The New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the first Sunday night game of the 2023 regular season.
Although it’s always a heated game, the Giants haven’t defeated the Cowboys since Week 17 of the 2020 season. Of course, a division rivalry game can go either way.
Buy Giants TicketsThat said, there are six keys to victory for the Giants in Week 1.
Keep Daniel Jones on his feet
Daniel Jones has one job: move the ball down the field. It’s hard to move anywhere if you continually get knocked to the ground. Last season, Jones was sacked 44 times, an average of nearly three sacks per game. Keeping Jones on his feet against a fierce Cowboys pass rush is a must.
Utilize Darren Waller
The Giants acquired Darren Waller in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders during the offseason. He’s an X-factor this year because he’s healthy — and because the Giants haven’t had a talent like him since Odell Beckham Jr. Teams know that Waller has potential and his presence will not only help the Giants through the air, it will increase the opportunities for those around him.
Take shots down the field
The Giants added a ton of speed offensively during the offseason in Parris Campbell, Jalin Hyatt, and Waller. Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgkins and Sterling Shepard are no slouches, either. Jones has options, so it’s time to stretch the field and see what these receivers can do.
Pressure Dak Prescott
The front seven must put pressure on Dak Prescott. The Giants’ rookie cornerbacks will see a lot of man coverage and could use the help of a collapsing pocket. Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the rest of the line have to get to Prescott and force him to make a mistake.
Stop the run
The Giants struggled with this last season, allowing Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott to combine for 330 yards over both games in 2022. Elliott may be gone, but Pollard was a bigger problem than he was anyway. Shutting him down will limit the Cowboys’ offensive options.
Force turnovers
Prescott fumbled the ball nine times in 2021. He cut it to two last season, but putting pressure on him and forcing him out of the pocket creates an environment where the ball can be stripped. Pollard isn’t known for losing the ball, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
The entire Cowboys team fumbled the ball 17 times rushing and six times receiving last season, and Prescott threw 15 interceptions on top of that. The Giants need to exploit those weaknesses and take advantage of the turnovers they create.
