Cowboys football is back, and it kicks off Sunday Night in an NFC East showdown. Dallas begins their season with a divisional matchup with the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Both teams made the NFC Divisional round last season before being knocked out of the playoffs. Daniel Jones and the Giants have added weapons on offense like Darren Waller and Jalin Hyatt. However, the Cowboys finally get a look at their offseason acquisitions of Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore. Here are the 10 most notable 'big facts' to remember ahead of Sunday's 7:20 CT kickoff on NBC.
Giant Slayer
Dak is 10-0 vs Giants since 2017 after going 0-2 as a rookie in 2016. With a win, Prescott would equal Roger Staubach (11) for the most consecutive wins against the Giants since 1950. In the last 10 games, Prescott has helped average 30.7 points and 275.7 passing yards a game, along with 22 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions.
League-Leading Dak
In 2022, the Cowboys led the NFL in PPG with Dak Prescott as a starter after his return from injury. Dallas put up 30.0 points per game after Week 7, marking the third straight year that a Prescott-led offense was the highest scoring among starting quarterbacks (min. 200 attempts).
Barking Up the Right Tree
Last season, the Giants ranked fourth in rushing yards per game (148.2) and rushing touchdowns (21). Saquon Barkley led the way with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 scores, while ranking in the top-5 among running backs in carries, rush yards, and scrimmage yards.
One has to give
The Giants had the fewest defensive interceptions in the NFL last season with six. It was also the fewest in Giants history. Two of their picks came off Dak Prescott, who was tied for the team lead in interceptions thrown last season. Both picks came in the Week 12 Cowboys-Giants matchup, won by the Cowboys.
Next Step for Parsons?
Micah Parsons led the NFL with 90 quarterback pressures in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus. However, he only improved his sack total from 13.0 to 13.5 in his second season. Parsons has the fifth-most sacks in a player's first two seasons all-time behind just Aldon Smith, Derrick Thomas, Von Miller, and Shawne Merriman.
Let Him Cooks
Brandin Cooks enters 2023 with six 1,000-yard receiving seasons, only Mike Evans and Travis Kelce have more 1,000-yard seasons since 2015. By hitting the 1,000-yard mark this season, Cooks would become the first player in NFL history to reach the milestone with five different teams.
Elite Tight End Addition
Giants tight end Darren Waller has ranked third in the NFL for targets, receptions, and receiving yards at the position since taking over as a full-time starter in 2019. Only Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews have more in those categories. Waller was added this offseason from the Las Vegas Raiders.
On the Road Again
Dallas suffered four of their five losses in 2022 on the road. In these games, the Cowboys averaged 5.4 less points per game than they did at home. And they barely finished positive with a +1 turnover differential opposed to a +9 mark at AT&T Stadium.
Time to Diggs Deep Again
Trevon Diggs leads the NFL with 14 interceptions and 35 pass breakups since 2021. However, he is currently on a 10-game interception drought, the longest of his career. His last pick was in Week 7 of 2022 against the Lions.
Top-3 Dual Threat QB?
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was one of three quarterbacks lase season with over 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. Jones put together a career-year in 2022, finishing with new career-highs in completion percentage, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.
