The Giants Kick Off the Season with New Leadership

The start of the season features both familiar faces and fresh leadership for the Giants. John Harbaugh takes the helm on Sunday Night Football as they face off against the Cowboys on September 13th at 8:20 p.m.

This matchup has become something of an unofficial tradition, though it generally occurs in Dallas more often than in East Rutherford.

Interestingly, the Giants have played the Cowboys in Week 1 several times: in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and now in 2023. Remarkably, five of those games unfolded at AT&T Stadium.

Even when they’re not matched up in Week 1, the Giants and Cowboys tend to meet in September—this will occur in 2022, 2024, and 2025 as well.

Fans of the Giants, however, are still reeling from the disappointing start last season. High hopes were dashed when they were crushed at home by the Cowboys, losing 40-0. To make matters worse, standout left tackle Andrew Thomas suffered a hamstring injury while chasing down a blocked field goal, sidelining him for months and significantly affecting the team’s performance.

It’s worth noting this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Giants’ Super Bowl XXI victory. Interestingly, they didn’t request a home game for the season opener this time. Their last victory at the beginning of a season was against the Titans in 2022, which had its own narrative twist as former coach Brian Daboll returned to the league as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator. The Titans even brought in several former Giants as starters during free agency, making that matchup quite intriguing.

Coach Harbaugh faces the daunting task of reversing some troubling trends for the team. In their last 15 games, the Giants have only managed to win two, with a particularly dismal record of 1-8 since 2017.

Moreover, they stand at 7-22-1 within the NFC East over the previous five seasons—definitely not a record to be proud of.

While the bulk of the NFL schedule will be announced on Thursday, it’s possible the Giants could be included in prime-time games or even international matchups that are revealed beforehand.

In a fun twist for local sports fans, the Mets are set to visit Yankee Stadium for the Subway Series on September 13 at 1:35 p.m., although the exact kickoff time for the Jets’ season opener remains a mystery.