We've already outlined why New York Giants fans should be confident heading into a Week 1 showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, it's time to paint a darker picture.
Big Blue carries plenty of offseason hype into the season opener. John Harbaugh's arrival has even pushed the team into early playoff discussions. But that excitement could quickly come crashing down if things don't go to plan against Dallas.
Our pregame worries boil down to these three uncomfortable truths.
Giants' run defense could be exposed immediately
The Giants spent significant resources this offseason on fixing what was one of the worst run defenses in the league in 2025. They dished out money to defensive tackle DJ Reader and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and spent a top-five draft pick on linebacker Arvell Reese.
But what if it doesn't make a difference? We'll get an answer right away, as the Cowboys had one of the most efficient running games in the NFL last season, ranking in the top ten in rushing yards. In the nightmare version of the Week 1 matchup, Dallas gets whatever it wants on the ground, giving the Giants no chance at controlling the pace of the game.
If that happens, the outlook for the season will suddenly get much less optimistic.
Giants aren't built to stop Cowboys' WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens
The Cowboys have built their offense around a dominant wide receiver tandem. Lamb and Pickens are among the top pass-catching duos in football, and now that they're both healthy, they could terrorize a shaky Giants secondary.
In their unofficial Week 1 depth chart, the G-Men have Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II starting at cornerback. It might be the weakest position group on the roster, even if Newsome claims that it's the best cornerback group in the league.
There's a real chance that Lamb and Pickens put up ridiculous numbers against Big Blue's secondary, putting the game away almost immediately.
Cowboys have dominated Giants in recent years
Harbaugh may be 4-1 against the Cowboys, but the Giants haven't had the upper hand against their NFC East rival in quite some time. Big Blue has lost nine of its last ten matchups with Dallas, contributing to its familiar spot near the bottom of the division.
Before the Week 18 win over Dallas last season (a game that didn't mean much for either team), the Giants hadn't beat the Cowboys since January of 2021. That's a brutal stretch for a divisional matchup.
Harbaugh's squad needs to turn things around this season. Fans don't want to endure another season of looking up at the Cowboys.
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