Sky Live preview: Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants
Sunday 13 September 2015 14:46, UK
The Dallas Cowboys begin their quest to become the first team in 11 seasons to repeat as NFC East champions when they host the New York Giants on Sunday night.
Jerry Jones' Cowboys were much improved last season as they finished 12-4 following three consecutive 8-8 finishes and narrowly missed out on advancing to the NFC Championship game when they lost 21-26 in Green Bay after Dez Bryant's late catch was controversially overturned.
A high-powered offence was the key to the Cowboys success and that unit should be a force once again with five of their six Pro Bowlers returning - DeMarco Murray signed with the Philadelphia Eagles - but head coach Jason Garrett is not taking anything for granted.
"We start from ground zero and that's a point that we've tried to make for our football team right from the start," Garrett said.
"I think they understood that way back in April and probably before that, that 2014 is done with and we need to focus on being the best version of the Dallas Cowboys we can be in 2015."
With the NFL's leading rusher Murray in Philadelphia, the Cowboys will be employing a running-back-by-committee approach to replace him, with newcomers Darren McFadden and Christine Michael joining holdovers Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar.
The Giants received a boost heading into the game with the news quarterback Eli Manning signed a four-year, $84m contract extension on Friday.
The 34-year-old is looking forward to opening the season against the Giants fiercest rivals and is confident his team can halt a run of four straight defeats.
"I think it's good to start in the division," Manning said. "Sunday night, it should be a great environment. And a very good team.
"They were strong last year, good on defense. Offensively, very, very strong. So we know we've got to go out there and play well. They're going to be fired up, it's going to be loud. But those are fun environments to play in. Hopefully, we're up to the challenge."
The Giants have enjoyed a rough off-season from an injury perspective with starting left tackle Will Beatty tearing a pectoral muscle in May and two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul badly injuring his hand in a fireworks accident.
Wide receiver Victor Cruz is not ready to come back from surgery on a torn patellar tendon suffered last season while middle linebacker will miss this game due to a lingering knee injury.
The Cowboys will be strong favourites to open their season with a win at home but Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is confident his team can rise to the challenge.
Live NFL
"I'm excited to see how they respond, obviously, to going to Dallas and opening the season there," coach Tom Coughlin said.
"There's a few guys that have been through that experience when it was a positive thing, a plus. But basically, it's seeing our team come together, seeing us pull together now that we're at 53, plus the 10 practice squad kids. I'm looking forward to that part of it."
You can watch the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Giants live on Sky Sports 3 HD, with coverage from 12:30am on Monday. Not a Sky subscriber? Then watch it with NOW TV for just £6.99.
