Giants and Cowboys in Opener PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys in the N.F.L."s season opener Sept. 5 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Since 2004, the Super Bowl champion has hosted the opener, with the home team going 8-0 in those games. The game will be played at 8:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night, so it does not conflict with President Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention the next night. It is only the second time the opener will be between teams from the same division. The selection of the Cowboys was a surprise because many expected the Giants would play Green Bay or New Orleans. A game against the Packers would have been a matchup of the two most recent Super Bowl champions. The opener will be the third consecutive game between the teams to be played at night, including the 2011 regular-season finale, when the Giants beat the Cowboys on a Sunday to win the N.F.C. East and secure a playoff spot. That game averaged 27.6 million viewers, the most for a Sunday night game or a Thursday opener, making it the most watched regular-season prime-time game on any network in 15 years. "Who cares who you are playing?" the Giants president John Mara said. Hosting the game is all that's important. Fans will be jacked up for it.