New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh speaks during a press conference at rookie minicamp at the NFL football team’s practice facility, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Yuki Iwamura/AP
For most of Dak Prescott’s mercurial career, the New York Giants have been the light at the end of the tunnel, a port in the storm, a candle in the window. Fourteen straight times he beat them until losing last season’s meaningless finale. No matter what else might go wrong for Dak or the Cowboys, you knew the Giants would make it right.
This history did not go unspoken at the Giants’ annual Town Hall meeting Monday, when one of the faithful asked their new coach, John Harbaugh, what he planned to do about it.
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The long-time Ravens coach started by saying he cared less about the Giants’ woeful history over the last 10 years than their future, then finished with a flourish.
“All I care about is tomorrow’s practice,” he said, “because if tomorrow’s practice is the way it’s supposed to be, that’ll be one more step in the direction of being a good enough football team to kick the Cowboys’ ass.”
Certainly one way to kickstart OTAs, anyway.
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In fairness, Harbaugh didn’t actually guarantee he’ll kick the Cowboys’ can. He only said they’d be in a position to do so if they prepare properly, a pretty reasonable caveat. Still, it sounded like a promise to me.
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And, unfortunately, he has the track record to back it up.
Harbaugh is 4-1 against the Cowboys, and lest you think that was all Lamar Jackson, the latter quarterbacked only two of those wins. If you hadn’t noticed, Harbaugh is a good coach. Second only to Mike Tomlin among those available in the last decade or so, much to the good fortune of the Giants.
As head coaches come and go, you could say the Giants were due. For an idea of what I’m talking about, without looking, name the Giants’ previous four head coaches. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
If you answered Brian Daboll, Joe Judge, Pat Shurmur and Ben McAdoo, you cheated. Had to look ’em up myself. First names, too. They certainly didn’t do anything to make themselves memorable. Over the last 10 years, the quartet produced a total of two winning seasons and just one in the last nine.
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The Giants’ last real head coach? Tom Coughlin, who won two Lombardi Trophies in 12 years. A no-nonsense type, like Bill Parcells before him and Harbaugh now. A defining quality in most good head coaches, too, which should serve the Cowboys notice.
Now, I don’t necessarily mean to imply Dak took advantage of the ineptitude of Harbaugh’s immediate predecessors, but … yes. Yes, I do.
It wasn’t all McAdoo/Shurmer/Judge/Daboll’s fault. The Giants have made poor personnel decisions for years. The biggest? Letting Saquon Barkley walk to Philadelphia, where he ran for more than 2,000 yards all the way to a Super Bowl title in his first season.
Crazy thing is, it’s not just the Giants who have been bad during Dak’s membership in the NFC East. The Commanders haven’t been much better. Made the playoffs twice over the last 10 years. Just when it looked like they were on their way in Dan Quinn’s 12-5 debut, they flip-flopped to 5-12 last season.
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All of which is to tell you that Dak’s 83-55-1 record is built on the back of a 37-10 mark in the East. He’s 46-45-1 against everyone else. Frankly, the saving grace of such a disproportionate record is that he’s 10-5 over the Eagles, who have won two Super Bowls in the last 10 years and showed up for another.
Here’s the thing: From all appearances, the Eagles and Cowboys may not have it so easy from here on out in the East. We know the Eagles will be playoff material because Howie Roseman, their general manager, will settle for nothing less. Time will tell if the Commanders are closer to 12-5 or 5-12. I’m guessing Jayden Daniels’ health will play a large part in determining the difference.
As for the Giants, I can practically guarantee they won’t be the pushover they’ve been for most of Dak’s tenure. Jaxson Dart looks promising, and their already stout defense picked up one of the draft’s best talents in Arvell Reese.
But those aren’t the reasons I like their chances of at least giving the Cowboys trouble in the Sunday night opener Sept. 13 in MetLife Stadium.
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John Harbaugh will have conducted a whole summer’s worth of practices by then, and my guess is he’ll have the Giants in position to potentially make good on his prediction at Monday’s Town Hall. Of course, he may not. The Cowboys have made a few nice moves of their own this offseason. But, at the very least, the Giants are no longer a gimme on the schedule. Their new coach, their first real one in a decade, will make sure of it. Buckle up, Dak.
Twitter/X: @KSherringtonDMN