Harbaugh’s Giants to Host Cowboys in Week 1 Sunday Night Football Matchup

Stephen A. Smith is not buying Skip Bayless' contention that it is better to be a Cowboys fan than a Knicks fan. (2:44)

John Harbaugh will make his New York Giants debut in primetime against one of their biggest rivals.

The NFL announced Monday that the Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13 in the first "Sunday Night Football" game of the 2026 season.

It will mark the eighth time since 2012 that the NFC East rivals will square off in their season opener. The Cowboys won six of their last seven Week 1 games against the Giants.

The Giants hope to reverse that trend under Harbaugh, who was hired by New York in January after spending the previous 18 seasons as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens .

Harbaugh inherits a Giants team that has finished last in the NFC East in back-to-back seasons and has only one postseason appearance since 2016.

The Giants also have struggled recently against the Cowboys, going 1-9 against Dallas over the last five seasons.

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48740437/john-harbaugh-giants-host-cowboys-week-1-sunday-night-football)._