As far as graduations go, the Dallas Cowboys‘ 28-20 season-opening loss to the New York Giants saw them walk across the stage with empty diplomas.

That includes defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who was brought into to revamp a defense that was not only one of the worst in NFL history, let alone team history last season.

Add in an influx of nine new defensive starters from a season ago and the return of quarterback Dak Prescott and Pro Bowl receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens and the season opener was supposed to be not only a graduation but the beginning of march back greatness that would finish with a coronation at the Super Bowl for the first time in 30 years.

None of those hopes are lost after one game of a 17-game game regular season.

But the Cowboys were humbled and embarrassed with a wake up call against the Giants that proved that they still have a long way to go in terms of learning how to be a winner, if not a champion.

“I thought overall we were really, as a football team, we were pretty poor,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “Just give coach Harbaugh and his team a bunch of credit. They were the more physical team tonight. That’s certainly not our standard. That’s certainly not how we see our identity playing.”

“This is a humbling business,” Schottenheimer added. “And we got humbled tonight. That’s what I told the guys. We lost mile one of a 17-mile marathon, and we have to be better. We will be better. And the only way to do that is to get back to work.”

Defensively, the Cowboys, who allegedly been getting masters level tutoring from Parker since the offseason, couldn’t stop or the pass. They couldn’t get off the field in the red zone. And they couldn’t get the ball back to the offense when needed in the second half as the Giants converted nine of 11 third downs in the game.

Quarterback Jaxon Dart completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards with three touchdowns passes complement a physical Giants running back that manhandled the Cowboys on defense.

New York rushed 37 times for 165 yards, led by 81 yards on 18 carries by bruiser running Cam Skattebo.

The Giants controlled the ball for 36 minutes, 40 seconds in the game, including more than 21 minutes in the second half, when they limited the Cowboys offense to just two possessions.

Consider the Giants’ three drives in the second half:

• 12 plays, 74 yards, 8:01, touchdown

• 13 plays, 65 yards, 8:11, touchdown

• 13 plays, 46 yards, final 5:21 run out to win the game

It was complete dominance that speaks volumes about Giants’ new beginnings up coach John Harbaugh.

It left the Cowboys befuddled and despondent, considering the hopes they have for their new defense under Parker.

As it one point the Giants ran the same play, a pass to the running back in the flat three straight times on a scoring driving in the second half and the Cowboys failed to stop it.

It has Schottenheimer cursing after game.

“One of the things, not an excuse guys, we did not play well, but you got young players…” Schottenheimer said. “Young player closes on Dart. He boots and gets outside. We don’t push three different times to the fucking flat route. Those are going to happen. And we have to coach the young players better, but when you play young players, it’s part of the deal. And they need to learn quickly.”

“I thought they pushed us around a little bit up front. Their defensive line, our running game, there was way too much penetration early in the game. Javonte was running into freaking, a wall in the beginning of the game. We made some good adjustments at halftime, but this is a team game.”

But the failures were not just on defense. The Cowboys were undisciplined with 9 penalties for 90 yards, including seven in the first half.

The Cowboys’ seven penalties are their most in an opening half of a season since 2008.

Running back JaVonte Williams had a unforgiveable taunting penalty after a 17-yard touchdowns from Prescott in the fourth quarter to pull the Cowboys within one score.

Not only did it result in a missed 48-yard extra point from Brandon Aubrey but it prevented Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer from following through on his plan to go for two and potentially cut the score to 28-22.

The Cowboys scored touchdowns the only two times they touched in the second half and three of the last four times they got it in the game.

But Prescott and the offense, which is expected to be on the league’s best, got off to a horrible start with two empty possessions to open the game and uncharacteristically bad decision by the franchise quarterback on their final possession of the half.

With the game 7-7, the Cowboys defense made a play as defensive tackle Quinnen Williams forced a fumble to prevent a Giants score. It was recovered by Shavon Revel, setting the Cowboys up with a first down at the 15 with 1:50 left in the second quarter.

After getting a first down, the Cowboys faced a third-and-5 at the 36 with :58 left. Looking avoid a sack, Prescott flung a pass down the right sideline. He was hoping to throw it out of bounds. But it hung in the air and was intercepted by Giants safety Jevon Holland.

It took the Giants six plays to march 55 yards as the Cowboys got no heat on Dart. He eventually found Isaiah Likely wide open in the end zone, making the score 14-7 at halftime.

“He was trying to throw it away, and he didn’t get enough on it,” Schottenheimer said of Prescott. “And that happens, but it was a big momentum swing. They went down and scored, and they got the ball in the second half and they scored. That’s unfortunately what they call a double dip, and they double dipped us.”

Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

The Giants scored to open the second half and the Cowboys never recovered as they couldn’t get the Giants off the field.

Prescott completed 22 of 34 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the game. But Lamb and Pickens were not their dominant selves. And the Cowboys recorded three dropped passes, including one a one potential touchdown to Pickens.

Williams was part of a non existent running game, rushing 12 times for 41 yards.

The Cowboys (0-1) face the Washington Commanders (0-1) in the home opener next Sunday at AT&T Stadium.