Oh what might have been. The Dallas Cowboys will conclude a very dissapointing season, none due in part to the Number 2 Offense in the NFL. The National Football Leagues, 32nd ranked season is what, was their achilles heal in 2026.

The Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) travel to MetLife Stadium for a season finale against the New Giants (3-13).1 While the Giants have long been eliminated from playoff contention, the Cowboys are also playing for pride after being mathematically eliminated from the postseason following a difficult December. Dallas has dominated this rivalry recently, winning nine consecutive games against New York.

Dallas enters Week 18 coming off a 30-23 Christmas Day victory over the Washington Commanders. The focus for head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been on “finishing strong,” though there is speculation that backup QB Joe Milton could see significant snaps if Dak Prescott is pulled early to avoid injury. Prescott has had another statistically impressive year with 4,482 yards and 30 touchdowns, largely fueled by his connection with George Pickens (1,420 yards).

The Cowboys’ offense will be short-handed in the backfield, as leading rusher Javonte Williams (1,201 yards) and backup Malik Davis have both been ruled out. This leaves a major void in the running game, likely forcing Dallas to activate Phil Mafah from the reserve list. Defensively, Dallas has struggled all year, ranking near the bottom of the league in opponent success rate and EPA per play, which could leave the door open for a Giants upset.

The Giants snapped a nine-game losing streak last week with a dominant 34-10 win over the Raiders.8 Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has shown flashes of brilliance since taking over, accounting for multiple touchdowns in nine of his 11 starts. Dart’s dual-threat ability (48 rushing yards and 2 TDs last week) poses a unique challenge for a Cowboys defense that has been vulnerable to mobile quarterbacks.

Final Analysis and Prediction: Even if Dak Prescott plays one quarter, or the first half, that might be enough for the Cowboys to win. It will be interesting to see how Phil Mafah, and Jadon Blue produce, with out Javontae Williams and Malik Davis. Blue had raving reviews in training camp, but hasnt played much this year. If he can impress the coaches, that will bode well for 2026.

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 28 New York Giants 17