By admin 
The Giants-Cowboys game on Sunday night may come down to the final play.
If the Giants want to show they are truly a playoff dark horse, here are four matchups that could decide their season opener.
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Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II vs. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens
This may be a cop-out, since it’s technically two matchups. But Newsome and Banks will each get his share of the Cowboys’ co-No. 1 receivers.
The war of words between the Giants DBs and the Cowboys wideouts has already begun. But the battle will, of course, be decided on the field.
Lamb has torched Banks and the Giants throughout his career, averaging 81.3 yards per game and scoring four TDs in 12 games. Pickens had 68 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 against the Giants last season.
So this is the matchup that likely will decide the game.
DJ Reader and Chauncey Golston vs. T.J. Bass
The Giants will need to harass quarterback Dak Prescott to keep the Cowboys’ offense off schedule. You can bet the Giants will target Bass, who is slated to start in place of Tyler Smith, who is on IR with a thumb injury.
Kayvon Thibodeaux may be deployed with these two as well, especially when rushing the passer. But Reader will need to stand up Bass to disrupt the Cowboys’ rushing attack with Javonte Williams, who ran for 1,201 yards last season, especially since the Giants ranked 31st in the NFL against the run last year.
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Francis Mauigoa vs. Quinnen Williams
Williams, a Dexter Lawrence type, who the Cowboys acquired from the New York Jets last season for Mazi Smith, a first-round pick and a second-round selection. Williams can wreck games both in the run and by rushing the passer, since he had 53 tackles last year and is just two years removed from a six-sack campaign with the Jets in 2024.
Mauigoa, of course, is a rookie playing his first NFL game at right guard, a position he didn’t play at Miami. He’ll need to take care of Williams, alongside center John Michael Schmitz, for Matt Nagy’s run-heavy offense to be effective.
Matt Nagy vs. Christian Parker
Nagy is a veteran offensive coordinator, with multiple Super Bowl rings in Kansas City. But there are fears of him holding back the Giants offense, which he will have to persevere through.
Meanwhile, Parker is the Cowboys’ rookie defensive coordinator tasked with turning around one of the worst defenses in NFL history. He is a Vic Fangio disciple, who helped the Eagles flummox Nagy, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense in Philadelphia’s 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX.
Obviously, the personnel and execution will go a long way in determining the victory. But whichever coordinator can take exploit weaknesses and stay ahead of his counterpart will give his team a better chance of winning.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 5:49 AM.