The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants have spent decades trading punches in one of football’s defining rivalries. But before John Harbaugh has even coached a regular-season game for New York, he’s already managed to throw gasoline into the rivalry. And CeeDee Lamb wasted little time firing back.

During the Giants’ annual Town Hall event on Monday night, Harbaugh fielded questions from a large crowd of Giants fans. One fan brought up the franchise’s struggles against the Cowboys in recent years. However, the veteran HC brushed aside talk of the past and emphasized focusing on daily improvement and practices, which would lead to the Giants beating the Cowboys.

“I could care less about what’s happened last year or the year before that. I don’t give a c** about the year before,” said Harbaugh. “The only thing I care about is tomorrow’s practice. Because if tomorrow’s practice is the way it’s supposed to be, that’ll be one more step in the direction of being a good enough football team to kick the Cowboys’ a–. That’s our job. That’s our job — to be good enough to do that.”

The town hall erupted with claps and cheers after hearing Harbaugh’s response. The clip reached Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who shared the video on his Instagram story and shared a message along with it.

“Lol, that’s cute,” wrote Lamb.

Part of Lamb’s confidence likely stems from just how dominant Dallas has been against New York in recent years. The Cowboys have gone 9-1 against the Giants over the last five seasons. It has been a one-sided domination by Jerry Jones’s squad, with some big margins of victory also included.

Lamb himself has also consistently tormented the Big Blue throughout his career. The star receiver currently holds a ridiculous 11-1 career record against the Giants. In that span, he’s tallied 975 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns against them.

So Lamb’s flippant remark is rooted in confidence and also a dominant track record.

However, Harbaugh has always been an ultra-competitive individual, and things could look a little different this time around when the Giants face the Cowboys.  The veteran HC is not afraid to get into it and even had a verbal fight with Mike Vrabel in the 2020 season. Harbaugh took issue with one of the Titans players. This wasn’t a one-off either. He also got into a massive blow-up with then-Washington Commanders HC Jay Gruden in 2015. Harbaugh has always been a fiery customer and also never one to back down from a challenge.

His arrival in the rivalry should spice it up even more, as he will be looking to inspire his team to put on a strong performance and make his words count. The wait for the exciting matchup is not too long either,  as the two NFC East rivals are scheduled to immediately open the 2026 regular season against one another on Sunday Night Football.

Another record against the Giants is how they have done against the Cowboyson opening nights. In the last eight opening night games against the Cowboys, the Giants have won only once, that to by just one point. Back in 2023, the Cowboys handed the Giants a 40-0 defeat on opening night.

But Harbaugh’s focus will not be on the past results. He will be looking to turn things around for the franchise with his methods that have helped him achieve success in the past.

John Harbaugh Building a Different Identity to Revive Giants

While Harbaugh’s comments quickly generated headlines, they also offered a revealing glimpse into the identity overhaul he is attempting to engineer. Since arriving in New York, Harbaugh has aggressively constructed the roster around a far more physical brand of football.

“Just the clarity of the vision and the identity that he wants to build.” Giants assistant GM Brandon Browns said of Harbaugh. “We talk about building the bully. All of our players have that mentality, a pitbull mentality.”

That vision became especially apparent during the 2026 NFL Draft, where the Giants used both of their top-10 selections to completely reshape the trenches. New York selected offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa with the 10th overall pick. Immediately inserting a massive and physical presence to strengthen the running game and interior protection. The Giants also selected hard-hitting linebacker Arvell Reese at 5th overall in an attempt to juice the defense with speed and aggressiveness.

During the Town Hall, Harbaugh emphasized wanting an offense where opposing defenses constantly have to hesitate between defending the run or pass. Reading between the lines, it’s clear that Harbaugh wants to extensively run the ball. He just came off having Derrick Henry for the past two years, so he knows the value of a hard-hitting run game. This also goes back to his time with Ray Rice and Mark Ingram.

Players have also spoken publicly about the hard-nosed environment Harbaugh has brought into the organization.  Kayvon Thibodeaux described the new culture as “hard in a great way.” Jaxson Dart revealed that the 63-year-old Harbaugh routinely arrives at the facility around 4:30 a.m. to work out before players arrive.

For the new Giants coach, talking about “kicking the Cowboys’ a**” was not just a soundbite. It’s a mission statement for the culture and identity he’s building. If he manages to beat them on opening night, Harbaugh would already have the entire Giants fanbase behind him.