NFL Week One Preview - New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys

The New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys will square off in a week one match up at Texas Stadium. These two teams are heated rivals and it should be a game that will set the tone for the NFC East early on. Both teams have aspirations to go deep into this year's playoffs and this is a statement game early in the year. New York is a team that needs to make a move this season. Quarterback Eli Manning should be ready to break out from mediocrity this season and lead the Giants to a playoff spot. Dallas is still smarting from the dreaded botched field goal attempt in last year's playoffs and are hungry to get back there this year.

New York is still a team trying to find it's identity. The loss of Tiki Barber in the off season to retirement has been a distraction over the past year, and now Barber has been calling out Coach Coughlin and Eli in the off season. To his credit, Eli has been a pro about the whole thing, and simply addressed it and moved on. Coughlin must realize that this year he is on the hot seat. He has long been a military type Coach, and rubbed several players the wrong way, so his rope has shortened in New York. The loss of Barber was off set just a bit by the signing of Reuben Droughns. He is a tough nosed runner in the Giants style, so he should fit in nicely. The biggest thing for the Giants is the emergence of Manning as a leader. If he can find his voice in the locker room, the Giants can be very good.

Dallas enters 2007 with less about Terrell Owens and more about superstar quarterback Tony Romo. Romo was America's child last season as he led the Cowboys to the playoffs. He had a very rude ending to his season with the fumbled snap but he seems to have put the playoff blunder behind him. The Cowboys are loaded with talent and appear ready to return to the glory days in 2007. Terrell Owens does return and has been relatively quiet during camp for him. If he concentrates on helping the team and not getting into trouble, then this could be the Cowboys year. The talent is certainly there, and the pieces are in place.

This will be a game to remember as Manning will take some giant steps in his development. He will play a wonderful game this week against a stingy Cowboy defense. Tony Romo will struggle early on, but find his feet in the second half. The game will come down to the last few minutes of the fourth quarter and the Cowboys will pull it out at the last minute. This will be an example of the NFC East match ups all year long.

Final Score New York Giants 21 Dallas Cowboys 23