Giants vs. Cowboys: Preview, Predictions and Analysis for Sunday Night Football

The Dallas Cowboys will host Eli Manning and the New York Giants for what should be another NFC East season-opening dandy on Sunday Night Football. 

Tom Coughlin's club might as well call AT&T Stadium home, as they've yet to lose inside the Cowboys' state-of-the-art facility. 

We know what we'll get from Manning and Tony Romo, but will David Wilson and DeMarco Murray ultimately decide this clash? 

Giants Major Storyline No. 1: Offensive Tackles vs. DeMarcus Ware

DeMarcus Ware will play defensive end in Monte Kiffin's 4-3 defense this season. While he won't have as much space to begin his pursuit of quarterbacks as he did at 3-4 outside linebacker, at least his days dropping into coverage are over.

Regardless of his depth-chart label or where he's lined up, Ware is clearly one of the premier pass-rushers in the NFL. He's totaled 46.5 sacks over the last three seasons and is likely the main Dallas defender opponents game-plan to stop.

Here's a look at Ware's sack totals since 2010 against the Giants: 

Historical starts are typically irrelevant, as teams change on a yearly basis, and that's definitely true for New York's offensive line.

According to FOX Sports' Mike Garafolo, a rookie will start at right tackle for the G-Men:

"

Source says the plan to replace Baas in the lineup right now is to bring in rookie first-rounder Justin Pugh at RT. Diehl moves inside to OG

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 20, 2013"

Ware is penciled in as the right defensive end, but don't be surprised if Kiffin moves Ware to the other end of the defensive line to create a one-on-one matchup with Pugh. 

William Beatty should man the left tackle spot, which won't be an easy task. However, edge-rusher Anthony Spencer, who hasn't practiced since July 21, may not play, per Calvin Watkins of ESPN.

Pugh and the rest of the Giants offensive line must keep Ware at bay, or the All-Pro will create major havoc in New York's backfield all evening. 

Giants Major Storyline No. 2: Continuing to Click in Jerry World

By now, the entire football-watching world is aware that the Giants are 4-0 inside the newly named AT&T Stadium. 

Manning has thrown for an average of 307 yards and has only been sacked twice. 

Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks went over 107 yards in his first two trips to Dallas, but he was held to four receptions for 46 yards a season ago. 

As a team, New York has averaged 35 points when visiting the Cowboys' home turf. 

It's hard to peg the exact reasoning behind the Giants' dominance in Dallas, but their unscathed record inside Jerry Jones' castle is undoubtedly a storyline in this one. 

Giants' Most Important Matchup: David Wilson vs. Sean Lee

David Wilson looked explosive in the preseason, just like he did to end the 2012 season. 

In the final four games a year ago, the former Virginia Tech stud touched the ball 45 times and accumulated 273 yards from scrimmage with four touchdowns. 

With Andre Brown out, the electric speedster will be the focal point of the Giants' ground game. 

Newly minted linebacker Sean Lee is back on the field from a toe injury that put him on IR last year. Although he's gained the most recognition for his instinctive play in coverage, he will be one of the few players who will be responsible for slowing Wilson down before he reaches top gear in the open field. 

Cowboys Major Storyline No. 1: Can Dez Bryant Outplay Victor Cruz?

Dez Bryant was tremendous in the second half of 2012, and he showed that it was no fluke this preseason. His speed and size combination is among the most impressive at his position, and he's gradually improved his statistics across the board in each of his three professional seasons. Last year, he caught 92 passes on 138 targets for 1,382 yards with 12 touchdowns.

A season exceeding that will likely begin against the Giants secondary that doesn't necessarily strike fear into offensive coordinators.

On the other hand, Victor Cruz isn't bad, either. He's a big play waiting to happen, just in a smaller package.

The former undrafted free agent proved he can be a chain-mover out of the slot last year, but the Giants likely want him splitting the safeties down the seam and creating yards after the catch.

Don't forget, he was held to only two catches for 23 yards in Dallas last year.

Which receiver will win this matchup? 

Cowboys Major Storyline No. 2: The Return of DeMarco Murray

Remember DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys' ultra-violent running back? He appeared in only 10 games in 2012 and averaged a pedestrian 4.1 yards per carry. However, the former Oklahoma Sooner toted the rock 20 times for 131 yards in Dallas' stunning season-opening upset last year. 

He's fully healthy, and it'll be interesting to see how much the Cowboys lean on him with the explosive potential of the passing game. 

The dynamic of Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Miles Austin can be dynamic, but balance could be key in this NFC East showdown. 

Cowboys' Most Important Matchup: Jason Witten vs. Giants Linebackers

He's not Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski—Jason Witten just catches the football. He's caught at least 79 passes in each of his last six seasons. In fact, Witten's coming off a career year in regard to receptions and targets. He had 110 receptions to 150 targets in 2012. 

The Giants don't boast a linebacking corps nearly as talented as the Cowboys', so Keith Rivers, Dan Connor and Co. will have their hands full all night facing the option-route extraordinaire over the middle.

If Witten can get free often inside the hash marks and on an occasional sideline route, Dallas' offense will be exceptionally hard to even slow down.

Bottom Line

The Cowboys have the edge in the position-by-position matchup, but their offensive line will struggle against Jason Pierre-Paul, and David Wilson will hit a few "home runs," which will lead to big plays in the passing game for Cruz and Nicks. 

In a back-and-forth, high-scoring thriller, Romo leads a fourth-quarter comeback, but Wilson puts it away late. 

Final Score Prediction: Giants 38, Cowboys 28

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