Dallas @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2019 ) N.Y. Giants 17, Dallas 35

The Dallas Cowboys are clinging to a narrow advantage atop the NFC East due in large part to their strong showings against the division rivals. The Cowboys look to remain perfect within the NFC East and record their third straight season sweep of the New York Giants on Monday night when the clubs meet in East Rutherford, N.J.

Dak Prescott has been under center for each of Dallas' last five starts against New York, including throwing for 405 yards and a career high-tying four touchdowns in a 35-17 victory on Sept. 8. The 26-year-old Prescott tossed for three more scores the following week in a win over Washington before the Cowboys improved to 3-0 in the division after he threw for a touchdown and ran for another in a 37-10 romp over Philadelphia on Oct. 20. While Dallas entered its bye with momentum, New York has lost four in a row after dropping a 31-26 decision to Detroit on Sunday. Star running back Saquon Barkley has scored a touchdown in each of his last two games after missing the previous three with an ankle injury.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Cowboys -7. O/U: 48

ABOUT THE COWBOYS (4-3): Ezekiel Elliott ended his preseason holdout in time to find the end zone in the opener versus New York, a common occurrence this season as the two-time NFL rushing leader scored for the sixth time in seven games following a 111-yard performance against the Eagles. "I think I've gotten into the groove," Elliott said. "The last game was the best I felt this season, so build on top of that and keep that thing going." Veteran tight end Jason Witten has scored in each of his last three meetings with the Giants, while Amari Cooper had 106 receiving yards in both the first contest against New York as well as the encounter versus Philadelphia. Cooper, in fact, participated in a full practice on Thursday for the first time in nearly four weeks, a sign that indicates his troublesome ankle and quadriceps are on the mend.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (2-6): Daniel Jones joined Prescott as the lone rookie quarterbacks with two games of 300-plus yards, two-plus touchdowns and zero interceptions in NFL history after he threw for 322 yards and four scores versus the Lions. That's quite a turnaround from Jones' previous four contests, when the sixth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft averaged 197.8 yards while totaling four passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. Two of Jones' touchdown passes on Sunday landed in the outstretched arms of fellow rookie Darius Slayton while another was reeled in by tight end Evan Engram, who has found the end zone three times in his past three games against Dallas. Wideout Sterling Shepard and cornerback Corey Ballentine are in line to return to action, with both serving as full participants in practice this week as they work their way back from respective concussions.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Giants made a rare trade with the rival Jets on Monday by acquiring former Pro Bowl DE Leonard Williams in exchange for a third-round pick in 2020 and a fifth-rounder in 2021.

2. While Dallas is averaging an NFL-high 437.9 yards on offense, its defense is permitting a league eighth-best 324.9 yards and surrendering just 17.7 points per contest.

3. New York has recorded a turnover in 14 consecutive contests, tied with Pittsburgh for the longest active streak in the NFL.

PREDICTION: Cowboys 28, Giants 20