New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 18

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys will meet at MetLife Stadium on Sunday for each team’s season finale. The NFC East rivals first faced off in Week 2, when the Giants fell in an overtime shootout.

The Giants enter as home underdogs with Jaxson Dart making his first career start against Dallas, marking his introduction to this historic rivalry.

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New York is coming off a Week 17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, while the Cowboys defeated the Washington Commanders last week.

With both teams eliminated from playoff contention, here are three reasons for optimism heading into Sunday’s matchup.

Giants' offensive potential

Interim head coach Mike Kafka’s offense found considerable success against the Cowboys in Week 2. Dallas currently ranks 30th in opponent completion percentage, 31st in opponent yards per pass attempt, and last in opponent points per game. The absence of Malik Nabers will be felt, but the Giants exploited the Cowboys’ secondary effectively in the first meeting, with Wan’Dale Robinson delivering a standout performance. Having just surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark, Robinson will look to build on that milestone as he approaches free agency. Expect Kafka to feature him prominently and scheme ways to put Dart in a position to move the chains consistently.

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Dallas defensive front struggles

Dallas’s defensive line has lacked its usual disruptiveness since trading Micah Parsons before the season. Only nine teams have recorded fewer sacks, and the Cowboys’ run defense has also been inconsistent, surrendering 4.7 yards per carry. Similar to their own defensive issues against the run, the Giants should find opportunities to establish the ground game on Sunday.

Dallas' difficulty stacking wins

Dallas has struggled to build momentum after victories this season. Despite boasting one of the league’s top offenses and defeating several strong opponents in the second half of the schedule, the Cowboys are just 2-4 in games following a win. They are also only 4-4 as favorites, a marked departure from their typically strong regular-season performance over the past decade.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 18