John Harbaugh won his first game as New York Giants coach on Sunday night, beating the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 at MetLife Stadium behind a dominant rushing performance and a late game-closing drive that ended with New York running out the final 5 minutes and 16 seconds.
He spent 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before taking the Giants job, and said the result validated what he had been building since his arrival in New York. He said the players have bought into a mindset of doing the right thing every day, and that even when they are not on point they find a way to bounce back and make it right. He said watching that in practice and then seeing it happen in a game is what makes a coach feel good.
After the win, owner John Mara presented Harbaugh with a game ball, calling it his first victory as New York Giants head coach. Players surrounded him with cheers, jumping and dancing around him. He celebrated later in the locker room with his parents, who traveled from out of town to watch his Giants debut.
When asked to rank Sunday’s game among his 205 career victories, he said it was No. 1 because it is the one right now. He said this is something he learned from his father Jack, a longtime former coach at Western Kentucky, who always told him on the car ride home that he never had a better win than the one he just got. He said he thinks this time it might actually be true.
What the win looked like
The Giants outrushed Dallas 165 yards to 69. Running back Cam Skattebo led with 81 rushing yards. He said Harbaugh told them from day one that he wanted to punish the opponent, run the ball and throw play-action passes, and that is exactly what they did Sunday night. He said the players trusted the plan and came out and executed.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart said the team has immense respect for Harbaugh and will do whatever he says because they believe he will put them in the best position. He said the identity of a team starts at the top and that they are happy to get the win for him, for the players and for the organization.
The larger meaning
New York had started the season with a win just once in the previous 10 years. They entered the game having lost 16 of the past 18 matchups with Dallas. The win could serve as a signal to the rest of the NFC East that the organization is serious about competing with a Super Bowl-winning coach now running the program.
Harbaugh arrived in New York wanting to build a big, physical team that plays disciplined situational football. The blueprint held up on opening night.
