OL Geoff SchwartzThe offseason acquisition is in line to make his Giants debut after being activated this week off injured reserve/designated for return. The veteran lineman suffered a dislocated right big toe in the preseason and has yet to play in the regular season. We'll see where and for how long Schwartz plays on Sunday night. Starting right tackle Justin Pugh (quadriceps) has been ruled out of the prime-time game against the Dallas Cowboys.

QB Eli ManningWhile looking to bounce back from a five-interception game in last week's loss to the 49ers, Eli Manning celebrated the 10th anniversary of his first NFL start this week. "Right in the hunt there and all of a sudden, we didn't play well. Then I thought, 'It's time to move this kid in there. He's the future of the franchise. Let's do what's best for the team, for the franchise,'" Tom Coughlin recalled of the Nov. 21, 2004 start vs. Atlanta. "We had some growing pains, no doubt about it. But coming back the next year, winning 11 games, I think, was a critical part of moving our franchise in the right direction."

CB Dominique Rodgers-CromartieIn the first meeting with Dallas this season, Rodgers-Cromartie was limited with back and hamstring issues, but this time around he's "feeling a lot better" while still playing through injuries. The Giants will need him at his best against the Cowboys and their offensive weapons, including wide receiver Dez Bryant. "You've got to have a different mentality," Rodgers-Cromartie said of facing Bryant. "You always have the same mentality, just going out there and trying to win, but when you've got a dude of that caliber and he's got that dog in him, you've got to have kind of a nasty attitude going against him."

LB Mark HerzlichStarting in place of Jacquian Williams, who was out with a concussion, Herzlich racked up nine tackles last week in a rebound performance by the Giants' defense. Herzlich will look to have another strong performance with Williams again ruled out for Sunday night. "I thought Mark played with a lot of passion," defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. "I thought he played with a lot of heart. He made some football plays for us in the football game. He brought some toughness to the defense, I thought."

RB Rashad JenningsAfter missing four games with a knee injury, Jennings returned last week and knocked off the rust with 18 carries for 59 yards. But the Giants rushed for just 65 yards as a team. "He was feeling his way back," coach Tom Coughlin said. "There's no way around it. He hadn't played in a game for quite some time. He'll improve in this week's game, because of having an opportunity to play and feel good about coming through the game last week."