Week 1 of the NFL season, and an opportunity to see what this New York Giants team under new head coach John Harbaugh will really be about—and what better way to find out than against the Dallas Cowboys?The Cowboys offer a formidable litmus test for the Giants. The result of Week 1 will signal whether this is another disappointing season in a row, or whether the winds of change are upon East Rutherford and this is not the Giants of the past three seasons.It all starts this week with a Sunday night game at home against the Cowboys, so let’s break down what the Giants are in for on Sunday night.Will Cowboys’ Reliance on 11-Personnel Force Giants Into a Lot of Nickel?
The Cowboys operate primarily out of 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE), and lean heavily on the shotgun in their offense. This allows quarterback Dak Prescott to survey the field, diagnose defenses, and distribute the ball to the multitude of weapons the Cowboys have at their disposal.They use pre-snap motion and post-snap split flow to be able to diagnose what’s coming from the defense. In short yardage, or when they want to lean into the run game, they will employ 12-personnel and bring another tight end on the field.This will force the Giants into a base nickel operation for most of the game because they will need to combat three high-level receivers for the Cowboys. Dru Phillips, Ar’Darius Washington, and many of the other guys called upon to play in the slot will have their hands full tracking CeeDee Lamb.Zone Running Attack Leans on Javonte Williams
