WHAT: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
WHEN: Sunday, 3:25 PM (CT)
WHERE: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TELEVISION: FOX
There is really only one guarantee heading into the Week 1 division rival match up for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, and that is it will be a hard-fought battle between two teams that know each other extremely well.
In 2015, the Dallas Cowboys were able to come away with a last-second victory to open up the season, but the Giants got their revenge later in the year when former Cowboys special teams ace Dwayne Harris returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
There is no reason to believe that the 2016 season opener for the Cowboys and Giants will be any different.
Below I will attempt to explain how both the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants can start their 2016 season with a victory or defeat.
Dallas Cowboys win if…
All eyes will be on two of the Dallas Cowboys rookies Sunday afternoon in Texas, and rightfully so.
There are high expectations for both Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott for the start of the 2016 season. Prescott because he is taking over the starting QB position for an injured Tony Romo and Elliott because he was drafted so highly with the thought he was a perfect fit for the Cowboys offensive scheme.
If the Dallas Cowboys are going to win this game, Prescott and Elliott will have to have big games and limit any kind of rookie mistakes.
As rookies, they are going to be asked to carry the load at arguably the two most important positions on the offensive side of the ball. No other players touch the ball as much as a quarterback or running back, which is the reason why they need to focus on the task at hand and not get caught up in the bright lights of the NFL.
If both Prescott and Elliott come out and perform the way we all expect them to, then the Dallas Cowboys should be able to start the 2016 season with a W in the win column.
New York Giants win if…
I think the best chance for the New York Giants to win their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys lies in their wide receiver core.
Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and rookie Sterling Shepard are a really tough group to open up the season against for the Cowboys secondary.
Beckham has already established himself as one of the best WRs in his short time in the NFL. Cruz was a nightmare for Cowboys defenders prior to his injury issues and if healthy could be so once again. Shepard is somewhat of an unknown, but I have a feeling he might just be the most dangerous of the three Sunday afternoon against the Cowboys.
I fully believe that if the New York Giants win this game it will be because of their wide receivers and how they can exploit the Cowboys secondary.
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Dallas Cowboys lose if…
I think it would be too easy to say that the Dallas Cowboys lose this game if Dak Prescott struggles and doesn’t play like he has been in the preseason. Instead, I’m putting the outcome of this game on the Cowboys defense.
We can all agree that the Cowboys defense is the weak link for this 2016 team. There are still questions about the pass rush and how they are going to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Eli Manning is known for getting rid of the ball quickly making the pass rush less of a concern.
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli needs his defense to perform better than a lot of people are expecting. They don’t need to be great, they just need to be the type of defense that bends and doesn’t break.
If they are unable to get the Giants offense off the field in some key situations, then the Cowboys will lose their 2016 opener.
Holding the Giants to field goals instead of scoring touchdowns might be the determining factor in the outcome of the game Sunday afternoon.
New York Giants lose if…
The New York Giants spent nearly $200 million in the off-season to bring in Janoris Jenkins (CB), Olivier Vernon (DE), and Damon Harrison (DT) in hopes of improving their team on the defensive side of the ball.
Was it money well spent?
Well, I know the Giants are hoping so, but I’m not so sure.
Odds are Jenkins will be the one to cover Dez Bryant the majority of the game. I think that’s a match up Bryant wins 9 times out of 10.
Vernon got the better of Tyron Smith as a member of the Miami Dolphins last season, but I don’t see that happening again. Vernon doesn’t nearly have the same type of supporting cast along the defensive line that he had in Miami, so I will give the edge to Smith.
Harrison has the tough task of going up against Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and La’el Collins the entire game and I think we can all pretty much agree that is a match up that swings in the Cowboys favor.
If the Giants overpriced additions can’t win their battles, they lose. Simple as that.
Who do you think has a better chance of winning?
Let me hear your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below..
Still comes down to harassing Eli, making him force the issue. I LOVE that look of frustration on his face, when he flails his arms in despair and anger as an INT or a fumble is returned for a TD.
….sweeter than honey.
Thanks for commenting Franklin. I think for the Cowboys to harass Eli Manning it’s going to have to come from the interior of the defensive line. If they can get some push up front and collapse the pocket, it should frustrate Manning enough to where he might make a mistake or two.
I’m a Cowboys fan but penalties will rob the team of field position in critical situations and rookie mistakes will turn the ball over to the Giants enough the Giants leave with a victory. The Dallas Defense didn’t show much of anything during the preseason games although they all played vanilla. I just don’t see from what I have observed this Dallas defensive line having the ability to stop any running game.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment David. I think the defensive line will be just fine in the running game. It’s the pass rush that I worry about. I can’t disagree with you about the penalties so. That has been a problem for the Cowboys for a while now. I do disagree with you about rookie mistakes. Both Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are already showing poise on the field like they are veteran players. I just don’t see them making very many mental mistakes that you see in most rookies. I really think this game is a tossup and could go either way.