Cowboys vs. Giants: Week 13 matchups to watch for Thanksgiving

The Dallas Cowboys pulled off one of the most surprising and entertaining victories against the Washington Commanders and will try to replicate that success this week against another division rival, the New York Giants. Considering the Giants have played even worse than the Cowboys this year, securing another “W” definitely seems doable.

For those fans around Cowboys Nation wanting the team to tank for better draft positioning in the 2025 NFL Draft, watching them went back-to-back games may be a tough pill to swallow. But, for those wanting to see the Cowboys play more competitive football this Thanksgiving matchup against the Giants should appease their appetites.

Today, we’re going to share a few matchups you may want to keep a close, watchful eye on in this Week 13 matchup. Each matchup listed below could help sway the game in the Cowboys favor, but if nothing else it should be entertaining to watch while you celebrate “Turkey Day” with loved ones and good food.

QB Cooper Rush vs. Giants’ secondary
Cooper Rush is coming off arguably his most efficient/productive game against the Commanders. He has somehow managed to spark what was thought to be a dormant offense and turned them into a competitive one. From the ground game to the aerial attack. he has breathed a breath of fresh air into the offense and will look to continue his success this week against the Giants, who just allowed the Buccaneers to put up a total of 450 yards against them and a score 30 points. Don’t be surprised to see Rush have similar success.

KaVontae Turpin vs. New York Giants
For the second consecutive week in a row KaVontae Turpin has had a 60+ yard explosive play that resulted in a touchdown. First it was in Week 11 with the 64-yard TD reception against the Texans, and then he followed that up with a 99-yard kick return against the Commanders. While he’s better known as one of the most explosive return men in the league, he is also proving to be just as dangerous on the offensive side of the ball when given the chance. It will be interesting to see if his explosive plays continue this week.

Cowboys’ iOL vs. Giants’ DT Dexter Lawrence
For the consecutive week the Cowboys could be without their starting two guards, Tyler Smith and Zack Martin. While both T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman performed admirably last week against the Commanders, they will have their hands full in this Week 13 matchup against the Giants stud All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence is arguably the best interior defensive lineman in the entire league. He is currently leading all DTs with 10 QB sacks and will be looking to add to the total going against Dallas’ backups this week.