Sunday Night Football highlights: Cowboys rout Giants in NFC East showdown

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants opening their seasons in prime time on "Sunday Night Football" is nothing out of the ordinary.

Neither is the Cowboys manhandling the Giants on those occasions.

Dallas marched into the MetLife Stadium and let New York beat itself over and over on the way to a 40-0 victory. By the start of the fourth quarter, with the rain and the home team’s performance driving the crowd away, “Let’s Go Cowboys!” chants filled the stadium. 

It was the fifth time since 2007 the two teams have played Week 1 on “Sunday Night Football.” Dallas has now won in four of those instances. In the 12 times the two teams have competed to start a campaign, the Cowboys have won all but once. Dallas has won five in a row against New York and have won 12 of the last 13 against their NFC East rival.

On Sunday, the Giants simply could not get out of their own way, and the Cowboys were happy for that to be the case. 

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Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has thrown more touchdowns against the Giants (23) than any other team in the league, and he didn’t need to add to that total in the blowout win. Contributions and scoring on special teams and defense, plus a pair of short-yardage touchdowns from running back Tony Pollard (14 rushes, 70 yards), made that possible. Kavontae Turpin also had a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on the 40-point beatdown. 

Prescott was 13-for-24 for 143 yards, 49 of which came on a connection with CeeDee Lamb in the first quarter that set up a field goal. 

The Giants drove down the field on the first drive of the game with Jones and running back Saquon Barkley moving the chains with their legs. Inside the red zone, rookie center John Michael Schmitz botched the snap and Jones fell on the ball to recover it. Graham Gano trotted out to attempt a 45-yard field goal, but Juanyeh Thomas pierced through the line of scrimmage to block the kick. Offseason acquisition Noah Igbinoghene scooped the loose ball and returned it 58 yards for the Cowboys’ first score of 2023. 

Trevon Diggs forced his first turnover of the game two drives later by drilling Saquon Barkley as he received a short pass. The ball fell into cornerback Daron Bland’s hands and he waltzed into the end zone to make it 16-0. Diggs later forced a fumble on an Isaiah Hodgins reception that was the Giants’ longest play from scrimmage, only for the ball to wind up in Dallas’ hands again. 

New York never recovered, as the Cowboys pass rush dominated the Giants’ offensive line and had Jones on the run all evening. He finished 15 of 28 with 134 yards (43 rushing yards on 13 attempts) and a 32.4 rating. The Cowboys sacked Jones seven times, with Osa Odighizuwa and Dorance Armstrong racking up two apiece. 

Dating back to the 2022 postseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round, the Giants have been outscored 71-7 in their last two games. They hadn’t been shut out by the Cowboys since Sept. 8, 1996. 

Cowboys-Giants highlights

The Giants’ 40-0 shutout loss was the largest between the teams, topping the Cowboys’ 35-0 win in 1995, also in a season-opener in the Meadowlands. It was also the Cowboys’ biggest shutout victory in any game, topping their 38-0 win over the Baltimore Colts in 1978.

Cowboys 40, Giants 0: KaVontae Turpin makes it a 40-burger

Backup running back KaVontae Turpin scored from seven yards out and the extra point made it 40-0 early in the fourth. In one of the Giants’ most explosive plays all game, Isaiah Hodgins took a slant 24 yards. Trevon Diggs caused his second turnover of the game by punching the ball out, and it was recovered by Israel Mukaumu. 

Cooper Rush replaced Prescott at quarterback on the ensuing drive. — Chris Bumbaca

Family affair: Stefon Diggs in New Jersey to watch brother Trevon

Bills receiver Stefon Diggs and his mother Stephanie were on hand to watch his younger brother, Dallas CB Trevon Diggs, dominate the Giants.

The NFL schedule synched up perfectly for the Diggs family. Both Diggs brothers are playing at the same stadium opening weekend in primetime games. Stefon Diggs and the Bills will take on Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets during a Monday Night Football matchup at MetLife Stadium, home to both the Giants and Jets, one day after the Cowboys face the Giants.

And Trevon is having himself a night. He forced his second career fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Daron Bland. — Cydney Henderson

Dak Prescott's new tattoo honors late mom

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his brother, Tad, got matching tattoos to honor their late mother, Peggy, on Monday according to TMZ Sports.

Prescott's mother passed away in 2013 after a battle with cancer. The two brothers decided to get the tattoo last Monday on what would have been their mother's 62nd birthday. — Jack McKessy

Cowboys 33, Giants 0: Tony Pollard adds another TD

This one is officially a laugher. 

Dallas took the first drive of the second half 75 yards in less than five minutes to go up 33-0.

Tony Pollard broke a 25-yard run to push the Cowboys downfield and his second touchdown of the game from one yard out capped the drive. Dak Prescott is 10 of 18 for 117 yards, and the rain is now falling in droves at MetLife.— Chris Bumbaca

Halftime: Cowboys 26, Giants 0

You wouldn’t believe it by checking the score, but the Giants and Cowboys had the same number of first downs (8) in the first half. Dallas outgained New York, 132-81, though. And the Cowboys led by 26 points after the first 30 minutes.

Four sacks, poorly timed drops, two interceptions and two missed kicks – one a blocked attempt returned for a touchdown – proved costly for the Giants. Dallas’ pass rush has Daniel Jones running for his life every dropback, and the wet conditions aren’t making things any easier. — Chris Bumbaca

Trevon Diggs advises Giants not to ‘throw the ball'

Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs has a message for the Giants: “Do not throw the ball anymore.”

He said as much to his teammates on the sideline after Dallas recorded three takeaways — one by special teams and two by the defense — in the first half of the Cowboys’ divisional matchup against the Giants, according to “NBC Sunday Night Football” reporter Melissa Stark.

Dallas’ defense held Giants QB Daniel Jones, who signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension this offseason, to only 43 passing yards and 30 rushing yards in the first half. He’s been sacked four times so far.

Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said takeaways are “something we pride ourselves on… Taking away the ball is a major priority for us.” — Cydney Henderson

Giants' latest chance at points goes wide left

Only bad things have happened for the Giants in field-goal formation. 

Graham Gano’s 36-yard attempt, on a drive the Giants converted a 4th-and-5 from midfield, sailed wide left and never had a chance to keep Big Blue scoreless with 65 seconds before halftime. — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys 26, Giants 0: All Dallas so far at MetLife Stadium

What looked like another wasted play by the Giants was actually worse. 

As Daniel Jones tried to escape out of bounds and make a throw across his body near the right sideline, with Micah Parsons in hot pursuit, Stephon Gilmore – another offseason edition by general manager Jerry Jones – went low and scraped the ball of the newly-installed MetLife Stadium turf for another Giants turnover. 

Dallas needed five plays to go 38 yards and find the end zone once more when Tony Pollard patiently punched in a two-yard score with 8:03 left in the second. Dallas led 26-0. — Chris Bumbaca 

Cowboys 19: Giants 0: Brandon Aubrey adds another field goal

Aided by a 37-yard pass interference penalty that flipped the field, the Cowboys built on their lead with another Brandon Aubrey field goal (38 yards). Brandin Cooks’ first catch as a member of the Cowboys was a 4th-and-3 conversion over the middle in Giants territory. 

U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff was shown on the stadium's video boards after the drive. — Chris Bumbaca

Rough first quarter for Daniel Jones

At the end of the first quarter, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was 1 of 5 for 0 yards and an interception. He’s also been sacked twice. New York had the ball for nearly 11 minutes, but found themselves trailing by two scores. — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys 16, Giants 3: This time, defense scores for Dallas

Two touchdowns for the Cowboys – none by the offense. 

This time, it was the defense’s turn. Facing another third and long, Jones looked for Saquon Barkley as a safety valve. It ended up being the worst-case scenario. 

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs leveled Barkley before he could could completely corral the ball and the ball landed in the hands of Daron Bland, who waltzed into the end zone. Aubrey’s extra point was good and Dallas led 16-0 with 2:22 left in the first quarter. 

On the first play of the Giants’ drive, DeMarcus Lawrence sacked Jones. It was his 11th career sack against the Giants (16th game).  — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys drive stalls after big play by CeeDee Lamb

On the Cowboys’ first third down of the game, Dak Prescott found CeeDee Lamb wide open after the defender covering him was picked at the line of scrimmage. Lamb went for 49 yards but the drive stalled in the red zone, and Brandon Aubrey made his first career field goal from 21 yards out to give Dallas a 9-0 advantage. — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys stuff Giants' second drive

The second drive for the Giants didn’t go much better. The series ended when Micah Parsons, a preseason defensive player of the year candidate, ran a stunt through the middle and sacked Jones.

Parsons led all players with 90 quarterback pressures last season. — Chris Bumbaca

Cowboys 6, Giants 0: Cowboys special teams make first big play

The Giants were marching down the field without so much as needing to attempt more than one (screen) pass when the game flipped on its head.

A false start. A bad snap. And then a blocked kick returned for a touchdown to put the Cowboys up 6-0 without their offense taking the field. 

Juanyeh Thomas jumped over the line of scrimmage to block Graham Gano’s 45-yard field attempt and Noah Igbinoghene scooped the loose ball and returned it 58 yards for the score. 

Rookie kicker Brandon Aburey was wide left. — Chris Bumbaca

Queen Latifah sings national anthem after moment of silence for 9/11 victims

A moment of silence was held at MetLife Stadium in honor of the victims of 9/11 ahead of the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Queen Latifah, a New Jersey native, then performed the national anthem in the pouring rain ahead of the Cowboys and Giants’ SNF matchup as volunteers waved an American flag that took up the entire football field. She donned an all-white suit. — Cydney Henderson

Cowboys own openers vs. Giants

Dallas and New York have opened the season 11 times. The Cowboys have won all but one. Dallas has won 11 of its last 12 against the Giants.  — Chris Bumbaca

Weather could impact Cowboys-Giants game

Weather will play a factor tonight. Rain is in the forecast for the entire game, including potential periods of torrential downpour. 

The Cowboys won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. 

Fun fact: Dak has thrown more touchdowns against the Giants than any other team (23). In his three seasons leading the Cowboys, head coach Mike McCarthy has never won the opener. — Chris Bumbaca

What time is Cowboys-Giants?

The Cowboys and Giants kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will air on NBC. 

Cowboys at Giants: Predictions and picks

Here are the USA TODAY Sports’ staff picks for this game:  

• Lorenzo Reyes: Cowboys
• Tyler Dragon: Cowboys
• Victoria Hernandez: Giants
• Jordan Mendoza: Cowboys
• Jarrett Bell: Cowboys
• Safid Deen: Giants
• Nate Davis: Cowboys
• Chris Bumbaca: Cowboys
• Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Cowboys

Cowboys at Giants odds 

All odds provided by BetMGM

Highlighting Sunday Night Football odds, the Dallas Cowboys are among the best bets for NFL Week 1 as a road favorite against the rival New York Giants. The Cowboys are favored by 3 points, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? BetMGM is among the best mobile sports betting apps offering the top NFL betting promos in 2023.

According to the top NFL betting apps, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott might not have the best NFL MVP betting odds in 2023, but he could enter the conversation. However, the Cowboys do boast some of the best early Super Bowl betting odds.

The Giants, meanwhile, are one of the most popular NFL future bets after a playoff appearance in 2022. How far can Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley take New York this season?

Interested in wagering on other games? Our guide to the best NFL betting odds, picks and spreads is a useful resource to peruse the Thursday Night Football odds and/or Monday Night Football odds.

If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. Our tips for beginners on how to place bet online is a great place to start. And USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.

5-foot-5 rookie RB Deuce Vaughn's potential impact for Cowboys is anything but small 

Deuce Vaughn, all 5 feet, 5 inches of him, realizes that at least one thing hasn’t changed as he tries to transition to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. 

It’s the doubts about his size. 

Vaughn, a sixth-round rookie from Kansas State, is challenged to survive in a forest where just about everybody towers above him. 

“I’ve been doubted my whole life,” Vaughn, 21, told USA TODAY Sports following a recent training camp practice. “Coming out of high school, I had maybe three offers. Going to Kansas State, I was the ninth running back out of nine running backs on that depth chart. I was able to fight, claw and scratch, and wound up starting the second game of my career and play three years.” 

Read Jarrett Bell’s full feature here. 

Trey Lance trade provides needed reset for QB, low-risk flier for Cowboys 

No need for Dak Prescott to sweat the sudden presence of Trey Lance. 

At least not yet. If ever. 

The Dallas Cowboys pulled off a stunning trade in late August in obtaining Lance from the San Francisco 49ers for a fourth-round pick, which would be just the thing to light a fire on social media with some fresh fuel to bash on Dak. 

Now let’s be real. This deal was about rolling the dice for a potential payoff in the future. Not now. 

Prescott, much-maligned and surely trying to rebound from his most challenging season, is not about to get pushed by an unproven player who is apparently in major need for development. 

The 49ers gave up three first-round picks and a third-round pick to move up nine slots in the 2021 draft to select Lance with the third pick overall. And a little more than two years later, coach Kyle Shanahan said something about the team not even expecting to be able to land a fourth-round pick for him. 

Well, one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure. 

"We see it as an opportunity," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters. 

In this league, where quarterbacks are at a premium, it’s worth expending a fourth-round pick for the chance to see if Lance, now under the watch of Mike McCarthy, can develop into a legit quarterback. 

What to watch for from Cowboys 

Yes, the defense could be epic – '85 Bears or '13 Seahawks, anyone? But, unless new QB3 Trey Lance is more multi-talented than he's given credit for, the guess is Dallas will miss Moore, RB Ezekiel Elliott and TE Dalton Schultz far more than anticipated. — Nate Davis 

Who is the highest-paid NFL player? 

The NFL's top 15 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. As Joe Burrow proved in his new deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, teams place a huge priority on having a top-flight QB under center. Burrow's five-year, $275 million contract extension made him the league's highest paid player at a staggering average annual value of $55 million. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league after signing a five-year, $170 million extension. 

Here’s the complete list of the league’s highest-paid players. 

Who are the highest paid NFL players at each position? 

We have a complete list at every position: 

• Quarterbacks 
• Running back 

• Receivers 
• Tight ends 
• Offensive tackles 
• Offensive guards 
• Centers 

• Edge rushers 
• Interior defensive linemen 
• Linebackers 
• Cornerbacks 
• Safeties 

• Kickers 
• Punters 

How much does the average NFL ticket cost? 

The average price of a 2023 NFL ticket is $377, according to TicketSmarter data. It’s a major jump from last season, when the average price was $235. Leading the NFL in ticket costs is the Las Vegas Raiders, which has an average cost of $582 per ticket. Behind the Raiders are the Super Bowl 57 contestants: the Kansas City Chiefs at $578 and Philadelphia Eagles at $559. Here are the five highest ticket averages:  

• Las Vegas Raiders: $582 

• Kansas City Chiefs: $578 
• Philadelphia Eagles: $559 
• Dallas Cowboys: $545 
• New England Patriots: $534 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Atlanta Falcons have the cheapest average price at $225. They are followed by the Houston Texans ($236) and Arizona Cardinals ($250). Here are the lowest five ticket averages: 

• Atlanta Falcons: $225 
• Houston Texans: $236 
• Arizona Cardinals: $250 
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $263 
• Tennessee Titans: $265 

— Jordan Mendoza 

NFL broadcast teams: Meet all the announcers for 2023 season 

The NFL is back, and with that, so are the announcing teams that will be the soundtrack of the games. 

Keeping track of who is behind the microphone for which game on what network can be difficult to keep track of. We’re here to help and break down the main broadcast players for the 2023 NFL season inside the booth. — Chris Bumbaca 

How much do NFL players care about their Madden rating? A lot, actually. 

Armed with a clipboard and his disarming personality, Clint Oldenburg readies himself for the questions. And on this particular Friday afternoon at Washington Commanders practice, there will be plenty. 

The interrogators are the players themselves, and the topic of their consternation (in most cases) is both subjective and a cultural touchpoint: their Madden NFL 24 ratings. 

"They care a lot," Oldenburg, a ratings adjuster and former NFL offensive lineman, told USA TODAY Sports. "In my mind, the Madden rating is kind of like their street cred out there." 

That's why some players’ reactions to their initial ratings can be combative. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, upon learning he was an 87 overall, took to social media to display his displeasure. 

Read Chris Bumbaca’s full feature here. 

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