For the first time since 2005, both of the Dallas Cowboys’ games against the New York Giants are scheduled in the early afternoon window, breaking a long-standing trend of primetime matchups between these NFC East rivals. The Week 2 game is set for a 12:00 p.m. CT kickoff at AT&T Stadium, and while the Week 18 game at MetLife Stadium currently has a TBD time, it is also slated for an early window slot.
This scheduling shift moves away from the high-profile evening slots that have often featured the Cowboys-Giants rivalry, signaling a notable change in how the NFL is presenting this matchup to audiences.
Last year, Dallas and New York played two Thursday night matchups, one being on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys 27-20 win over the Giants “averaged 38.8 million viewers, the fourth most-watched Thanksgiving Day game on record and fifth most-watched NFL regular season game on record (records date back to 1988).”
Even with drawing in record-setting numbers, let’s be honest—it’s been a painfully one-sided matchup for years, especially in recent history.
