Cowboys at Giants: 2 Starters OUT, 5 Keys to Win, Inactives List

The Dallas Cowboys visit the hostile territory of MetLife Stadium as their season kicks off against the New York Giants, but how does Mike McCarthy's side get off to a winning start?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The long, hard preseason grind is finally over, as the Dallas Cowboys are now playing for real.

There have been plenty of storylines to follow throughout the offseason, and all have brought us here ... to New York to face the Giants.

With Mike McCarthy's new "Texas Coast Offense" set to be unveiled on the national stage, we will get our first look at this scheme with Dak Prescott at the helm.

The Giants have been Prescott's bunny over the years, and Dak is 10-2 in his career and is currently on a run of 10 consecutive wins after losing to the Giants both times in his rookie season.

But if Dak and company are to keep that record trending in the right direction, how do they go about it? Let's take a look at 5 Keys to Winning ... But first, tonight's inactive list: Jalen Brooks, Junior Fehoko, Jourdan Lewis, Eric Scott, Trey Lance, Tyler Smith and Donovan Wilson. The absence of Wilson? Dallas has rhe depth to survive. With Tyler Smith out? The vet newcomer Chuma Edoga could start at left guard alongside Tyron Smith, who will play through a sore ankle.

1. Get Dak in rhythm early: McCarthy's new offensive scheme is built on making life easy for his quarterback. After an entire offseason to build and prepare, getting Prescott some easy looks early on to get the chains moving will see Dak's "all-time high" comfort level increase.

The last thing Dallas and Prescott want is a few quick three-and-outs to start the game, and being in enemy territory it will only make things more complicated.

Quick, crisp, and easy throws to rid Prescott of his nerves, and the Cowboys offense, which is loaded with speedy playmakers, could be cooking.

2. Curtail Daniel Jones' running ability: One thing that can make a defense frustrated is a quarterback who picks up easy yards with his legs ... and Giants quarterback Daniel Jones can do this on any given play.

Under first-year coach Brian Daboll, Jones' legs were used to devastating effect as he totaled 707 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns last season.

Against Dallas last year, Jones rushed for 93 yards on 12 carries and managed 7.7 yards a carry. It will be up to the likes of Leighton Vander Esch, Damone Clark, and even Micah Parsons to keep an eye on Jones if he escapes the pocket and the defensive line to not allow easy running lanes for the Giants QB.

If Jones can get loose, then what that will open up for the Giants' passing game could spell trouble for the Cowboys. Make the Giants' offense one-dimensional, and keeping Jones in the pocket is crucial.

3. Generate takeaways: Dan Quinn's defense has led the NFL in takeaways in back-to-back seasons, and against the Giants, forcing turnovers will go a long way to winning the game.

Unfortunately, for all the negative things said about Jones last year, he rarely gave the ball away, as he had just six interceptions ALL season (including playoffs).

With Trevon Diggs and Stefon Gilmore in the secondary, Jones will have to throw it somewhere, and the Dallas defense will have to be opportunistic when the ball comes their way, as Jones is very careful with the football nowadays.

Speeding up Jones' reads with pressure from Dallas' hellacious front could force some balls into the hands of the Cowboys' defensive playmakers.

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4. Generate Pressure: Last season, Jones was the fifth-most-sacked quarterback in the league (sacked 44 times), and the Cowboys' defense has the weaponry to get after the quarterback.

Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler, and Dorance Armstrong form a formidable quartet (not to mention rookie Mazi Smith on the interior, who needs to get acclimated quickly), and getting Jones off his line consistently will make life somewhat difficult for him.

The Dallas secondary can also play their part by locking down the Giants receivers, making Jones hold onto the ball for one second longer than he wants...then enter Parsons and friends to clean up.

5. Limit offensive turnovers: Given the narrative surrounding Prescott, this has to be addressed. We all know what happened last season with Dak's league-leading interception total (15), and the Cowboys offensive coaches have done all they can this offseason to limit those mistakes.

There has been improved communication with Prescott and his receivers. McCarthy's system is designed to make life easier for quarterbacks, and Dak's arsenal of weapons will no doubt help.

Brandin Cooks, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Jalen Tolbert are a good group of receivers and will enter the Giants game brimming with confidence after good offseasons. So too, will the running back brigade of Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn, with Pollard as the featured workhorse.

We saw Patrick Mahomes have a tipped interception that was returned for a Pick-6 against the Detroit Lions, and Prescott has some history with that. But it can't happen first up against the Giants.

Cooks' veteran savviness, Lamb, Gallup, and Tolbert's confidence and better understanding with Dak in this offense "should" result in fewer turnover-worthy plays. And if Dallas, a 3.5-point favorite, takes care of the football? The Cowboys will take care of disposing of the Giants here in New York.