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Monday, Sept 4, 9 p.m., ABC

LINE: Dallas by 6.

RECORD VS. SPREAD: Cowboys 9-8-1; Giants 9-6-1.

SERIES RECORD: Cowboys lead 41-22-2.

LAST TIME MET: Giants beat Cowboys in 1994 regular-season finale 15-10 at Giants Stadium.

LAST GAME: Cowboys lost NFC Championship game to 49ers 38-28. Giants ended season with win over Cowboys.

COWBOYS OFFENSE v RUSH (No. 2), PASS (No. 7), OVERALL (No. 4)
RB Emmitt Smith was 3rd in NFL with 1,484 yards rushing. QB Troy Aikman was NFC's third rated passer (84.9). Both Aikman and Smith missed time in 1994 with injuries. Offensive line has sustained losses from injury and free agency.
Additions: RB Sherman Williams, RB David Lang, C Ray Donaldson.
Losses: WR Alvin Harper, C Mark Stepnoski, QB Rodney Peete.

GIANTS OFFENSE v RUSH (No. 5), PASS (No. 14), OVERALL (No. 14)
QB Dave Brown progressed as season went on and finished with 72.5 rating after poor start. Scored just 17.4 points per game and permitted 46 sacks. RB Rodney Hampton had 1,075 yards rushing, but just 3.3 yard average.
Additions: RB Herschel Walker, RB Tyrone Wheatley.
Losses: RB Dave Meggett, G William Roberts.

COWBOYS DEFENSE v RUSH (No. 5), PASS (No. 1), OVERALL (No. 1)
Top-ranked pass and overall defense in NFL. Had 47 sacks, led by DE Charles Haley's 12+. S Darren Woodson and CB Kevin Smith lead secondary, which allowed just 172.0 yards passing per game. OLB Darrin Smith, coming off his best season, remains unsigned.
Additions: S Scott Case.
Losses: DE Jim Jeffcoat, S James Washington, LB Darrick Brownlow, S Kenneth Gant, LB Mark Vanderbeek.

GIANTS DEFENSE v RUSH (No. 8), PASS (No. 5), OVERALL (No. 7)
Permitted just 305 yards per game and none of last seven opponents scored more than 20 points. Had only 26 sacks and sack leader DT Keith Hamilton (6+) is moving from end to tackle.
Additions: S Vencie Glenn, DE Ray Agnew, DE Robert Harris, OLB Mike Croel, S Maurice Douglas.
Losses: DE Mike Fox, DT Erik Howard, S John Booty.

SPECIAL TEAM
Cowboys K Chris Boniol had 114 points in his rookie year. Kick coverage took major hit with loss of Gant, Brownlow and Vanderbeek. ... Giants will use WR Thomas Lewis and possibly Walker and Wheatley to replace Meggett returning kicks. Brad Daluiso made all 11 of his FGs attempts after taking over job midway through 1994.

STREAKS, STATS & NOTES
Cowboys have won seven of last eight meetings. ...Cowboys set club record permitting just 20 sacks last season. ...Giants won final six games of '94 after losing seven straight. Hampton became first Giant with four straight 1,000-yard seasons. With 490 yards he will move past Joe Morris as New York's career rushing leader, with 5,297. ... Emmitt Smith is first player in NFL history with four straight 1,400-yard rushing seasons.