The New York Giants took the field on Sunday Night Football in a Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys. With new head coach John Harbaugh leading the way, they came away with a 28-20 victory. What went right for Big Blue, and what do they need to work on? Here are five key takeaways from Sunday night.
When Harbaugh joined the Giants, he brought several Baltimore Ravens with him. The biggest name from his former team is Isaiah Likely. The tight end signed a three-year, $40 million contract with New York in free agency.
Likely didn’t just become a security blanket for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. He established himself as a fully loaded weapon. In his Giants debut, he caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
Likely led New York in receptions and touchdowns. He found the end zone in crucial moments, the first time with 20 seconds left in the first half. This put the Giants up 14-7 going into the break. His second score put the team ahead 21-7 in the middle of the third quarter.
A reliable weapon such as Likely is exactly what Dart needs in his second season. New York has a new regime and a sure-handed target that’s made an immediate impact.
The Giants’ secondary was a massive question mark going into the season. After a disappointing 2025, an improvement was desperately needed. While they certainly showed that, there were still plenty of frustrating moments.
New York’s secondary held the Cowboys’ star receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to 72 total yards and one touchdown. The group held Dallas to just 175 pass yards.
What hurt the Giants’ defense was a lack of discipline in big moments. As a whole, the team totaled 10 penalties for a loss of 114 yards. The defense was flagged four times for pass interference. Two of them ultimately led to Dallas touchdowns.
Overall, New York’s defense did its job. The unit held Dallas to 69 total rush yards, and safety Jevon Holland intercepted an errant pass from Dak Prescott. If they can clean up the penalties moving forward, there might be some fire in the secondary after all.
While Dart’s rookie season was full of ups and downs, some of which were out of his control, he showed a ton of potential. In his second season, he needs to show more. So far, he’s done exactly that.
In primetime on Sunday night, Dart shined against a less-than-stellar Dallas defense. He completed 23 of his 29 pass attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns. He completed passes to six different players, including six to the returning Malik Nabers.
Dart was sacked twice in this game but ran 11 times for 54 yards. His rushing numbers were second only to Cam Skattebo, who had 18 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown.
With over five minutes left in the game, Dart led a 47-yard drive that was simple: don’t fold under pressure. While it might seem pedestrian to ask that of a QB, it’s something the Giants have struggled with in the past. He closed the game out, leading the team to Dallas’ 25-yard line, and kneeling out the final two minutes.
The Giants’ inability to close out games cost them several wins in 2025. The team showed it can protect the ball when it matters most. Leading by eight points with five minutes left is a precarious spot to be in. Dart showed he can handle that pressure.
One thing Giants fans wondered ahead of the season was whether Harbaugh’s leadership can translate to victories. A huge part of that was the offense. He emphasized running the ball and putting the team in position to score.
Harbaugh deployed a trio of running backs on Sunday night: Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary. The trio, along with Dart, combined for 165 rush yards, marginally outpacing Dallas’ 69 yards on the ground.
Another talking point around the Giants’ offense was Dart’s ability to protect himself. He tried to avoid big hits by sliding and getting out of bounds, something the media and fans have been clamoring for. Taking shots is unavoidable in football, but he made a clear effort to stay healthy.
The Giants have historically struggled against the Cowboys. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup, they were 4-16 against their rival over the last 10 years. They were 0-3 against Dallas in Week 1 since their last victory in 2016, and they were 1-10 against them in Week 1 matchups all-time.
To broaden the scope even more, New York hadn’t won a Week 1 game at home since 2010. They’ll travel to Los Angeles in Week 2 to face the Rams. LA is coming off a disheartening 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
Momentum is on the Giants’ side, which is always a positive going against the current Super Bowl favorite. The Rams are still a juggernaut on offense, and may have struggled simply due to the time-zone change on Thursday night.
It was easy to write Sunday night off as a loss going into the season. The Giants’ history with Dallas suggested they’d struggle, and they defied that expectation. With similar expectations going into Week 2, they’ve now established that they shouldn’t be so easily dismissed.
The Giants pulled off an upset win against a division rival on Sunday night. After an offseason full of hype, Harbaugh quickly proved there was fire to the smoke. With a difficult matchup in Week 2, starting 1-0 is a great spot to be in.
Following their matchup with the Rams, the Giants have a favorable stretch against the Tennessee Titans (0-1), Arizona Cardinals (1-0), Washington Commanders (0-1), and New Orleans Saints (0-1). How they build on Sunday’s win will lead to a season of success in New York.
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