The New York Giants’ defense could have its hands full with the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, after a rough first week against the Commanders.
Let’s break down what awaits the Giants this weekend in Arlington, Texas.
Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks on during the fourth quarter of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Quarterback Dak Prescott played one of the best games he’s played in years in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, despite the stats not backing it up.
Prescott navigated the pocket like a star and, despite being pressured 13 times, didn’t get sacked while also dealing with receivers dropping four passes, including two that would’ve gained big yardage.
Javonte Williams broke out against the Eagles with just 54 yards, but 32 of them came after contact, earning it all.
He also picked up two touchdowns on the ground and consistently picked up first downs.
They were tough yards against an elite defense that was significantly more talented than the Cowboys’ offense, which is why I found it so impressive.
The receiver room features CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin, and Jalen Tolbert, but it was overall unimpressive in Week 1.
Lamb is going to be force-fed the ball in every situation possible, but he crushed the offense with drops in what was a very winnable game against the Eagles.
Pickens is a chain mover that’s capable of winning contested catches deep downfield, but struggles to separate consistently, and until he proves otherwise, he should be looked at as such.
Turpin is a home run hitter that the Cowboys will use on designed touches more than anything else, with Tolbert manning a role that’s more about needing a third receiver than anything he’s done to impress in that spot.
Jake Ferguson has been unimpressive for the better part of the past two seasons, despite the contract extension and insistence on his skill set.
He’s solid at moving the sticks when the team needs him, but he’s got fumbling issues, plays undisciplined football, and doesn’t do nearly enough in the run game to justify the hype.
This offense is Prescott with a few pieces around him, but it is overall still incomplete.
From left to right, the Cowboys’ offensive line consists of Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and Terence Steele.
Despite the similarities between the Tylers, the line struggled to find chemistry in the passing game during week one.
Handling the Eagles’ pass-rush is no easy task, but the Cowboys’ line struggled at every single spot in pass protection, and with the Giants having as talented a defensive front as they do, that could spell trouble.
This is no longer the Cowboys’ team with the most dominant offensive line in the NFL every year.
With a new head coach for the Cowboys comes a new offensive scheme. Every week, the Cowboys will likely expand their offensive game plan, but we can still draw on what we saw in week one and Brian Schottenheimer’s past work to anticipate what to expect.
The Cowboys practically lived in 11 personnel, one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers in Week 1 — 75% of their offensive plays were out of 11 personnel, which should stay relatively the same this week to keep a light box against this Giants defense.
It’s worth noting that on all seven plays where the Cowboys brought out a fullback in addition to the running back, they ran the ball.
The Cowboys used motion on 39 of their 56 offensive plays, clearly establishing it as a key part of their offense to effectively attack defenses.
The Cowboys’ run game is fun to watch, and I anticipate it will give the Giants’ defense fits, especially if they defend it with the same lack of aggression they played with in week one.
Although the Cowboys had only two runs of 10 or more yards, their 5.4 yards per carry average is more impressive.
That just shows that this wasn’t built off of strictly explosive plays, but it was consistently chunk yardage.
The reason for that is that the Cowboys heavily relied on pulling linemen to get their big guys moving in space against NFL defenders that are smaller than they’ve ever been.
Power, counter, trap–you name it, and the Cowboys are running it if it means getting a big guy moving.
Aug 16, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Giants’ defenders need to look internally and decide if they really want to show up against a Cowboys rushing attack that features a big offensive line looking to hit and Javonte Williams, who looks like he’s back at North Carolina.
This isn’t to hype up the Cowboys, but the lack of effort and “want to” against the run in Week 1 is going to be alarming all season if that persists against teams that are specifically looking to run.
The passing game will rely on the rush hitting home before Dak can uncork the long ball to either Lamb or Pickens, depending on who Paulson Adebo isn’t covering.
Prescott was forced to attack underneath despite his clear desire to take the top off the defense, with 55.9% of his passes less than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.
He still threw 20.6% of his passes 20+ yards downfield, and it would’ve been higher if he had more time.
Press coverage should help disrupt timing and allow the Giants’ pass-rush to do its part and hopefully disrupt Prescott’s game more.
Disguised coverage causing Prescott to hesitate for even a second could also help set the Giants up for success.
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