Sunday Night Football Week 1: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Giants vs. Cowboys

A Week 1 Sunday Night Football showdown between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys hits two major check marks of an epic contest—it figures to be a shoot-out, and the two teams share a general disdain for one another. 

While a bit lopsided considering Dallas has won four straight in the series, an NFC East rivalry is an NFC East rivalry. Tony Romo and Dez Bryant against Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. writes itself, but feel free to add in a few transitional pieces as both franchises look to win the divisional crown.

This one looks and feels like a high-scoring affair capable of going in either direction, so it's safe to give the schedule-makers a pre-emptive pat on the back. Here's everything to know about the game.

Viewing Info

When: Sunday, September 13, 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Television: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Live Extra

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Betting Lines (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 51.5

• Spread: Dallas (-6.5)

Team Injury Reports

Player	Position	Status
Jason Pierre-Paul	DE	Out
Jon Beason	LB	Out
Victor Cruz	WR	Out

Player	Position	Status
Brandon Weeden	QB	Probable
Zack Martin	OG	Probable
Dez Bryant	WR	Probable
Anthony Hitchens	LB	Probable

Injury reports from ESPN.com.

Hurdle After Hurdle 

Overall, things have been bleak surrounding the Giants, with the team coming off back-to-back losing seasons under coach Tom Coughlin—not to mention the four consecutive losses to Dallas.

Despite turnaround efforts this offseason, things continued to worsen thanks to a wicked injury bug. Left tackle Will Beatty sits on injured reserve, and the team will be without big names such as Jason Pierre-Paul, Jon Beason and Victor Cruz.

The issues place an even bigger emphasis on Eli Manning, who put together a compelling 2014 with 30 touchdowns while completing 63.1 percent of his passes. As a rookie, Beckham played in only 12 games but led the team in targets at 132, catching 91 of them for 1,305 yards and 12 scores.

Most of the pressure, though, falls on the shoulders of new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. At the least, he has an enthusiastic rookie to lean on in the secondary, as WFAN Sports Radio captured:

Landon Collins, this year's 33rd pick in the draft, will need to come up big to help compensate for a unit without pressure from JPP. Last year, the unit allowed a whopping 395.3 yards per game to offenses.

On the road against one of the league's most potent offenses, Collins and Co. will determine if the Giants can dig their way out of a serious hole against their rivals.

Next Man Up 

There are many constants to know in Dallas. Romo still sits under center and will throw to Bryant and Jason Witten, not to mention the up-and-coming Terrance Williams.

More interesting, though, is where the Cowboys must plug holes to pursue another NFC East crown.

In the secondary, the defense lost Orlando Scandrick to a season-ending injury, meaning the unit must lean on Morris Claiborne, Brandon Carr and Tyler Patmon. Claiborne played in just four games last season, Patmon enters just his second season and Carr continues to regress, last year ranking as the 82nd corner in the league at Pro Football Focus.

It's a problem going into a matchup with Beckham, but the next-man-up philosophy extends to the offensive side of things too due to the situation in the backfield.

Thanks to the departure of DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys don't have a defined starter, nor a name with proven experience, behind Romo. The rushing totals from last year say it all:

NAME	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Joseph Randle	51	343	6.7	3
Lance Dunbar	29	99	3.4	0
Darren McFadden*	155	534	3.4	2

Part of what made the Cowboys so potent the last few years was the extreme balance of the offense. While a serious every-down back could emerge from the stable of names above, the signs so far aren't encouraging.

In what might be a shoot-out, falling into a potential one-dimensional attack—even against a struggling defense—could be a recipe for disaster. The best teams reload each year, so the Cowboys will reveal right out of the gates whether they still deserve the description.

Prediction 

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Las Vegas seems to have the right feel on this one.

Manning-Beckham will be a force for a few years, but behind a hobbled offensive line in a hostile environment, the duo will only be able to do so much damage. The lack of a stout running game to balance things out won't help, either.

By no means will Dallas' defense impress, but Romo and Co. will do enough to pull ahead and stay ahead. Bryant won't have any issues freeing himself up, and the Giants don't figure to have anyone who can cover Witten over the middle, either.

Look for sloppy football and big plays from Bryant to win the day in Dallas, continuing the divisional trend from last year.

Prediction: Cowboys 24, Giants 20

Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.