12 months one beneath head coach Brian Schottenheimer for the Dallas Cowboys ended at MetLife Stadium in a meaningless Week 18 recreation the place each the Cowboys and internet hosting New York Giants had been out of the playoffs already. As we proceed to sit up for yr two for Schotty in 2026, this season will start the place the final ended – on the Giants. Already, the stakes really feel increased for each groups in Week 1 than at another level final season.
It is going to be the Cowboys’ second straight look to start a season on Sunday Night time Soccer, though final yr had the excellence of being the league’s kickoff recreation on a Thursday evening on the defending champion Eagles. This time round, will probably be the Giants breaking in a brand new head coach, although hardly a first-time one as John Harbaugh makes the journey up from Baltimore to New Jersey following 18 seasons on the helm of the Ravens.
This offseason’s hiring of Harbaugh immediately added a heightened sense of credibility and aggressive expectation that the Giants have sorely been missing, and placing this stuff to the take a look at in opposition to the Cowboys needs to be one thing they’re chomping on the bit to do. Week 18 final season snapped a nine-game shedding streak for the Giants in opposition to the Cowboys, and issues get even uglier for the Giants when zooming out additional past that nonconsequential win. The Cowboys have gained 15 of their final 17 in opposition to the Giants and 21 of 26 going again to 2013.
With coaching camp being the following huge date on the calendar to guage the entire groups across the league, the consensus outlook for the NFC East stays that the Cowboys with Dak Prescott and Eagles with Jalen Hurts are nonetheless a step above the remainder on this division. The Cowboys are banking on offensive continuity fairly than any shiny new toys within the chest for Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams to maintain Prescott on this place. The Eagles are the foil to this with a bunch of personnel modifications in addition to yet one more OC being the voice in Hurts’ helmet, and the Giants and Commanders are each hungry to determine their younger however injury-prone quarterbacks into this race as quickly as attainable.
Can the Giants be the most recent group with a younger, dual-threat, and wholesome quarterback to make a meteoric rise within the standings, or will the Cowboys new-look protection be sufficient of a distinction maker to remain forward of them? How a lot concern can the Giants move rush trigger the Cowboys offensive line proper out of the gate in 2026? Let’s have a look at a few of these questions and extra with our preview of the Giants at giant.
Giants Key Free Agent Signings/Departures
OL Jermaine Eluemunor (Re-signed)SAF Ar’Darius Washington
* DEPARTED IN FREE AGENCY
Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll is now with the Titans, and likewise signed away former Giants gamers like Robinson, Flott, and Bellinger, all listed above.
The Giants had given loads of consideration to their defensive entrance previous to Harbaugh, however linebacker had been a place that handicapped them for quite a few seasons in a row, and a scarcity of having the ability to maximize the move rush has led to disappointment within the secondary as properly. Marrying this move rush on the verge of getting a variety of wasted potential with a restocked secondary might be a aim early for Harbaugh. Tremaine Edmunds is a stable, veteran addition at linebacker to get issues going the appropriate course in the midst of the protection once more as properly.
On offense, the Harbaugh impact will most certainly be felt with the Giants making an attempt to additionally re-establish a wholesome Cam Skattebo within the backfield at working again. The additions of Seemingly, Austin, and Mooney give them some extra dimension and pace on the ability positions too. Simply how ready this group is to win within the trenches on each side of the ball might be very fascinating to check proper from the bounce in September in opposition to a Cowboys group that made higher play alongside the road of scrimmage their mission in yr one beneath Schottenheimer, and might be working the remainder of this summer season to construct off of the progress they’ve made right here.
(Picture by Emilee Chinn/Getty Pictures) Getty Pictures
Spherical 1, Choose 5: EDGE Arvell ReeseRound 1, Choose 10: OT Francis MauigoaRound 2, Choose 5 (37 General): CB Colton HoodRound 3, Choose 10 (74 General): WR Malachi FieldsRound 6, Choose 5 (186 General): DT Bobby Jamison-TravisRound 6, Choose 11 (192 General): OT J.C. DavisRound 6, Choose 12 (193 General): LB Jack Kelly
The Ravens had been often called among the best drafting groups for many years, the higher a part of two such a long time coming beneath Harbaugh. Positioned with two picks within the high ten for his first draft with the Giants, New York wasted no time persevering with to construct this group of their new coach’s picture with a decide for each the defensive and offensive line at 5 and ten, respectively.
If a number of the strikes coated within the free company part above don’t seem to be needle movers for the Giants, there’s actual hope this draft class is the beginning of a really stable basis on high of the brand new gamers they introduced in final yr that solely produced yet one more win from three to 4 in 2025 in comparison with 2024, however by way of the attention take a look at had a significantly better look total as a Giants group with some hearth. Cowboys followers gained’t need to suppose again any additional than the time beyond regulation thriller that almost despatched the Cowboys to 0-2 from AT&T Stadium a season in the past for example of this.
The Giants had their decide of the lot of Ohio State defenders at fifth total, and began off the run of those blue-chip prospects going to the NFC East with Reese, earlier than the Commanders drafted Sonny Types and Cowboys landed Caleb Downs. There was a variety of smoke about Types being the popular decide for the Giants main as much as the draft, however after Daboll and the Titans went offense as a substitute of Reese at 4, the worth on Reese at 5 was too good to move up. Reese is a high-floor and higher-ceiling prospect that needs to be a troublesome take a look at for the Cowboys scenario at deal with in week one, the place there’s some uncertainty about each Terrence Steele and Tyler Guyton’s means to constantly maintain up.
The remainder of the Giants draft screams excessive worth picks all over, with Colton Hood having some first spherical buzz round him earlier than going to New York at thirty seventh total. Fields is a big-play menace at huge receiver with the energy to win over the center, a component the Giants needs to be trying to make the most of extra within the improvement of Jaxson Dart. Even their final decide in Jack Kelly ought to have an opportunity to place his identify within the hat for who will assist flip the Giants fortunes round at linebacker; he has a high-motor with good vary and instincts.
Participant improvement has not been a robust go well with of the Giants for some time, however by hiring Harbaugh, choosing prospects from high packages with confirmed manufacturing and excessive flooring, and creating the correct mix of younger gamers with veteran expertise, the framework is in place to resolve this participant improvement conundrum and see this group enhance quickly all through the season. What number of of their draft picks are able to see the sector past Reese and Mauigoa in week one in comparison with the Cowboys making an attempt to work in not solely Caleb Downs however Malachi Lawrence, doubtlessly Jaishawn Barham, Devin Moore, and LT Overton as properly might be a storyline to observe in primetime of Week 1.
Giants 2026 Teaching Modifications
* New to workers this season:
Particular Groups Coordinator Chris HortonOffensive Coordinator Matt NagyDefensive Coordinator Dennard WilsonInside Linebackers Frank BushSecondary/Cross Recreation Coordinator Donald D’AlesioDefensive Line Dennis JohnsonDefensive Backs Addison LynchOffensive Line Mike BloomgrenQuarterbacks Brian CallahanRunning Backs Willie Taggart
At first look, this record looks as if a frightening quantity of change, however however maybe a degree of change mandatory for a group that hasn’t gained double-digit video games since 2016. The following factor to learn about this record is that Wilson, Horton, D’Alesio, Johnson, and Taggart are all carryovers from Harbaugh’s Ravens workers which have adopted him, and there are different former Ravens coaches in lesser positions on workers as properly.
The Giants may have a CEO-esque head coach that needs to be adept at dealing with the dynamic of getting a former head coach as offensive coordinator, and one other former head coach within the room along with his younger QB. Matt Nagy was by no means fairly the appropriate match as head coach of the Bears, however the New Jersey native returns residence after three seasons as offensive coordinator beneath Andy Reid and with Patrick Mahomes on the Chiefs. The motivation to determine himself even additional as a high play-caller at a time within the league the place high quality offensive play callers are price greater than their weight in gold might be there, together with an eclectic mixture of personnel to current new appears the Giants haven’t had in a while.
Former Titans head coach Brian Callahan is the opposite piece to this offensive mind belief as QB coach, who comes with a robust emphasis on working the ball. Pair that with Harbaugh’s direct assistant to the top coach Willie Taggart being the working again coach, and Mike Bloomgren as offensive line coach coming over from the Browns the place Harbaugh may also have some familiarity, and Giants followers will completely expect to hit the bottom working with regards to being a well-coached offense that handles situational soccer properly and places their gifted protection in optimum positions.
The important thing to that protection will once more be the move rush, the place Dennis Johnson is a carryover from the Ravens as DL coach. The Cowboys will see the Giants in Week 1 as we all know, with the opposite matchup in Arlington coming in Week 17. The Giants might look drastically completely different in each of those matchups, and in the event that they keep wholesome and gel as a training workers because the season goes on, the Cowboys will certainly be hoping they capitalize on the Week 1 alternative to get the Giants whereas they’re nonetheless sorting this stuff out earlier than making an attempt to increase their residence successful streak in opposition to Massive Blue to 10.
Earlier 2026 Opponent Previews
