The Dallas Cowboys will return to AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon for their 2025 home opener against the New York Giants, as they search for their first win under head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Ten days removed from a 24-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to open the NFL season, the Cowboys will use the extra rest to try and take down another 0-1 team in the Giants. Unfortunately for New York, a lot of unknowns still remain about what the team has going on at quarterback, head coach and in the front office.
For the Cowboys, it’s hard to say any game this early in the season is a “must-win,” but this is about as close as it gets. In the past five seasons, eight NFL teams have started the season 0-2 against divisional opponents in the first two weeks of the season. In all eight instances, those teams missed the playoffs.
Here are the five storylines to monitor going into Sunday’s noon kickoff:
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) has won 13 straight games against the New York Giants. He goes for No. 14 on Sunday. Tim Heitman USA TODAY NETWORK
Dak on the brink of NFL history
Only two quarterbacks in NFL history can claim dominance over one team like Dak Prescott can over the Giants.
Entering Sunday’s contest, Prescott is riding a 13-game winning streak against the Giants dating all the way back to his second season in the NFL in 2017. He is tied with Tom Brady for the second-longest such streak in NFL history over any one team, as Brady strung together 13 consecutive wins over the Buffalo Bills from 2003 to 2010. With a win Sunday, Prescott can stand alone in second place.
“I hope to keep that going,” Prescott said with a laugh. “I’m studying, preparing and doing everything I can to make sure I keep that going.”
Former Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese holds the NFL record for consecutive wins over one team as a quarterback with 17 straight victories over the Buffalo Bills from 1968 to 1979.
No DaRon Bland; who is Reddy?
New year, same injury problems in the cornerback room.
The Cowboys secondary barely returned Trevon Diggs in time for the season opener, and now the group will head into Week 2 with another injury to account for. In Monday’s practice, DaRon Bland — who signed a four-year, $92 million extension before the season — sprained his left foot/ankle. He will not play in Sunday’s game and could miss the Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
“He’s obviously a great player,” defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said. “He’ll be working with the medical staff. ... I do know that we have guys that are ready to play in there at the nickel spot, but we’re also looking at different personnel groups that can slide in there and take some of those reps.”
The Cowboys are expected to turn to the newly acquired Reddy Steward to fill Bland’s role as the starting nickel cornerback. Steward had one game of NFL experience from his rookie season in 2024 playing for Eberflus in Chicago before he was claimed on waivers by the Cowboys on Aug. 27 after not making the 53-man roster for the Minnesota Vikings.
“I got to be the next man up,” Steward said. “And just getting acclimated to the playbook. It’s just football.”
Undrafted rookie Zion Childress is expected to be elevated from the practice squad for depth at the position in what would be his NFL debut.
Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterback Russell Wilson (3) pose for a photo after a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 30, 2018, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Steven Bisig USA TODAY NETWORK
Schottenheimer-Wilson reunion
For the first time since Schottenheimer departed Seattle as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, he will face off against his former quarterback in Russell Wilson, whom he called plays for from 2018 to 2020.
“One of the greatest deep-ball throwers I’ve ever been around,” Schottenheimer said. “The ability to extend plays when I was with him was a great quality. ... If you can’t move around and make plays in this league, you’re done. I’m excited to see Russ.”
Despite strong seasons, including a 2020 campaign that saw the Seahawks set the franchise record for points, Schottenheimer was fired after his final year in Seattle because of “philosophical differences” and a poor finish to a year that had high expectations.
Schottenheimer has maintained a close relationship with Wilson in their years apart and is looking forward to a pregame reunion with the 10-time Pro Bowler.
CeeDee Lamb vs. Dru Phillips
While battling a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder throughout the back-half of the 2024 season, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb took a hard tackle from Giants cornerback Dru Phillips on a play where the ball was not in the vicinity of the collision.
Lamb landed directly on his injured shoulder and did not return to the team’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Giants. He would tough out the injury for three more weeks before landing on the injured reserve and missing the final two games of the season.
Ten months after taking the hard hit from Phillips, he remembers the play well heading back into their first matchup since the collision.
“He tackled me and hurt me,” Lamb said. “So I got something for him, for sure.”
First look at Abdul Carter
After finishing the season 4-13 in 2024, the Giants landed the No. 3 overall selection in the NFL draft and used the high draft capital on Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter.
Widely considered the best pass rusher in the draft, Carter backed up that sentiment by leading all rookies in Week 1 with four quarterback pressures.
Carter could be asked to tap into his versatility with a role in the second level Sunday, as the Giants could be without starting linebacker Micah McFadden. Regardless, Sunday will be Dallas’ introduction to Carter’s presence along a defensive line that also features Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.