Jaxson Dart, Giants Dismiss Cowboys For 28-20 Win To Open John Harbaugh Era

It didn’t take very long for the Giants to start looking like a John Harbaugh-coached team.

Jaxson Dart passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns as Big Blue opened up their 2026 season with an impressive 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. New York played disciplined football, frustrating the Cowboys by sustaining drives all evening.

The Giants moved the ball well on their first possession, as they drove 63 yards to take an early lead on Cam Skattebo’s three-yard touchdown run.

Dallas hit back and tied the score with 5:44 remaining on Dak Prescott’s one-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb. However, a pair of Dart touchdown passes to tight end Isaiah Likely on either side of halftime gave New York a 21-7 lead midway through the third quarter.

Javonte Williams rushed for a one-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-14, but the Giants put together another time-consuming drive in the fourth quarter and Dart’s third touchdown pass, this time to Devin Singletary, restored their two-score advantage.

Williams scored again to make it 28-20, this time on a 17-yard pass from Prescott. However, the Giants were able to run out the clock on their final possession to ice the win.

Here are the takeaways...

- Having both suffered serious injuries last season, the Giants were uncertain whether they would have Skattebo and Malik Nabers back to start this season, and Nabers’ status was still up in the air over the past few days. However, each made an impact in this game, with Skattebo rushing for 81 yards and a score and Nabers catching six passes for 69 yards. Getting back to game action was an important hurdle for Nabers to clear, and he’s already starting to establish some good chemistry with Dart.

- Likely, who led the Giants with eight receptions, is also already establishing himself as a favorite target for Dart, and the Giants dialed up some creative ways to get him involved. In addition to his two touchdowns, one of which came on a blown coverage, Likely had two clutch third-down conversions on the fourth-quarter drive that iced the win.

- The Giants’ cornerback issues continued to haunt them on Sunday night, as Dru Phillips was flagged three times for pass interference. Greg Newsome also had a 38-yard pass interference penalty on a deep ball and was beaten deep one other time, only for George Pickens to drop the pass. Deonte Banks, who claimed Paulson Abedo’s starting job in the offseason, got beaten on the Lamb touchdown, but that was arguably a push-off, and he otherwise held up well.

- In his NFL debut, linebacker Arvell Reese had a few impressive moments, including a tackle for loss in the flat, although he appeared to blow the coverage on Williams’ second touchdown. Reese’s impact on New York’s pass rush hasn’t really manifested itself so far, as they didn’t register any sacks on Prescott.

- The Giants’ other first-round rookie, right guard Francis Mauigoa, also acquitted himself well. He contributed well to the Giants’ rushing attack, which racked up 165 yards, including on a couple of impressive pulling blocks. He also had a clean game in pass protection.

- New York left some points on the field in the second quarter when Tyrone Tracy lost another fumble. The frustration on Harbaugh’s face after Quinnen Williams had punched the ball out was telling, and he unsurprisingly didn’t get any touches the rest of the way. Tracy is potentially playing himself off the team due to his inconsistency, and Singletary seems to be the biggest beneficiary.

- The Giants’ defense responded well to Tracy’s turnover, coming up with one of their own on Jevon Holland’s sliding interception. Prescott seemed to be trying to throw the ball away on the play, having been flushed from the pocket. The Giants were lucky not to lose the turnover battle though, because Dart, Skattebo and Likely all also fumbled, with New York recovering the loose ball each time.

Game MVP – Giants QB Jaxson Dart

Dart already looks completely at home in Matt Nagy’s offense, putting together one of the best performances of his career so far. He was accurate, made good decisions and was still a threat with his legs, accounting for another 54 yards as a rusher. Notably, he was smarter than he has been in the past in terms of avoiding big hits, a welcome sight for Giants coaches, teammates, and fans alike.

Highlights

DART AROUND THE EDGE! pic.twitter.com/MdNPJR6kpU

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 14, 2026

CAM SKATTEBO FOR A GIANTS TOUCHDOWN!

And a backflip! ???? pic.twitter.com/Mqd2BCZsoM

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 14, 2026

Jevon Holland with the pick! pic.twitter.com/6vrF92zITP

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 14, 2026

ISAIAH LIKELY WIDE OPEN FOR THE TD! pic.twitter.com/KivqcMsqoA

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 14, 2026

The end zone is a Likely place to find Isaiah ???? pic.twitter.com/j3awCIPRqV

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 14, 2026

THE DEVIN SINGLETARY DRIVE!

GIANTS TOUCHDOWN! pic.twitter.com/NYbZadYWwX

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 14, 2026

What's next

New York will look to improve to 2-0 when they travel across the country to face the Los Angeles Rams - fresh off their loss against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia - for an 8:15 kickoff on Monday Night Football.