Giants Beat Cowboys 28–20 as John Harbaugh Wins Coaching Debut

Jaxson Dart threw three touchdown passes and John Harbaugh earned his first win as New York Giants head coach as the Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 in the September 13, 2026 season opener at MetLife Stadium, Reuters and ESPN reported.

Reuters said Dart passed for 230 yards, Isaiah Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and two scores, Cam Skattebo rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown, and Jevon Holland’s interception helped close out a game New York controlled after years of Cowboys dominance in the rivalry. Dak Prescott finished 22-of-34 for 175 yards, two touchdowns and the costly pick for Dallas.

ESPN focused on Harbaugh’s locker-room reaction after 18 seasons in Baltimore. Owner John Mara presented a game ball for the coach’s first Giants victory; players doused the moment with cheers while Harbaugh celebrated with his parents. He ranked the win No. 1 among his career victories “because it’s the one right now,” echoing advice from his father, Jack.

The Giants outrushed Dallas 165 yards to 69 and ran out the final 5:16, ESPN noted, matching the physical, play-action identity Harbaugh preached from day one. Skattebo said the staff trusted the plan; Dart said the team has “all the faith” Harbaugh will put them in the best situations. New York started a season with a win for just the second time in 10 years and snapped a long stretch of Cowboys superiority in the series.

For an NFC East that watched Dallas own this matchup for most of the last decade, Harbaugh’s debut was less about nostalgia for Baltimore than a blunt statement: the Giants intend to punish people up front again.