Mike McCarthy discusses importance of Cowboys' Week 1 game versus New York Giants

The Dallas Cowboys kick off the regular season against the New York Giants on Sunday night on the road. Winning the game is Step 1 in Mike McCarthy’s 17-step plan to make it back to the NFL playoffs and it’s a pretty important one. Beating an NFC East rival early in the season would put Dallas on the right track to challenge the Eagles for the division again this year.

During his press conference on Monday, McCarthy discussed the importance of beating New York.

“It’s Week 1, it’s a division game,” McCarthy said. “These division games are so important, usually affects your playoff opportunities. We’ve had extra time for the Giants. They have the same coordinators coming back. We think we have a good idea of what to expect. But this is game one, winning that first game, especially on the road, feels a bit tougher.”

New York returns many of their key pieces on offense and defense, and, as McCarthy mentioned, their coaching remained in place, but, even so, the Giants will bring looks into the game the Cowboys have never seen before.

To account for the unpredictability in a Week 1 matchup, the Cowboys are going to lean on their basics and focus on establishing their own identity for the year.

“I think we’re going to come out and establish the things that we feel will be successful,” McCarthy said. ‘Execution is key. You normally have comparables but no one’s done anything. There’s reputation, it doesn’t mean much. Thirty-five percent of these plays in the first four weeks will be unscouted looks, something that’s different than what we’ve seen on film. We have to trust our training camp rules. Take care of the basics.”

Cowboys favorited in Week 1 versus New York

The Cowboys are a 3.5-point favorite over the Giants, despite traveling to face them. Dallas won both matchups against New York Last season. First, they won 23-16 in Week 3 action on the road. Then, they beat the Giants again at AT&T Stadium 28-20 in Week 12.

After the Week 1 game, the Cowboys will see the Giants again in Week 10 after another divisional matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“This is a super competitive division,” McCarthy said Monday of the NFC East. “I think all four teams have the opportunity to be in the playoff hunt.”

For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott is suiting up for his eighth season in the league. He’s led Dallas to back-to-back 12-5 finishes over the past two seasons and battled injuries along the way. Meanwhile, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones enters Year 5. He posted career-highs in yardage and completion percentage last season while taking New York to a 9-7-1 finish.