John Harbaugh’s NFL Debut with the Giants

He’s here to turn the franchise around, but it’s important to note he’s not the franchise itself.

This marks John Harbaugh’s 19th season opener in the NFL, yet it’s his first time leading the Giants. While he’s well-aware of the team’s rich history, he has yet to become part of it.

The Giants-Cowboys rivalry brings up a flood of memories and emotions for those who have experienced the highs and lows of these annual NFC East clashes. However, Harbaugh enters Sunday night’s game as the new head coach with a clean slate regarding this storied match-up.

“It’s my first time being part of this rivalry,” he noted.

Indeed, it is. As the game progresses, Harbaugh will likely develop a deeper appreciation for the intensity of the Giants-Cowboys rivalry. Fans at MetLife Stadium will buzz with anticipation, as he’s now at the helm of their football operations. Envisioning the possibilities, many fans hope that this proven winner—who has one Super Bowl victory and 12 postseason appearances in 18 seasons with the Ravens—can rejuvenate a team and a fan base that have endured a rough stretch since the Giants last won the Lombardi Trophy 14 years ago.

During that time, they experienced ten seasons with ten or more losses. Harbaugh is, remarkably, the sixth head coach—eighth if you include interim coaches Steve Spagnuolo in 2017 and Mike Kafka in 2025—tasked with steering the Giants back to success. His five-year, $100 million contract certainly indicates management’s commitment to him leading this organization top to bottom.

“This feels like a big game, especially since it’s against a division rival,” Harbaugh said, expressing his excitement.

He continued, “It’s the first time for me—and some of my teammates and coaches—in that stadium for a regular season game. I’m really looking forward to it. But I also know that we need to keep perspective. It’s just a football game, and we must operate effectively, make good decisions, and perform to the best of our abilities.”

Harbaugh faces the challenge of changing a troubling trend.

This matchup marks the 12th time the Giants and Cowboys have faced off in Week 1, with Dallas leading the previous meetings 10-1. The Cowboys have claimed victory in the last three encounters—2017 (19-3), 2019 (35-17), and 2023 (40-0) — none of which were particularly close.

This game is also one of four nationally televised primetime matchups for the Giants, which is quite a shift for a team that has struggled, going 7-27 in the last two years.

This change suggests confidence in Harbaugh’s ability to revitalize a team worth watching.

“Reflecting on how we started this journey, I feel two things,” Harbaugh mentioned. “On one hand, it seems like it has taken a long time to get here, and on the other, it feels like it went by in a flash. I’m not sure how that works. Time is a strange and fascinating thing, and somehow it feels both ways at once.”

He added, “Despite that, everyone has worked incredibly hard. There’s been so much that has led us to this point, and now we get a chance to see what we’ve accomplished together—then we’ll move forward from there.”

For the entire Giants organization, it would be a big boost if they could come away from Week 1 with a significant victory in the division. There will surely be a mix of emotions for Harbaugh as he takes the field for the first time with his new team.

“I doubt I’ll lose my composure and start crying on the sidelines or anything,” he joked. “But it’s definitely going to mean a lot to me.”