The Dallas Cowboys hope to overcome the mounting obstacles in their path as they play the New York Giants in an NFC East battle.

Dallas, already playing without suspended wide receiver Michael Irvin and tight end Jay Novacek, may have lost running back Emmitt Smith to a head or back injury. Late in the game, Smith dove on a play-action fake and landed awkwardly. He was motionless on the field before being taken on the field on a flatbed cart. His status is unkown for Sunday's game.

As for the game itself, Dallas was manhandled 22-6. The Cowboys failed to score a touchdown for the first time in almost five years and lost a season-opener for the first time in three seasons. Dallas has not started the season 0-2 since 1993, when Smith missed the first two games in a contract dispute.

The Cowboys have won seven of the last eight meetings from the Giants, including a sweep last season.

Dallas embarrassed New York, 35-0, in the 1995 Monday Night opener at Giants Stadium. Emmitt Smith scored on a 60-yard run on Dallas' first play from scrimmage and finished with 163 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries.

It was a far different story when the teams met again in Dallas on December 17th. Chris Boniol kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cowboys a 21-20 victory. Smith rushed for 103 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. But the Giants established a power running game against the Cowboys with Rodney Hampton rumbling for 187 yards on 34 carries.

The Giants squandered a 17-0 lead and suffered a heartbreaking 23-20 overtime loss to Buffalo Sunday night. The Giants recorded seven sacks in the game, their highest single-game total since recording eight against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993.