The New York Giants opened the 2026 season with a shootout victory, holding off the Dallas Cowboys 48-36 at MetLife Stadium. In a Week 1 divisional matchup that produced 84 combined points, New York set the tone early and never surrendered the lead for good. For a franchise looking to establish itself in the NFC East, it was the kind of statement start that changes expectations in a hurry. Jaxson Dart was the engine of it all, carving up the Dallas secondary for 408 yards and five touchdown passes in a performance that announced itself from the opening drive. Darius Slayton was the primary beneficiary, torching the Cowboys for 217 receiving yards and consistently turning short throws into explosive gains down the sideline. Cam Skattebo added 18 yards on the ground to keep the Cowboys honest, but this was an aerial show from start to finish. Dallas kept pace for stretches, yet never found an answer for the Dart-to-Slayton connection. Defensively, the Cowboys had their moments without ever landing the knockout blow. Rashan Gary was a persistent problem off the edge, finishing with 1.5 sacks, and Bobby Okereke came away with the game's lone interception to give Dallas a brief window back into it. But New York's Tremaine Edmunds led all tacklers with five stops, and the Giants defense did just enough to keep the Cowboys chasing. The turning point came when Dallas couldn't convert that Okereke takeaway into a lead change, and Dart answered with another scoring strike to push the margin back out of reach.