Dallas Cowboys Game Preview: Week 18 at New York Giants

Cover Photo: Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver CeeDee Lamb against the New York Giants. Photo credit: Dallas Cowboys.

Exactly thirty-two years and two days ago, on Jan. 2, 1994, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants met at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. with the NFC East title on the line. The Cowboys, 11-4, defeated the 11-4 Giants by a score of 16-13, with superstar running back Emmitt Smith gutting through a separated shoulder - 32 rushes for 168 yards and 10 catches for 61 yards and a touchdown reception in what was one of his career-defining games. 

There will be no such high stakes when the two rivals meet in Week 18 on Jan. 4 in the last Sunday of the 2025 NFL regular season, some 32 years and change since Emmitt’s masterful performance. The 2025 Cowboys are 7-8-1 and need a win to avoid a losing season. They will miss the postseason for the second consecutive year. The 2025 Giants are 3-13, tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the NFC’s worst record heading into the final Sunday of the regular season. 

But what there will always be, as there is whenever these two teams square off, is pride on the line. The Cowboys are 1-3 in their last four games after three consecutive victories. Quarterback Dak Prescott leads the NFL in passing yards (4,482) going into the final week, with a 34-yard edge over Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Rams, sixth in the NFC at 11-5, lost last Monday Night at Atlanta. They are playing for playoff positioning with the San Francisco 49ers, who lost the NFC West crown on Saturday night with a 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With the Cowboys out of the postseason equation, their star quarterback may not (should not) play in Sunday’s finale. There is no reason why Joe Milton, Prescott’s 25-year-old backup who was acquired via trade on April 3 from the New England Patriots, should not start against the Giants. 

Running backs Javonte Williams and Malik Davis are both out for Sunday, as Williams (career-high 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns) has been dealing with neck and shoulder injuries for the past few weeks. Davis, who ran for 103 yards on Christmas Day against the Washington Commanders, has eye and calf injuries. Also out for the Cowboys are guard T.J. Bass (knee), cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. (concussion), and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (concussion). Overshown was concussed in Week 16’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers and did not play Christmas Day against the Commanders. 

The Cowboys possess the NFL’s best offense yardage wise per game (398.6), while the Giants are 15th at 330.6. The Cowboys are first in yards per game through the air (274.0), and ninth on the ground (124.6). The Giants are 21st through the air (203.4), and sixth on the ground (127.1). Most statistics going into this season finale may prove meaningless though as both teams are sure to be playing most of their second unit in a game that will feel and look more like a preseason affair. 

For the Giants, breakout wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson will miss Sunday due to a rib injury. Robinson tallied 92 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns this season, impressive considering that the Giants have started a trio of quarterbacks in Russell Wilson, Jaxson Dart, and Jameis Winston. Robinson’s unavailability for Sunday is a good thing for a struggling and banged up Cowboys’ cornerback unit that no longer has Trevon Diggs, who was released on Dec. 30. Dart has thrown for 2,042 yards in 2025 with 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. On Oct. 19 against the Denver Broncos, he completed 15-of-33 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns. He is also a more than capable dual threat, rushing for over 50 yards six times this season. Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. leads the Giants’ backfield with 637 yards on 4.0 yards per carry. The second year fifth-round draft pick has good size at 5 feet, 11 inches, 220 pounds and is a threat in the passing game, too. 

It is hard to predict a game like this, with many starters likely to sit and neither team having anything to play for other than personal pride and for the historic nature of the rivalry. The Cowboys are 78-47-2 all-time against the Giants, and have not lost to the team since Jan. 3, 2021 at MetLife Stadium, a game that was a 23-19 loss. In Week 2 back on Sept. 14, fireworks took place at AT&T Stadium in a 40-37 Cowboys’ overtime victory. Sunday’s contest will be a glorified exhibition ball game. Fireworks likely will not be in the forecast.

Prediction: Cowboys 24 Giants 21