Giants-Cowboys kicks off NFL season
Quarterback Eli Manning of the New York Giants reacts in the first half while taking on the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. (Dec. 11, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
The 2012 NFL season will pick up right where it left off, with the Giants hosting the Cowboys in prime time.
They last faced each other in the regular-season finale at MetLife Stadium on Jan. 1, with the Giants winning the NFC East title, playoff berth and, eventually, the Super Bowl. As has become a tradition in the league, the defending champion gets to open the following season. The Giants already knew they would be doing that on Sept. 5 (the game was moved to a Wednesday instead of a Thursday to accommodate Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 6). Tuesday the league announced that the Cowboys would be the opponent.
It was speculated that the Packers would be the opponent, pitting the last two Super Bowl champs against each other in a playoff rematch. Instead the league went for the Giants and Cowboys, which is a traditional ratings bonanza. The game will be on NBC at 8:30 p.m.
It will be the fifth time in six years the Giants will open their season against an NFC East opponent and the second year in a row that they open a season against the same team in the same place that they closed the previous regular season. Last year they did that at Washington against the Redskins.
"I don't think a division game really means much [as an opener]," Giants president and CEO John Mara said at the owners' meetings in Florida. "You know it's going to be a tough opponent for that game. It's exciting, obviously one of our big rivals. Fans will be jacked up for it."
The Giants are 5-1 all-time in games on Wednesdays, but they haven't played one since Oct. 3, 1934, a 14-12 win over Pittsburgh. Defending Super Bowl champions are 8-0 in kickoff games.
"Who cares who you're playing?" Mara said. "Hosting the game is all that's important."
Notes & quotes: DE Dave Tollefson, who was drafted by the Packers in 2006, will visit Green Bay as a free agent Friday, according to a source. Tollefson has been a Giant since 2007. He was on Green Bay's practice squad in 2006. If he signs there, he'd likely play outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme.
With Bob Glauber
