What a way to ring in the 2026 NFL season.
The New York Giants kicked off the John Harbaugh era in the best way possible, giving the Dallas Cowboys a 60-minute you-know-what-whooping in a 28-20 primetime win at an electric MetLife Stadium. They are officially undefeated.
There was plenty to love, along with a few things Harbs will probably want cleaned up before Week 2. But with the victory cigar officially lit, let’s get into the biggest winners and losers from the Giants’ Week 1 win.
4 winners and 4 losers from Giants’ statement win over Dallas
Winner: John Harbaugh
No one was a bigger winner than new head coach John Harbaugh.
After getting fired by the Ravens and watching his former team put on an absolute clinic against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 with their new HC, Harbs needed a win. Ask, and you shall receive.
You can’t really overstate the importance of Harbs’ 18 years of prior coaching experience and what it means for this team. They played exactly the way he told us they were going to play when they hired him: physical and violent.
From the opening drive, you could see his fingerprints all over this team. The Giants ran the ball well and never let the moment get too big. Winning a game no one thought they would is one hell of a way to introduce yourself to the rest of the league.
Winner: Isaiah Likely
Keep. Feeding. Isaiah. Likely.
And just when you think he’s had enough targets, give him more, because all the tight end does is catch the football. He caught all eight of his targets, finishing the game with 78 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
It’s obvious the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder wanted to make good on the three-year, $40 million deal he signed this offseason, and I’d say eight catches and two trips to the end zone is a decent start.
Likely was brought to New York to give Dart another much-needed weapon who could be the ultimate mismatch. One week in, I'm sold.
Winner: Jaxson Dart
Have a game, Jaxson Dart. I mean, my goodness. The second-year quarterback finished the game 23-of-29 for 230 yards and three touchdowns while adding another 59 yards on the ground. He finished with a 134.2 passer rating. That’s really good stuff.
He almost looked unrecognizable from last year in a good way. And that’s not a knock on his rookie season, either. He just looked more polished and poised in Week 1. His timing was better, he protected himself when he took off with the football, and he made some big-time throws when New York needed them.
If he plays the rest of the season the way he played Sunday night, the G-Men are going to be a tough team to beat.
Winner: Big Blue Nation
Harbaugh shouted out MetLife Stadium and the fans after the game, and for good reason. He told reporters it was absolutely electric from beginning to end, and that’s a testament to the team he's built.
Fans only want to stay and cheer if they’re watching a team worth cheering for. This might just be one of those teams.
Big Blue Nation has stuck by this team through some of its biggest struggles over the past decade. The last two years in particular have been borderline unwatchable. Getting a season-opening win against the Cowboys in primetime is about the coolest thing that could have happened for a fanbase starved for success. Enjoy this one.
Loser: Odell Beckham Jr.'s highlight reel
Odell’s return to North Jersey has been one of the biggest storylines in all of football. Not only did he re-sign with the team, but he actually made it by earning a spot on the 53-man roster. He did enough to warrant a shot at a comeback in Giants blue, but he unfortunately didn’t get that opportunity on Sunday.
OBJ finished the game with zero targets.
His one-handed, physics-defying catch against the Cowboys was aired and mentioned several times on the broadcast, but sadly, the 33-year-old wasn’t able to give fans another highlight-reel play in Week 1. Maybe next week.
Loser: Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Woof. As the self-proclaimed president of the Tyrone Tracy Shouldn’t Have Been Cut After the Preseason Club, I am now accepting challengers from whoever wants to pick up the mantle because it’s a hill I’m no longer willing to die on.
Did I think he shouldn’t have made the roster because he missed a block and muffed a handoff during the preseason? No.
However, after fumbling the ball in the first half near Dallas’ 20-yard line and ending their third drive, TTJ’s role on the team is becoming harder to defend. He didn’t touch the ball again after the fumble, ending the game with two carries for 14 yards and a turnover. Not great.
Loser: Laundry haters
If you hate laundry, you might want to look away.
The G-Men committed a diabolical number of penalties Sunday night, drawing 10 yellow flags for a staggering 114 yards. Somehow, they managed to beat Dallas while repeatedly making life significantly harder on themselves.
Harbaugh will have plenty to be happy about when he turns on the film. The 114 yards' worth of flags probably won’t make the list.
Loser: Dak Prescott's reign of terror over the G-Men
Coming into the game, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had a borderline make-believe 14-3 record against the Giants. That included a Week 18 loss last year in which he only played a few minutes, but a loss is a loss. Make that 14-4.
Even better, Prescott is now riding a two-game losing streak against the team he’s tormented for the better part of a decade. Wouldn't it just be terrible if the streak extended to three when the two teams face off against one another in Week 17?
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