The NY Giants are opening the season against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys under the Sunday night lights. There are a hundred ways to preview that game. The simplest one is still the most important: can New York get Prescott off his spot?
If Brian Burns and Abdul Carter win outside, the whole game changes. Prescott is too comfortable and too accurate when he can stand in clean pockets, check the coverage and let the route develop. The Giants cannot let him have that kind of evening at MetLife.
They have the personnel to make it uncomfortable. Burns is the established edge presence, while Carter brings the speed and disruption that can make a protection call look wrong in a hurry.
The Cowboys will not be surprised by either player. Surprise is not the goal. The Giants need to make Dallas spend extra attention on both edges anyway, even when it means leaving another part of the field less protected.
That puts a lot on the line up front, but it also puts the game in a place New York should want it. Pressure without constantly sending an extra rusher lets the secondary stay connected to its assignments. It gives the Giants a chance to force Prescott into throws he would rather not make.
Aug. 20, 2026: Giants linebacker Abdul Carter works at Dolphins joint practice, credit Sam Navarro-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.
The pass rush does not need a huge box score to matter. A hurried third-down throw, a sack that kills a red-zone drive or one early hit that makes Prescott speed up can shift an opener fast.
I would make this a priority from the opening series. Burns and Carter are good enough to set the terms of the game, and the Giants have no reason to play passive against a Cowboys offense that will arrive expecting to put up points.
Week 1 will have plenty of noise around it. The Giants can cut through it by winning the most physical matchup on the field.
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