5 things to watch as Giants face Cowboys in Week 1 of 2023 NFL season

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones hands the ball off to running back Saquon Barkley. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants open the regular season on Sunday night, as they host the Dallas Cowboys.

After posting a winning record in 2022 and advancing to the second round of the playoffs, head coach Brian Daboll and Big Blue will be eager to build on this success. They’ve made some key acquisitions and have plenty of young players who could step up and make an impact, but Sunday night’s game could set the tone for the whole season.

Here are some of the biggest stories to watch as the Giants look to kick off their season with a win…

Can the Giants finally end the Cowboys’ recent dominance over them?

The Giants won just one divisional contest last season and, with a tougher schedule, they’ll probably need to improve upon that if they’re going to make the postseason again. However, wins over the Cowboys have proved elusive in recent years with the Giants having beaten them just once in their past 12 meetings.

Dallas beat the Giants by seven and eight points in the two meetings last season, but these games weren’t as close at the score would suggest because it was a two-possession game until late in the fourth quarter each time. Can the Giants ride the home field advantage in this first game to get a jump on their divisional rivals?

Will the Giants be able to protect Daniel Jones?

Dallas has an excellent pass rush, led by All-Pro Micah Parsons, who had 13.5 sacks last season. In the first meeting between the teams last year, Jones was under constant pressure and ended up being sacked five times. While the Giants did a much better job of protecting him in the rematch, he was still sacked three times.

Right tackle Evan Neal will be important to the Giants’ pass protection this year. He had some struggles during his rookie season but showed progress from midseason onwards. If the Giants can rely on him to be more consistent in his second season, that…

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