John Harbaugh’s first game as the Giants’ head coach is set to be a captivating matchup. The Giants will kick off the 2026 season with a nationally televised Sunday night game on NBC, facing the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on September 13 at 8:20 p.m. ET.
The full NFL regular-season schedule is expected to be released Thursday night, but individual matchups have been trickling out through reports and official announcements. On Monday, the Giants confirmed their Week 1 opponent. Like every other team, the Giants have known their home and away opponents since the end of last season; this week simply reveals the order and exact dates.
The Giants are aiming to reverse a troubling trend of slow starts. In 2025, they lost 21-6 at Washington in Week 1; in 2024, they fell 28-6 to the Vikings at home; and in 2023, they were crushed 40-0 by the Cowboys at home. New York’s most recent Week 1 victory came in 2022, when they beat the Titans 21-20 on the road in Brian Daboll’s coaching debut.
Harbaugh will now look to duplicate that opening‑day success, but he faces a tough challenge against Dak Prescott and a Cowboys team that has dominated the series in recent years. The Giants finished the 2025 season with a 4-13 record, though they did close the year with a home win over Dallas in Week 18. Prior to that win, New York had lost nine consecutive games (and 16 of the previous 17) to the Cowboys. The Giants have also dropped nine straight games in Dallas since their last win there in 2016.
Beyond Week 1, the Giants’ 2026 home schedule includes the Cardinals, Browns, Jaguars, Saints, 49ers, and Titans, in addition to the division rival Cowboys, Commanders, and Eagles. Their road schedule features the Lions, Texans, Colts, Rams, and Seahawks.
The Week 1 Cowboys‑Giants clash marks the eighth time in a 15‑season span that these two teams have opened the season against each other. With the game at MetLife Stadium, a raucous crowd is expected in East Rutherford as Harbaugh makes his debut.