Brian Burns wasn't even a Giant when Dallas put up 40 points and held New York scoreless in 2023. He watched it from Carolina. He remembered the score 40-0 because he intended to display this information to the Cowboys.

LB Burns expressed himself to NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton and The Record after the 2026 schedule release prompted his comments.

"40-0, you know we're gonna hear a lot about that leading up to this one... sure I'm gonna want to redeem it this time around," Burns said, per a Sleeper Giants post on X.

New York opens the 2026 season hosting Dallas on Sunday Night Football in Week 1,  the same stadium, the same opponent, the same stage where that 40-0 shutout occurred. The Giants show a different team attitude for this game because John Harbaugh now leads the organization.

John Harbaugh has brought discipline and physicality to the team, which now has only eight players from its 2023 starting lineup, because he introduced a new coaching style.

Burns achieved 16.5 sacks during the 2025 season, which ranked him second among all NFL players, while he shared seventh place in the league with three fumbles that he caused. The most recent meeting between these two teams backs up his confidence, too.

The Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 34-17 on January 4, 2026, because their defense restricted the Cowboys to fewer than 20 points.

The record, which shows Dallas winning 16 of their 18 recent matchups against the Giants since 2017, favors Dallas, but the current New York team differs completely from the squads that achieved that winning streak.

Brian Burns Backs Giants Rookie Arvell Reese

The fifth overall pick is expected to transform the New York defense. The New York Giants selected linebacker Arvell Reese in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Burns was already talking about him after a weight room session on Monday.

The veteran also shared his thoughts on the team's newest defensive addition.

"Some guys, you know, gotta touch the stove to get burned, to learn the lesson," Burns said. "Some guys get it right away. Our team possesses excellent individuals who work in our facility. The situation will unfold, but I feel happy that [Reese] joined our team." 

The second-team All-Pro outside linebacker has been a consistent force in New York's pass rush since arriving via trade from the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2024 season. 

A veteran publicly backing a rookie taken that high signals how seriously the Giants view Reese's role in their defense.

New York has needed an inside linebacker who can partner with Burns, but now Reese provides that solution.

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Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Rudra Dubey