was uninspired.
Wilson will have another chance to wake up the Giants, but the 14-year veteran quarterback will need to show much more at AT&T Stadium than he did against the Commanders.
“The game doesn’t fall on Russell Wilson. You had to do a better job collectively in terms of coaching and playing, but Russell will be the starter,” Daboll said during his Monday news conference.
The defensive line could be a game-changer
The Giants gave up 432 yards to Washington, but despite that, several players showed their determination to fight and to earn some respect.
Linebacker Brian Burns recorded two sacks against Washington, the first time a Giants player has done that in a Week 1 opener since 2011.
Their defensive front, anchored by Leonard Williams and Kayvon Thibodeaux, remains the team’s backbone and will be ready to make life difficult for Dak Prescott.
Linebacker Bobby Okereke also emerged as a defensive force, tallying 16 tackles, just one shy of his career-high of 17.
Okereke became only the second Giants player since 1994 to record 16 or more tackles in a Week 1 game.
Vulnerable against the run
The Giants’ run defense was an evident weakness in Week 1, as they allowed 220 rushing yards.
The Cowboys enter Week 2 with running backs Javonte Williams (15 carries, 54 yards and two TDs) and Miles Sanders (four carries, 53 yards, 13.3 yards per attempt) showing some sparkling moments.
Not missing tackles and closing gaps would be the primary challenge for the Giants to prevent the Cowboys from unleashing their rushing offense.
New York’s hopes of leaving AT&T Stadium with a win will depend heavily on the performance of their front seven, especially linebackers Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden.
If the Giants are able to control the Cowboys’ rushing attack, they might find a way to secure their first win of the season.
Against the odds
The Giants head into Sunday’s game at AT&T Stadium as 5.5-point underdogs. The moneyline is +185, meaning a $100 bet would return $185 if they pull off the upset.
Historically, the Cowboys have dominated this rivalry, winning 15 of the last 16 matchups, including the last eight in a row.
The Giants’ poor performance against Washington only adds to the doubts about their winning chances in Sunday’s game.
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