It had the look of a perfect start for the Giants.

Perfect start to the night.

Perfect start to the 2023 season.

The Giants had the ball first on offense against the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, and they were humming.

Running back Saquon Barkley looked fresh and explosive, gaining five yards on his first carry of the season, then eight on his next touch.

Quarterback Daniel Jones had the Dallas defense off balance with a couple of keepers.

In nine plays, the Giants moved the ball to the Dallas 8-yard line from where they faced a third-and-2.

That’s when the night began to unravel, ending in an utterly embarrassing 40-0 home-opener loss.