Cowboys vs. Giants bold predictions for Week 18 clash

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants have nothing to play for other than pride in Week 18, but do not expect either team to let off the gas. Before the next chapter of the longtime rivalry unfolds, check out our Cowboys-Giants Week 18 predictions.

Although neither team has anything to play for, both enter Week 18 off victories. The Giants snapped a nine-game skid with a 34-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite both teams being far from playoff contention, many still kept their eyes on that game, with the Raiders’ loss putting them in position to lock up the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Draft positioning is still in play for the Giants in Week 18. New York’s 3-13 record matches those of the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals. The Giants are currently in position to end with the No. 2 pick, but another win could drop them as low as No. 7.

The Cowboys are coming off a 30-23 win over the Washington Commanders on Christmas Day to end a three-game losing streak. Dallas is now 7-8-1 on the year, and a loss to the Giants would give them consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2002.

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Jaxson Dart has first career 300-yard passing game

Jaxson Dart has one final opportunity to put a bow on his stellar rookie season and potentially cement himself as the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year. He could not draw a better matchup to do so against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18.

The Cowboys have been the worst defense against quarterbacks by a country mile all season long and enter the regular season finale allowing the most passing yards in the league by a wide margin. Only two quarterbacks who played a full game against them failed to reach at least 220 passing yards — Bryce Young and Josh Johnson.

The last time these teams met, Dart watched Russell Wilson torch the Cowboys with 450 passing yards and three touchdowns. Dart has proven to be much more efficient than his predecessor, even if he is not as much of a downfield passer.

The Cowboys’ secondary also enters this matchup shorthanded after the team’s shocking release of two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs. Diggs has struggled with injuries in 2025, but his unceremonious departure leaves Dallas with starting either seventh-round rookie Trikweze Bridges or journeyman Corey Ballentine in Week 18.

Dart threw for a career-high 283 passing yards against the Denver Broncos in Week 7 and should surpass that on Sunday against the Cowboys.

Abdul Carter gets first career multi-sack game

Nobody has come on stronger for the New York Giants in the second half of the season than their other prized rookie, Abdul Carter. The No. 3 overall pick has overcome adversity to quickly become the player Giants fans expected him to be over the last month of the regular season.

Carter has played 80 percent or more of the defensive snaps in five of his last six games while star teammate Kayvon Thibodeaux has dealt with a shoulder injury. Since then, Carter has racked up 21 of his 43 tackles on the year and 17 of his 28 pressures.

Carter’s impact has heightened over the last month, during which he has accumulated six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The Penn State alum has shown enough to prove himself as Brian Burns’ full-time running mate in 2026, even with Thibodeaux expected to return.

Carter’s recent dominance is a daunting sign for a Cowboys team that has struggled to keep Dak Prescott upright late in the year. Prescott has been sacked 14 times in his last four games, including a season-high six-sack game against the Washington Commanders in Week 17.

The Cowboys have shaken up their offensive line since losing starting guard Tyler Guyton, which has led to several miscommunications and blown assignments. Carter will get the first two-sack game of his career in the season finale against the Cowboys.

Malik Davis backs up career game with another huge effort

The Giants’ defense has not been strong anywhere, but they are particularly susceptible to the run. New York ranks bottom five in defending quarterbacks and running backs on the ground and has been tormented with opposing rushing attacks all year.

Javonte Williams took full advantage of the Giants’ porous run defense in the first meeting, taking 18 carries for 97 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Williams could be in for another big game, but he is listed as questionable to play after suffering a shoulder injury against the Commanders.

Once Williams exited, Malik Davis took full advantage of the biggest opportunity of his career. The second-year undrafted free agent fielded 20 carries for a career-high 103 rushing yards after entering the game with 147 rushing yards all season.

Williams could return for the final game, but the Cowboys have no reason to push him. Dallas seems inclined to re-sign him in the offseason, giving little incentive to risk potential re-injury in a meaningless matchup.

Should Williams get ruled out, Davis has a chance to make his first career start against the second-worst run defense in the league. Davis would be facing a defense that has not been able to stop any running back all season, with the most momentum of his career.

Coming off his first-ever 100-yard performance, Davis will top that and go for 150 on the ground against a helpless and lifeless Giants defense in Week 18.

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