EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — First-year New York Giants coach John Harbaugh vowed in May that he would build a team good enough to “kick the (Dallas) Cowboys’ ass.”Harbaugh delivered on that promise Sunday Night, as his Giants took down their hated rivals 28-14 in front of a raucous crowd at MetLife Stadium to secure his first victory with his new team. Second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart led the way for New York with three touchdown passes, including two to offseason free-agent acquisition Isaiah Likely. It was the second three-touchdown game of Dart’s young career.Box score | Week 1 live blog | Game discussionThis rivalry has been rather one-sided lately, with the Cowboys 16-2 in the series since 2017. But with a Giants win and A LOT of trash-talking, fair to say this is a rivalry renewed?Oh, this was fun a game — football at its best, with a charged atmosphere heading into kickoff. While I’ve only been on the beat for four seasons, I can’t recall the parking lots ever being that crowded with four hours to go until kickoff. The MetLife faithful were excited to see the Harbaugh era begin, and the Giants delivered on the field.
As for the trash-talking, this was certainly a team that wasn’t going to get bullied by a rival. They had no issue standing up for their own — just look how quickly center John Michael Schmitz and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor were to go after Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown after an unnecessary roughness penalty on Dart. Cam Skattebo seemed like he was talking smack the whole game. This was a lot. I want more! — Charlotte Carroll, Giants beat writerAbsolutely. MetLife Stadium was rocking all night. The fans seemed more into it than in most of the previous meetings with the Cowboys. The Giants have a good team with a good head coach and a franchise quarterback. There are a lot of reasons to be excited. The Cowboys are likely a better team than they showed Sunday night, but this might not be a division that will again come down to the Cowboys and Eagles. The Giants look like they are for real. The Cowboys’ dominance since Dak Prescott’s second season looks to officially be over. — Jon MachotaHow did Malik Nabers look in his first action since Week 4 last year?There was no shortage of suspense when it came to whether Nabers was even going to play Sunday night. While the coaching staff suggested Nabers, who tore his ACL and meniscus in late September, was ready to go, the decision ultimately came down to whether Nabers felt ready. So, when the Giants finally announced Nabers would be active Sunday night, that alone felt like a minor victory for New York. But the small win became a bigger one the more and more he played. Nabers fielded a team-high nine targets, catching six for 69 yards. There were a few slips and a scary moment when Nabers headed to the sidelines to get medical attention after taking a hit. But he returned soon after, providing a big sigh of relief to his team and its fans.There’s no doubt his presence on the field helped maximize the offense’s potential, even if he didn’t contribute a truly signature moment. If he’s healthy, those will come in time. For now, just seeing him making catches and pick up first downs is huge for New York. — CarrollThis story will be updated.Sep 14, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
