With it being NFL opening Sunday-Eve, it’s time to get into some game previews. What better way to start the year than previewing the first Sunday Night Football game of the year between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants? This historic rivalry’s next chapter begins tomorrow night. Will America’s Team, led by Dak Prescott, continue his reign of dominance over the Giants, or will Jaxson Dart make his mark in this NFC East heavyweight bout?
Dallas Cowboys’ Star Power
The Dallas Cowboys are entering the season with semi-high expectations. Many analysts are picking them to win the NFC East and be a perennial Super Bowl contender, it’s put up or shut up for Dallas this year. What puts them over the top is their star power. When healthy, this offense lives in the top eight in the NFL’s hierarchy. Dak Prescott puts up gaudy numbers behind his 1-2 punch of Pro Bowler receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
Their defense should be much improved as well. After bringing in Christian Parker and drafting Caleb Downs in the NFL Draft, that was the first step in turning around a unit that was one of the worst in the NFL. Quinnen Williams has all the talent to be a dominant defensive tackle, and DeMarvion Overshown will continue to grow into one of the league’s best linebackers.
New York Giants’ Potential
The New York Giants are a team of potential. If Jaxson Dart can take a year-two leap like we have seen many quarterbacks take, they might be a sleeper team in the NFC. They brought in Isaiah Likely to join Harbaugh in New York, an explosive young tight end who many believe is poised for a breakout season. The Giants invested in their offensive line by drafting Francis Mauigoa with the 10th pick in the NFL Draft to keep Dart upright.
All eyes will be on their front seven with the 5th pick in the Draft, Arvell Reese, and their slew of pass rushers, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. On paper, that is an elite defensive front. They might be a little light in terms of stuffing the run, but we won’t know till that talented unit takes the field. Where they could struggle is their secondary, with Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II as their top two corners.
Keys to Victory & Prediction
We know the strength of the Dallas Cowboys is their offense. With Lamb and Pickens both capable of single-handedly taking over and winning games, it’ll be interesting to see how teams decide to defend them. Dak has had great success against the Giants in the past. With a record of 14-3 and averaging 255 passing yards and a 31:9 TD-to-INT ratio, he’s dominated this opponent. The biggest key to victory is for their star quarterback not to lose the game.
As for the Giants, the biggest key to their success is how their second-year quarterback, Jaxson Dart, looks. He has a competent head coach now, John Harbaugh; a reinforced offensive line; and Malik Nabers is returning from his ACL injury and will be ready for Sunday night. With so much pressure on their young QB, their defense needs to do its part. In terms of pure pass rushers, the Giants might have the best D-Line in the NFL. How will they look in terms of stopping the run? We’ll know tomorrow night.
With all that being said, the Dallas Cowboys will win big Sunday night. I don’t see a world where the defense for Dallas is as bad as it was last season. When Dak plays the Giants, he lights up the scoreboard, and the games aren’t close, with an average margin of victory of 11.2 points per game. Overall, the Cowboys win in convincing fashion, 34-21.
Final Thoughts
I am over the moon ecstatic about the start of the NFL season. With everyone’s predictions and the banter between fans, football is in the air! What are your thoughts and predictions on the first SNF game of the season? Will the Cowboys’ reign of dominance continue, or will the Giants pull off the divisional upset?
As always, thank you so much for checking out my preview and prediction of the first SNF game of the NFL season between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! Thank you for making us part of your day, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
