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SDOGO · 09-07-2007, 02:52 PM

Game-day details
Sun., 8:15 p.m. ET, Texas Stadium
Weather forecast from AccuWeather.com:
Partly sunny. High: 88. Low: 72.

Why To Watch

A Giants-Cowboys game always is intriguing. Throw in a new coach in his first game after replacing a legend and the other coach trying to hold onto his job, this game is all the more interesting. Dallas' Wade Phillips inherits a talented team from Bill Parcells, and expectations in Cowboy Nation are Super Bowl-or-bust high. New York's Tom Coughlin must prove he still has the respect of his players, despite the public criticism received from former players. Both coaches need to start the season on a positive note, and in a competitive NFC East it is almost imperative.

NBC's Sunday Night Football spotlight will shine brightly on the two quarterbacks because the Giants' Eli Manning and the Cowboys' Tony Romo have much to prove. Manning must prove to his teammates that he is ready to become the team leader and perform at an elite level for four quarters.

Romo had a breakout season last year but was not rewarded with a long-term contract. Apparently, owner/GM Jerry Jones is taking a wait-and-see approach to see if Romo can repeat his Pro Bowl performance. Romo will look to make a Week 1 statement that last season was no fluke.

Romo could have some unexpected -- and unwanted -- company in the backfield Sunday night. Giants defensive end Michael Strahan ended his long holdout Sept. 1 and is expected to play in Week 1.

Giants Keys For Success

1. Locate outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Phillips plans to utilize Ware the same way he did Shawne Merriman last year in San Diego, lining him up all over the field and putting him in the best position to confuse and abuse the quarterback. The Giants will shift protection toward Ware but could struggle to succeed because Ware will move often before the snap. Center Shaun O'Hara must find Ware on every play and communicate the protection calls to his linemates. Manning also must keep his eyes on Ware and hit his "hot" receivers in a hurry if the protection breaks down.

2. Use more cover-3 schemes. New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would prefer to use a bump-and-run, man-to-man coverage scheme but lacks the capable personnel. Therefore, he will run more three-deep schemes, dropping a third defender deep to take away the downfield routes. This will limit the big-play possibilities of Cowboys wide receivers Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn (if healthy) and tight end Jason Witten.

3. Utilize play-action fakes. Cowboys safeties Roy Williams and Ken Hamlin are talented but love contact and always are quick to sniff out the run and step up to deliver big hits. Manning should use plenty of play-action fakes in Week 1, hoping to catch Williams and/or Hamlin peeking in the backfield just long enough for wide receivers Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer to get behind them for a big gain. Hamlin's job is to patrol center field and not bite on such fakes, but Manning is sure to test him and see if he has learned any new discipline

Cowboys Keys For Success

1. Use more screen passes and draw plays. The Giants' new defensive scheme is more aggressive than the old one. The linemen are asked to shoot gaps with the linebackers attacking the line of scrimmage rather than reading and reacting. The Giants' defense was inconsistent in preseason, sometimes looking dominant and sometimes giving up big plays. The Cowboys will allow the Giants' linemen and linebackers to penetrate upfield and catch them off-guard with draw plays and screen passes, and there should be plenty of running room for Julius Jones and Marion Barber III.

2. Control the line of scrimmage. The Cowboys still use a 3-4 alignment, but Phillips' scheme is much more aggressive than Parcells' version. The Giants' offensive line is athletic but can get overwhelmed by aggressive defenses. The Cowboys will look to pierce the line and force running back Brandon Jacobs to stutter and/or make cuts in the backfield, preventing him from getting a full head of steam.

3. Use three- and four-receiver sets. Last year, the Cowboys used plenty of two-tight end sets with Jason Witten and Anthony Fasano, but expect a different approach in Week 1. The Giants' secondary got banged up in preseason and has limited depth. The Cowboys should take advantage by using three and four wide receivers to force the Giants to use substandard nickel and dime personnel. This should create mismatches everywhere in the passing game and further limit the Giants' ability to stop the run.

When the Giants Have the Ball

RUNNING GAME

Although new Giants feature back Brandon Jacobs has a significantly different running style than his predecessor, Tiki Barber, the Giants will run the same offensive package they did last season, confident in Jacobs' athleticism to get him to the corner on perimeter run plays and continue to push for the tough yards inside. Without a proven fullback, look for the Giants to run often out of three-wide receiver, one-tight end sets, using Jeremy Shockey as a lead blocker. Expect to see several bunch formations, with Shockey motioning into the backfield like an H-back and then leading the way for Jacobs off-tackle.

The Cowboys will likely bring their nickel personnel against those three-receiver sets, so the Giants should be at an advantage at the point of attack. However, the question will be whether the Giants' offensive line can control the line of scrimmage against veteran run-stuffing nose tackle Jason Ferguson and ever-improving young ends Marcus Spears and Chris Canty. Both Spears and Canty have been thriving in Dallas' new one-gap scheme and may be too much for the Giants to handle. Advantage: Cowboys.

PASSING GAME

The Giants should like their chances in the air against the Cowboys' pass defense. They will look to take advantage of free safety Ken Hamlin. The new Dallas scheme has strong safety Roy Williams playing closer to the line of scrimmage where he is more productive and leaving Hamlin back deep as the center fielder. Although Hamlin is a fine athlete, he lacks Ed Reed-like range and may find himself in bad positions against the Giants' many receiving threats. If Eli Manning can get Hamlin to bite on play-action, it will give wide receivers Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer enough time to get behind him for potential big gains. However, the lack of a consistent running game would obviously hurt the Giants' ability to set up play-action. Advantage: Giants.

THE BLITZ

Phillips never saw a blitz he didn't like, and he will throw everything he can think of at Manning. The Giants have a veteran, athletic offensive line that does a nice job at picking up stunts, but the difficult part about defending the 3-4 zone-blitz scheme is that you don't know from where the pressure will come. If the Cowboys disguise their blitzes well, the Giants' offensive linemen will get overwhelmed by the pressure and Manning will take some hits. Advantage: Cowboys.

IN THE RED ZONE

The Giants have two signature red zone plays that they will use against the Cowboys. First, they will look to clear out either Burress or Shockey against a defender on one side of the field and run a fade route. If they can force Williams into coverage, that is likely where Manning will go with the ball. The other play is with Shockey and Toomer lined up on the same side, and off the snap, they run quick crossing routes. This creates a natural pick that makes the secondary make a quick switch, which is very difficult to do in a split second. Advantage: Giants.

When the Cowboys Have the Ball

RUNNING GAME

With the addition of former Cardinal Leonard Davis (6-6, 366) at right guard, the Cowboys have one of the NFL's largest offensive lines and will look to impose their will on a Giants' defensive line that is will have end Michael Strahan, the unit's best run defender but who will have only one week of practice time and probably won't play every down. Expect plenty of counters run to the left side of the Cowboys formation. This will allow left tackle Flozell Adams to crash down on the play-side defensive tackle and Davis will pull around to kick out the play-side end. The Giants' new system will have their defenders shooting gaps up field, hoping their speed will neutralize the Cowboys' size and disrupt their blocking schemes. Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce is a great run stuffer but must be careful not to overrun plays in this new scheme, something of which he has been guilty in the preseason. Advantage: Cowboys.

PASSING GAME

Sometimes you need to alter your playbook for a specific opponent. Although the Cowboys enjoy operating out of two-tight end sets, they would much rather exploit the Giants' thin secondary in Week 1. Expect to see primarily three- and four-wideout sets, which will make the Giants bring their dime package into the game. With Will Demps, Aaron Ross, and Sam Madison all missing time this preseason with various injuries, the communication and chemistry in the Giants' secondary will not be where it should be. Also expect to see more screens than usual out of the Cowboys' backfield as they hope to take advantage of the Giants' initial overaggressive mistakes. The Giants' defensive linemen must sniff out the screens and not allow the Cowboys' offensive linemen to wash them up field. Linebackers Pierce, Kawika Mitchell and Mathias Kiwanuka must also be ready to transition up and make a play in the open field, something Kiwanuka, a former end, has little experience doing. Advantage: Cowboys.

THE BLITZ

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, fresh from working under the Eagles' Jim Johnson, would love to implement an aggressive blitz package in Week 1, but his team may not have the personnel to pull it off. His system calls for many blitzes up front and a press man-to-man scheme behind it, but Spagnuolo fears his beat-up secondary may be unable to cover the Cowboys' wide receivers in single coverage. So the Giants will need to generate pocket pressure just from their front four. When Strahan is not on the field, then the Cowboys will kick their coverage toward end Osi Umenyiora. Don't be surprised to see Kiwanuka take a few snaps with his hand on the ground if the Giants cannot create a pass rush early. Advantage: Cowboys.

IN THE RED ZONE

Quarterback Tony Romo has plenty of options in the red zone. He may look to isolate wide receiver Terrell Owens on a fade route, he may roll out off play-action and hit tight end Jason Witten, who will be dragging across the back of the end zone, or he may hand the ball off to tough-running Marion Barber between Davis and center Andre Gurode. The Giants will need to play man coverage down near the goal line, and they don't have the secondary depth to account for all of the Cowboys' weapons. Advantage: Cowboys.

The Bottom Line

Expect many points to be scored Sunday night because both defenses still are learning their new schemes and undoubtedly will make some mental mistakes that result in big plays. But the Cowboys will pull away by controlling the clock with a balanced offense. The Giants will struggle to run the ball and put themselves in too many third-and-long situations, allowing Phillips' defense to tee off on Manning.

Pick: Cowboys 30, Giants 20