Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants to open 2026 NFL season on Sunday Night Football

In typical Dallas Cowboys fashion, the spotlight will be on the team to open the NFL season. The NFL announced on Monday morning that the Cowboys will face their division rival New York Giants in Week 1 on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

The matchup of Cowboys vs. Giants is nothing new to Week 1, as the two often square off to open the season. But this year, it could mean a little extra, considering what is on the table for both sides.

Dallas needs to get back on track after a disastrous 2025 season. The Cowboys had one of the best offenses in the league but also showcased perhaps the worst defense, leading to a 7-9-1 record and missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

New York, meanwhile, is optimistic for this coming season. The impressive rookie seasons of quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo generated plenty of excitement for fans, as did the first round drafting of linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa. While the Giants were 4-13 last year, many are optimistic for the future.

Cowboys looking to turnaround on defense

Just how bad was Dallas’ defense last year? The Cowboys ranked 30th in yards per game allowed, and dead last in the league in points allowed per game. In hopes of fixing those issues, Dallas took Ohio State star Caleb Downs in the secondary, as well as multiple other defensive players.

Prior to his two years at Ohio State, Downs emerged as a key playmaker as a freshman at Alabama under Nick Saban in what turned out to be his final season before retirement. Saban was on the ESPN College GameDay desk at the time the Cowboys took Downs and had high praise for the player Dallas was getting at No. 11 overall.

“This is as fine a young man as you’re ever going to find to be a part of your team,” Saban said. “He’s a great competitor, he’s got great character, he’s so instinctive as a player. He can play downhill, he can play in the box, he can play in the deep field, he can play man-to-man. This guy is a tremendous, tremendous person and competitor.

“And I tell you what, there’s only a few guys that I love more than this guy as a player on our football team. He did a great job and improved even more at Ohio State. And I’m going to give the Dallas Cowboys a little tip. His mama, in recruiting, made the best white chili I ever ate. You need to go there.”