Back on December 4, 1960, the NFL witnessed the beginning of one of the league’s biggest rivalries when the Dallas Cowboys faced the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium. Ironically, the game ended in a 31-31 tie. The first decisive result in the rivalry came the following season when the Giants defeated Dallas 31-10. Since then, the two division rivals have battled each other countless times. And while New York held the early edge in the rivalry, Dallas now leads the all-time head-to-head series 78-48-2.
Fast forward to now, and the two teams are set to face each other in Week 1 Sunday Night Football as season openers in 2026. Which makes it the perfect time to revisit how the Cowboys and Giants have matched up over the past couple of decades. The franchises have faced each other eight times in season openers over the past two decades, and throughout that stretch, Dallas has largely controlled the rivalry.
Cowboys 45, Giants 35, in the 2007 season
The 2007 season opener between the Cowboys and the Giants officially kicked off the Wade Phillips era on September 9, 2007, where Dallas eventually finished 13-3 and earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Giants struck first. Eli Manning connected with Plaxico Burress for a 60-yard touchdown early in the first quarter, though the extra point failed, giving New York a 6-0 lead.
Dallas responded behind Tony Romo and a loaded offense, including Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Marion Barber, and rookie kicker Nick Folk. By halftime, the Cowboys led 17-16 after Romo threw a touchdown to Witten and Barber added a rushing score. The game, however, turned into a shootout as the third and fourth quarters became the key phases of the matchup.
Romo threw a 22-yard touchdown to Owens, while the latter rushed for a touchdown himself. Manning, meanwhile, kept answering with touchdown drives to Burress and Derrick Ward. The Giants cut the score to 38-35 late in the fourth quarter. But Dallas sealed the game when Romo hit Sam Hurd for a 51-yard touchdown on a crucial 3rd and 7, with just over three minutes left.
The game became one of a kind because both quarterbacks exploded statistically. Romo finished with 15-of-24 for 345 yards, four passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown, 1 interception, and a passer rating of 144.9. Manning, meanwhile, went 28-of-41 for 312 yards, four touchdowns, and 1 interception. But Romo and the Cowboys had the last laugh.
Cowboys 24, Giants 17, in the 2012 season
The 2012 season opener between the Cowboys and the Giants carried significant attention because the Giants were coming after beating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl just months ago, while Dallas was entering the matchup under pressure after missing the playoffs in 2011 following a loss to New York in a de facto NFC East title game.
For Dallas, the game was viewed as a revenge opportunity, a statement game from Tony Romo, and an early test for Jason Garrett’s Cowboys. For New York, it was supposed to be a celebratory banner-night atmosphere.
The first quarter ended scoreless in a surprisingly defensive start. The Giants finally scored first in the second quarter on a 22-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal after Dallas struggled offensively early. But the momentum shifted later in the half when Romo led a 78-yard drive and found an unlikely target, Kevin Ogletree, for a 10-yard touchdown pass that gave Dallas a 7-3 lead entering halftime.
Then came the breakout moment of the night. Early in the third quarter, Romo hit Ogletree again, this time for a 40-yard touchdown after the receiver beat Corey Webster badly in coverage. Dallas led 14-3. The Giants answered with Ahmad Bradshaw’s 10-yard rushing touchdown, but Dallas continued controlling the game.
Dan Bailey added a field goal, and Romo later connected with Miles Austin for a 34-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 24-10. Eli Manning tried to rally New York late, throwing a touchdown to former Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett with under three minutes left. But Dallas closed the game out when Romo converted a critical late third down with another clutch throw to Ogletree.
While Romo finished with 22-of-29 for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns, Ogletree became the surprise star as he grabbed 8 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. For comparison, he entered the game with only 25 career receptions and zero touchdowns.
Manning, meanwhile, struggled as the Cowboys’ defense dominated and sacked him three times, pressured him consistently, and limited the Giants to 269 total yards. The Giants never fully established rhythm offensively despite Manning eventually throwing for over 200 yards.
Cowboys 36, Giants 31, in the 2013 season
Dallas and New York entered the 2013 season opener under pressure after Dallas finished 8-8 the previous season, while New York was trying to bounce back from missing the playoffs in 2012 despite winning the Super Bowl the year before. And the game started disastrously for the Giants.
On the very first offensive snap of New York’s season, Eli Manning threw a screen pass that was intercepted by DeMarcus Ware. The Giants turned the ball over on each of their first three possessions through Manning’s interception, David Wilson’s fumble, and another Manning interception. Yet Dallas failed to fully capitalize early.
Then Victor Cruz exploded.
Just before halftime, Manning connected with Cruz on a 70-yard touchdown that cut Dallas’ lead to three. At the same time, Tony Romo took a massive rib shot late in the second quarter and briefly left the game after getting the wind knocked out of him. Backup Kyle Orton entered for the final play of the half.
There was concern Romo would not return, but he came back after halftime and helped Dallas regain control. Early in the third quarter, Wilson fumbled again after a hit from Nick Hayden. Barry Church recovered the ball and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-10 Dallas.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ special teams made things even worse. Return man Trumaine McBride accidentally got hit by a punt while trying to block. Dallas recovered the muffed punt deep in Giants territory, and two plays later, Romo found Jason Witten for another touchdown. Dallas suddenly led 27-10.
Still, Cruz kept New York alive.
Despite all the mistakes, the Giants kept coming back because Manning and Cruz were nearly unstoppable through the air. Cruz caught touchdowns from 70, 18, and 10 yards out. By the fourth quarter, New York had cut the score to 30-24 and had real momentum. But it did not last.
With under two minutes remaining and the Giants driving, Manning threw a short pass intended for Da’Rel Scott. The ball bounced off Scott’s hands directly to Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr, who returned the interception 49 yards for a touchdown. It became Dallas’ second defensive touchdown of the night and effectively sealed the 36-31 win.
Cowboys, 27, Giants 26, in the 2015 season
The Cowboys entered the 2015 season coming off a 12-4 campaign, though there were lingering concerns surrounding Tony Romo’s health. The Giants, meanwhile, were trying to recover from back-to-back losing seasons under Tom Coughlin.
Dallas opened the scoring with a Dan Bailey field goal after a long 17-play drive. New York answered with a field goal of its own, and the two teams traded momentum throughout the first half. Romo connected early with Jason Witten for a touchdown, while Eli Manning kept the Giants in the game with a series of efficient passing drives. By halftime, New York carried a narrow 13-6 lead.
In the third quarter, Dallas finally found its rhythm when Romo engineered a nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that gave the Cowboys a 16-13 lead. At the same time, though, Dallas lost Dez Bryant to a foot injury that would sideline him for several weeks.
New York continued taking advantage of Dallas mistakes. In the fourth quarter, Romo threw an interception to Trumaine McBride at the Cowboys’ 20-yard line, helping the Giants maintain control of the game. Still, Dallas responded with a six-play, 76-yard touchdown drive. Even then, New York remained ahead entering the final moments.
Then came the sequence everyone still remembers.
With under two minutes remaining, the Giants had the ball at the Dallas 1-yard line. Instead of forcing the Cowboys to burn more clock, New York called a pass play on third down. Manning’s throw fell incomplete, stopping the clock. The Giants settled for a Josh Brown field goal, giving Dallas one final opportunity while trailing 26-20.
From there, Romo took over. With 1:27 left, Dallas marched 72 yards down the field as Romo delivered multiple clutch completions before eventually finding Witten for an 11-yard touchdown with seven seconds remaining. The Cowboys converted the extra point and escaped with the win.
Giants 20, Cowboys 19, in the 2016 season
The 2016 season opener between the Cowboys and Giants marked the beginning of a new era in Dallas after Dak Prescott took over following Tony Romo’s preseason back injury. The game featured Prescott’s NFL debut, Ezekiel Elliott’s NFL debut, Victor Cruz’s first regular-season appearance in nearly two years after multiple injuries, and the first game of Ben McAdoo’s tenure as Giants head coach.
New York controlled most of the first half defensively. Dallas repeatedly struggled to finish drives and settled for three field goals, while a touchdown catch by Dez Bryant was overturned after review. Prescott showed composure early, but the Cowboys consistently stalled in scoring territory, allowing the Giants to carry a 13-9 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Elliott scored his first NFL touchdown on a short rushing attempt to briefly give Dallas the lead. But the biggest storyline of the night quickly became Cruz’s return.
Late in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning connected with Cruz for a touchdown that ultimately became the game-winner. After the score, Cruz celebrated with his signature salsa dance in a moment that instantly became one of the defining images of the night.
The ending, though, is still remembered because of one costly mistake by Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams. On Dallas’ final play, Williams caught a pass near the sideline that moved the Cowboys close to field-goal range. But instead of stepping out of bounds, he stayed in bounds while trying to gain extra yards. The clock expired before Dallas could run another play, ending the game immediately as the Giants escaped with a 20-19 win and handed Prescott his first career loss as a starter.
Cowboys 19, Giants 3, in the 2017 season
The 2017 season opener between the Cowboys and Giants became one of the league’s most-watched games, drawing more than 24 million viewers. Dallas controlled the game from start to finish, especially defensively. In the first half, the Cowboys’ offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage while Dak Prescott methodically moved the offense downfield. Dallas consistently sustained long drives, though it struggled to finish possessions with touchdowns.
Dan Bailey opened the scoring with a 21-yard field goal before later adding another from 48 yards out to give Dallas a 6-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Giants’ offense could barely stay on the field during the first half. New York managed just 49 total yards before halftime and did not record a first down until midway through the second quarter.
In the second half, Eli Manning finally led a 16-play, 68-yard drive that drained more than nine minutes off the clock, but it ultimately ended with only a field goal. Those turned out to be New York’s only points of the night as Dallas’ defense completely took over.
The Cowboys held the Giants to just 35 rushing yards and only 233 total yards overall while consistently controlling field position throughout the game. By the end of the night, Dallas had limited New York to only three points as Prescott guided the Cowboys to a convincing 19-3 victory
Cowboys 35, Giants 17, in the 2019 season
The Cowboys entered the 2019 season with Kellen Moore taking over as offensive coordinator, Dak Prescott dealing with looming contract negotiations, and Jason Witten returning from retirement. The Giants, meanwhile, were entering a transition phase with Eli Manning still starting while rookie Daniel Jones waited in the background.
New York opened the game impressively when Saquon Barkley broke loose for a 59-yard run on the opening drive, setting up Manning’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram that gave the Giants an early 7-0 lead. But Dallas quickly answered, as Prescott connected with Blake Jarwin on a 28-yard touchdown down the seam to tie the game 7-7.
Late in the second quarter, Prescott then found Amari Cooper for a 21-yard touchdown after Cooper beat the Giants’ secondary deep downfield. After surrendering the opening touchdown, Dallas responded with 21 unanswered points before halftime and never really looked back.
The Giants briefly trimmed the deficit to 21-10 with a field goal, but Dallas immediately answered again. Prescott connected with Randall Cobb for a 25-yard touchdown before later finding Ezekiel Elliott for another score from 10 yards out. Prescott finished the afternoon completing 25 of 32 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns, leading Dallas to a convincing 35-17 victory.
Cowboys 40, Giants 0, in the 2023 season
The 2023 season opener between the Giants and Cowboys turned into one of the most lopsided games in the history of the rivalry, as Dallas dismantled New York 40-0. On the Giants’ opening drive, New York moved into field-goal range, but the Cowboys blocked Graham Gano’s field-goal attempt. Dallas cornerback Noah Igbinoghene returned the blocked kick 58 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cowboys an early 7-0 lead.
Dallas’ defense completely overwhelmed Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offensive line throughout the night. The Cowboys recorded seven sacks, forced three turnovers, and held New York scoreless. Jones struggled heavily under pressure, finishing 15-of-28 for just 104 passing yards, two interceptions, and seven sacks.
The Cowboys’ offense, meanwhile, played efficiently as well. Dak Prescott did not need huge numbers because the defense controlled the game from the start. He finished 13-of-24 for 143 yards, while Tony Pollard led the rushing attack with 70 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. Heavy rain also impacted the game throughout the night, with players struggling for footing while the slippery football and worsening visibility created difficult conditions.
By the end of the night, the Giants had suffered a humiliating 40-0 defeat. Fast forward to now, and since 2006, Dallas and New York have faced each other in Week 1 eight times, with the Cowboys holding a dominant 7-1 edge in those matchups.
That said, while the NFL is still set to officially announce the 2026 schedule, it has already been confirmed that the Cowboys and Giants will once again meet in the season opener on Sunday Night Football this September. It will mark their ninth Week 1 meeting since 2006. Whether Dallas extends that advantage to 8-1 or New York finally cuts the gap to 7-2 is something we will find out soon enough.
