The why is self-explanatory, and you’re well-versed in the where and when at this point in time. With the NFL calendar engaged in rare doldrums and most moves made and archived, it’s time to consider the who from a New York Giants perspective.

Giants On SI continues its look at the Giants’ upcoming adversaries in the 2024 season. Catch up with each team’s moves, where they stand, and, most importantly, how to beat them.

Who: Dallas Cowboys
When: Week 4, Thursday, Sept. 26 (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video)/Thursday, Nov. 28 (4:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ/AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Series History: DAL leads 75-47-2 (Last: 49-17 DAL, 11/2023)

After yet another promising season rendered null by a postseason no-show, change finally seemed to be on the horizon for America’s Team. But after some sizable bluster, the Cowboys wound up taking in the offseason as spectators and will mostly run the same team back … albeit with one notable exception: defensive coordinator Dan Quinn returned to the head coaching ranks when division rival Washington reached out, and he took a good bit of recurring characters (i.e., Dorance Armstrong, Tyler Biadasz) with him.

In fact, in terms of a franchise timeline, the Cowboys have moved backward, calling upon past heroes like Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Zimmer to fulfill the respective roles of primary running back and Quinn’s successor. Elliott is back in North Texas after an underwhelming sabbatical in New England, while Zimmer returns to the NFL after his head coaching tenure in Minnesota fizzled out after 2021.

The Giants, however, really aren’t in any position to laugh: for all their flaws, the Cowboys have handled business against New York, winning each of the last six meetings. Last year’s couple was particularly embarrassing, with the Cowboys winning both games by a combined 72-point margin. Dallas is also, perhaps shockingly, the NFL’s second-winningest team since 2021, as their 36 regular season victories are behind only the mighty Kansas City Chiefs.

The Dallas discussion begins and ends with Dak Prescott, who seems to be entering yet another make-or-break season. He’ll at least have the comfort of having almost all of his top weapons back: while CeeDee Lamb’s holdout is worth monitoring, each of Dallas’ top three receivers is set to put a star back on their helmet. Brandin Cooks didn’t fully make up for the loss of Amari Cooper but was efficient enough as Lamb’s sidekick, while tight end Jake Ferguson put forth a Pro Bowl effort.

Defensively, it’s not like Zimmer will be hurting for talent: the presence of Micah Parsons speaks for itself, and pick-six merchant DaRon Bland is set to join Trevon Diggs, who’s back from injury after Stephon Gilmore was not brought back.

The Cowboys’ most notable veteran upgrade was acquiring Eric Kendricks from the Los Angeles Chargers. Kendricks should shore up the middle after a brutal run defense effort in the NFC Wild Card Game, especially after first-round pick Mazi Smith left something to be desired in his debut season.

Who’s In: OG Cooper Beebee (D3-73), RB Ezekiel Elliott (FA-NE), RB Royce Freeman (FA-LAR), OT Tyler Guyton (D1-29), LB Eric Kendricks (FA-LAC), DE Marshawn Kneeland (D2-56), LB Marist Liufau (D3-87)

Who’s Out: DE Dorance Armstrong (FA-WAS), C Tyler Biadasz (FA-WAS), DE Dante Fowler (FA-WAS), DT Neville Gallimore (FA-MIA), WR Michael Gallup (Retired), DT Jonathan Hankins (FA-SEA), RB Tony Pollard (FA-TEN), OT Tyron Smith (FA-NYJ), LB Leighton Vander Esch (Retired)

The less said about the Giants’ more recent excursions against the Cowboys, the better. Big Blue has shrunk against Dallas, posting a 1-7 mark in the current decade. The lone win was at least somewhat memorable, a 23-19 slugfest in the final week of the 2020-21 season, but that is mostly remembered for keeping the division title hopes of a 6-10 Giants alive before Philadelphia rested starters against the primary competition, a group then known as the Washington Football Team.

While the rivalry has turned one-sided, the Giants have at least had the decency to turn their wins over Dallas into championships, as each of New York’s last two Super Bowl wins were kickstarted by wins over the Cowboys. 

The lone postseason meeting between the two teams to date was a 21-17 blue victory in the 2007-08 NFC divisional round, one that saw a strong defensive effort shut down a high-flying Dallas offense before Brandon Jacobs punched in the game-winning score. New York, of course, then went on to ruin the New England Patriots’ perfect season in Super Bowl XLII.

Four seasons later, a regular season sweep of Dallas catapulted the Giants into the 2011-12 tournament, which featured another championship victory over the Patriots. The former triumph was a 37-34 decision in Arlington that saw the Giants erase a two-possession lead with just over three minutes remaining.

Feed Zeke!

Perhaps nothing defined the Cowboys’ offseason downfall better than the fact that they were forced to go crawling back to Elliott after some fans likely put down payments on Derrick Henry jerseys. Behind Elliott lies a hodgepodge of projects (Deuce Vaughn) and vets (Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman) that don’t exactly inspire fear.

Prescott may have lingered in MVP consideration last season, but there’s no doubt that he performs just a bit better if there’s a reliable rusher behind him. Dallas was 1-3 when Prescott was forced to throw the ball at least 40 times last season, and that record plummets to 8-17 throughout his career.

But Dallas knows how to counter that, at least in low-pressure situations: the Cowboys’ arsenal often allows them to prevail when the defense is at least halfway on its game and tight end like Ferguson threatens to cause all kinds of familiar trouble for a Giants franchise that has historically struggled with tight ends.

With that in mind, any Giant counter effort should force the Cowboys into a situation where they need to rely on the run game more to pull off a win. Stopping Lamb, Ferguson, and Cooks is perhaps a little too much to ask for but if they can force Dallas in short yardage situations where Elliott is rendered just the slightest bit more necessary, they’re going to be much better off.

Hold the Line

Giants fans are likely tired of seeing the same names populate the Dallas offensive line year after year, but there are finally signs of relenting with Biadasz and Smith gone. As it stands, Zack Martin is perhaps the final holdover from the old Dallas guard, and he certainly isn’t getting any younger.

But the fact of the matter is that the line change is almost complete.

While Dallas has found reasonable substitutions in some areas (Tyler Smith has lived up to first-round billing, Terence Steele has been fine enough, each on the outside), they have question marks in areas long spoken for: interior depth man Brock Hoffman is penciled in as the starting center and, while there’s hope for early draft picks Tyler Smith and Cooper Beebee, teams will no doubt try to exploit their inexperience in the early going.

Considering that the Giants’ pass rush and front seven are among the most, if not the most, developed areas on the team, it’ll be imperative to build on that early inexperience and make a throwback Dallas backfield uncomfortable.