Dallas - Quarterback.
Tony Romo messed up in his last game, but he was key in getting the Cowboys into the playoffs. Romo was an undrafted free agent who didn't throw a pass in his first three years in the league. Then after replacing Drew Bledsoe during the first Giants game, he went 5-1 for them in his first six starts. One of those games was against the Giants, but Romo didn't have it easy, throwing two interceptions in his close 23-20 win. Romo was lucky that the Giants pass rush was weaker with Michael Strahan on the sidelines that game, and could be lucky again catching Michael Strahan playing flat in his first game action of this season. Tony Romo is not the holder this year.

Giants- Quarterback.
Eli Manning completed 68.6 percent of his preseason passes for 345 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Eli usually starts strong at the beginning of the season and here we are at the start. His problem will be finding someone healthy to throw to who hopefully can last the entire game. Amani Toomer missed the last eight games of the season after he had his left knee reconstructed in November. Plaxico Burress missed every preseason game with various ailments. Jeremy Shockey missed some practices and one preseason game, but looked good in that last preseason game catching passes against the Patriots. Rookie Steve Smith and second-year wideout Sinorice Moss are talented but less experienced targets.

Michael Strahan.
There seems to be no hard feelings from the players for his extended absence from training camp and for missing all the preseason games. In fact, they elected him as one of the team captains. The other captains are quarterback Eli Manning, center Shaun O'Hara, linebacker Antonio Pierce and punter Jeff Feagles. There was no campaigning but helping Strahan's popularity is the fact that the Giants are 3-15 playing without him since 1994, including just 2-6 in the eight games he missed last season.

Giants Defense.
They should have sent Michael Strahan a playbook while he was in retreat, because things have changed. New Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo runs the defense now and there's a lot to learn in just one week. The Giants injury-riddled defense finished 25th in the overall rankings, and was 28th vs. the pass. A good pass rush would take a lot of heat off a weak secondary that could use all the help it can get. Cornerback Sam Madison is nursing a hamstring injury, and covering Terrell Owens, who led the NFL with 13 touchdowns last season, isn't easy. Terry Glenn will miss this game after injuring his knee in practice two days ago, and Patrick Crayton, who has 1,019 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons, will take his place.

Tiki Barber.
Gone, but not easily forgotten (for many reasons). In the last three years, Barber averaged 335 carries and 1,680 yards per season. The Cowboys defense won't miss having the Giants all-time leading rusher off the field. They will have to learn to deal with Brandon Jacobs and Rueben Droughns. Jacobs is entering his third year and will be making his first start. Instead of slip-sliding away like Tiki, Jacobs and Droughns will be throwing one-two punches at the defense. Droughns, has 844 NFL rushing attempts compared with Jacobs who has 134. The Giants traded receiver Tim Carter to the Browns in exchange for Droughns and it looks like he'll be on the field at the same time as Jacobs because of a lack of healthy fullbacks. Maybe the Giants can get creative on a few plays here.

The Coaches.
Bill Parcells has moved on, and Wade Phillips is the new head coach for the Cowboys. Phillips has a more relaxed attitude than the old coach and the players seem to be responding. Even owner Jerry Jones said that he walked on eggshells around Parcells and felt the team needed a looser atmosphere so they could have fun playing football. That's almost a quote out of Tiki Barber's new book.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin learned under Parcells. He was the Giants receivers coach from 1988-90, He is currently trying to reinvent himself along those same lines, but can you teach an old coach new tricks?

Can Coughlin last?
Some have said that there is no way the Giants would cut Coughlin if he gets them to the playoffs for a third time. Well, here is a reminder. Jim Fassel took the Giants to three postseason appearances, including a Super Bowl trip in 2001. He left the Giants with a 58-53-1 mark, the third most coaching wins in their franchise history. Then he became history.
Coughlin was under contract before Jerry Reese was installed as the new general manager, and if he disappoints in any way, he could be gone right after this season quicker than you could say "Luke Petitgout".

Your crystal ball.
That would be your TV set if you can get the game. With the Giants playing at night, you can watch the Eagles play the Packers at 1PM. The Giants host Green Bay at the stadium next week, and then Philadelphia on Sept 30. It's a chance to see if these teams have improved. Green Bay gave up 22.9 points per game last year, tied for seventh-worst in the league, and they will be going against a healthy Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook. The Eagles finished 26th against the run last season.

Notes.
Carl Banks will replace Dave Jennings as the featured analyst in the WFAN radio booth Sunday night in Dallas.
Banks, a sideline reporter on Giants radiocasts, will join veteran voice Dick Lynch and play-by-play man Bob Papa in the three-man booth.
Jennings, the former Giants punter who became Big Blue's radio analyst in 2002 after 14 seasons in the Jets' radio booth, will join Chris Carlin on the pre- and postgame shows.

Michael Strahan is the NFL's active sacks leader with 132 1/2 and is the single-season record holder with 22 1/2.

Amani Toomer is the franchise leader in reception yards (8,157) and 100-yard receiving games (22).
He is second in receptions (561).

Cowboys new offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, was the former Giants backup QB for Kerry Collins during the 2000 Super Bowl season.

Last season the Cowboys finished with more road wins (five) than home wins (four) for the first time since 1989, when they were 1-7 and 0-8.
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells came close to winning his first playoff since 1998 and the Cowboys' first postseason victory since 1996.
Parcells became the only coach to guide four teams into the playoffs, but the loss kept him from upping that mark to the only coach to win playoff games with four clubs.

Jerry Jones did not give quarterback Tony Romo a new contract despite this being Romo's last year on his current deal.

Cowboys QBs coach Wade Wilson was suspended five games for using HGH.
He claims it was an effort to cope with the diabetes he's lived with for more than 20 years.

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Sept 16 - Packers at Giants.
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