FRISCO, Texas — There isn’t much at stake in Week 18 for either the Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) or the New York Giants (3-13) when the two NFC East rivals square off at MetLife Stadium in the 2025 season finale for both squads.
For Dallas, Dak Prescott is looking to become the first Cowboys quarterback to lead the NFL in passing yards in a single season. He has 4,482 yards passing through 17 weeks, which is 34 yards ahead of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his total of 4,448.
“It’d be cool to stamp that, just lead the league in passing. I think Matt Stafford probably needs to rest this week, get ready for the playoffs. That would help,” Prescott said with a grin on Thursday. “It’d be cool, but I’m just playing the game. I’m not going to try to chase it. I’m not going out there like ‘let me throw it every time. It may be the opposite of that right? Just trying to play a smart game, a clean game. Most importantly, get a win. The record will come if they come.”
Meanwhile, the Giants could be somewhat incentivized to lose on Sunday because a New York loss plus a Las Vegas Raiders win against the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs would grant them the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Tanking is nearly impossible to implement in the NFL with so many players playing for their football lives on a week-to-week basis given the non-guaranteed nature of most of the league’s contracts.
Both teams will be playing with the skeleton crew versions of their roster on Sunday. Dallas will be without the following players: running back Javonte Williams (shoulder/neck), running back Malik Davis (calf/eye), guard T.J. Bass (knee), linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (concussion) and cornerback Shavon Revel (concussion/neck). New York will be without the following players: defensive back Cor’Dale Flott (knee), safety Jevon Holland (knee/concussion), tight end Theo Johnson (illness), offensive lineman Evan Neal (neck), defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle/toe) and defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris (knee).
Where to watch Giants vs. Cowboys live
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 4 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
- TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Cowboys -3.5, O/U 49.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cowboys vs. Giants: Need to know
How much will Dak Prescott play and how much will Joe Milton play?
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s approach to playing Prescott at the tail end of another playoff-less season in Dallas the last two weeks has been along the lines of “we’re playing to win, so Dak is playing the whole game.” Now that it’s Week 18, and the Cowboys are playing in a 1 p.m. ET game on Sunday afternoon, Schottenheimer admitted he’s open to giving strong-armed backup Joe Milton some time at quarterback this week against the Giants.
“We’ll look at that. The biggest thing for me is to put the game plan together and hopefully have another great week of practice and focus on getting our prep. You know how much respect I have for this team, this defense we’re getting ready to play, an elite front seven,” Schottenheimer said on Monday. “But yeah, we’ll see how the week goes. But right now the plan is to play Dak.”
Even Prescott acknowledged there’s a chance he may not finish the game on Sunday, which leads to the 32-year-old, four-time Pro Bowl quarterback having a slightly different process entering Week 18.
“To some extent, yeah. I’d be lying if I said ‘it’s exactly the same,'” Prescott said when talking about playing in a game but knowing he’ll likely not finish the game. “No, there’s a little bit to it. It’s more of just like ‘when [when will I be pulled]?’ So for me, it’s about going out there and planning to play the whole game. Just stick to the way that I play the game. I’m not going to do too much early and make some big plays so I can get out of the game. … Not knowing when it is [the time he will be pulled] and if it is [going to happen], just go in, play my game and be smart.”
The 25-year-old Milton has four games of NFL experience in two seasons, including a Week 18 start in the New England Patriots 2024 regular season finale a year ago. He feels much more advanced in terms of both his experience and his football IQ entering his likely opportunity to play on Sunday.
“Just be ready,” Milton said Friday. “I think that was the plan every week. Coming here was a different status for me. When I say status, I mean it’s a different gameplan. I get more reps than I did when I was at the Patriots last year. I moved up in the NFL level as far as the quarterback positions and as far as my knowledge.”
Could Week 18 be a turning point for Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue?
With both Williams and Davis ruled out with injuries, rookie fifth-round pick running back Jaydon Blue could have a chance to have his biggest volume game of the season. The speedster out of the University of Texas has played in four games this season and amassed 65 yards rushing on 22 carries. A fumble in Dallas’ 44-24 Week 8 road loss at the Denver Broncos spelled a stop in his play time with Blue not touching the field since.
Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay banged the table for Blue in the draft, and he used the adjective “explosive” five times to describe him on draft day.
“I’d love to get eyes on Jaydon. I think the last couple of weeks have been good weeks for him,” Schottenheimer said on Monday. “He’s practicing harder and better. I think if he continues on that path, there’s definitely a chance.”
Will three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns put on a show vs. depleted Cowboys offensive line?
Cleveland Browns All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett’s 22.0 sacks this season are so far away from the rest of his competition that there was no real race for who was going to lead the NFL in sacks in 2025. However, New York Giants three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns is No. 2 in the league in that statistic with a career-high 16.5 this season, a figure that is tied for the fourth-most in a season in Giants history.
Dallas facing him right now could lead to Burns having a monster game and making a push for 20 sacks. The Cowboys allowed a season-high six sacks against the Washington Commanders in Week 17, and their offensive line is even more depleted this week. Left tackle Tyler Guyton (ankle) remains on injured reserve. In response to that injury, Dallas moved three-time Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith out to left tackle for the last three games of the season and put undrafted veteran T.J. Bass at left guard. Bass (knee) didn’t practice all week, and he was ruled out on Friday. Cowboys right tackle Terence Steele’s 44 quarterback pressures allowed this season are tied for the second-most in the NFL, just one behind Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle DJ Glaze’s 45, according to TruMedia.
Sunday could be a massive day for Burns, especially if Milton plays the majority of the afternoon in place of Prescott.
Giants vs. Cowboys prediction
Prescott plays just long enough for the Cowboys to jump out to a multi-possession lead, and Dallas hangs on to avoid a losing record and finish the season at 8-8-1 while New York secures a top 2 draft pick in 2026 at 3-14.
Pick: Cowboys 24, Giants 21 | (Giants +3.5, Under 49.5)