John Harbaugh's Giants on full display in bruising win over Cowboys to kick off NFL season

For months, the talk throughout the tri-state area had been about this new era for the New York Giants.

How could it not be, as John Harbaugh, after almost two decades with the Baltimore Ravens, signed on as the next Giants head coach. It was a post he said he felt pride assuming, understanding the expectations and pedigree he was supposed to bring back to a prestigious franchise that had been reeling until his arrival.

Well, the Harbaugh era kicked off in the best way possible for Giants fans on Sunday night, as they took down the Dallas Cowboys, 28-20, in the hard-nosed fashion that was to be expected with this new regime.

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Isaiah Likely celebrates a touchdown with Malik Nabers during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sept. 13, 2026. (Getty Images)

From the very beginning, the Giants’ defense forced a three-and-out and got a sold-out MetLife Stadium crowd on their feet as Jaxson Dart and company took the field for the first time in 2026. What ensued was a 10-play, 83-yard drive that took 6:13 off the first-quarter clock and resulted in a Cam Skattebo touchdown.

While Harbaugh may not have enjoyed Skattebo’s celebratory backflip, the 7-0 lead on the opening drive was exactly what this coaching staff wanted to see with its top offensive weapons out there for the first time this season.

Long drives were a theme for the Giants in this game, as they used a bruising run game, and some creative play-calls that came at the right time, to fluster the Cowboys’ defense, which was supposed to be an improved unit this season.

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Instead, it looked like the Cowboys defense from last season, which struggled to match the power of the offense.

The Giants converted nine of its 11 third downs in this game, and though the Cowboys had eight of their 11 third downs that moved the chains, New York’s came at the right time it seemed on each drive as they methodically moved downfield to set themselves up for scores.

And two of those touchdowns came from Harbaugh’s past with the Ravens.

Isaiah Likely proved to be the catalyst many believed he could for the Giants this season, hauling in two of Dart’s 3 touchdown passes as he finished with a game-high 78 yards on eight receptions.

Head coach John Harbaugh of the New York Giants reacts during the second quarter of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Getty Images)

CAM SKATTEBO HORRIFIES GIANTS FANS BY ATTEMPTING A BACKFLIP DESPITE COMING OFF A LEG INJURY

Just behind him, though, was Malik Nabers, whom the Giants made sure to be cautious with up until gametime this week. Nabers suffered a torn ACL and more in Week 4 last season, and though he has been without a non-contact uniform during practice, Harbaugh wouldn’t tell anyone if he’d play on Sunday night.

Nabers got two thumbs up from trainers before the game, and after being deemed active, he finished with six catches for 69 yards in his return to the Giants, which led to smiles from himself, his teammates and coaches, and all 80,000-plus fans in the stands.

The night would’ve been wrapped up in a bow if Odell Beckham Jr. notched a statistic for the Giants, but that will have to wait for the coming weeks. Beckham, who made the 53-man roster out of training camp, was active but never saw a pass from Dart.

One of the reasons? The Harbaugh effect . A ground-and-pound, tough, physical run game that saw 37 carries that featured creatively from offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and run game coordinator Greg Roman that resulted in 165 rushing yards as a team compared to the Cowboys’ 69.

Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants directs his team during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Getty Images)

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It’s one thing to think about what a new regime could look like before a season starts, but Harbaugh’s preaching about being a team that resembled the Giants of old that he grew up watching seemed to come to fruition, at least in some respect, on Sunday night in East Rutherford, New Jersey.