DALLAS — It’s a tale of two streaks of six on Sunday in Week 9 for the Dallas Cowboys. On one front, Dallas is enjoying a six-game winning streak in 2021 that they would love to extend against the Denver Broncos. On the other, the Cowboys have not beaten the Broncos in six tries since a victory over Denver in Sept. 1995.
That’s right. Dallas has more recently won a Super Bowl since last they toppled the Broncos.
The Cowboys will be helped by the likely return of quarterback Dak Prescott after he missed their thrilling 20-16 Week 8 win against the Minnesota Vikings. Meanwhile, after starting the season 3-0, Denver lost four in a row before evening their record with a 17-10 victory over the Washington Football Team last week.
With that in mind, here are 100 facts and stats as the Cowboys get set for a home game at AT&T Stadium where they will look to continue one streak while ending another:
SERIES FACTS (10)
-The Cowboys are 6-1 for the 12th time in team history. Here is a breakdown of the final fates of the previous 11 teams:
- Lost divisional: 1968, 1969, 1976, 1979, 2007, 2014, 2016
- Lost conference: 1982, 1994
- Won Super Bowl: 1992, 1995
-Since 1990 teams that started 7-1 made the playoffs 49 of 51 times (96.1%). 45 of those 49 teams won their division.
-Since 1990, teams that started 6-2 made the playoffs 116 of 141 times (82.3%). 76 of those 116 teams won their division.
-The Broncos are 4-4 for the 12th time in team history. Only one of those previous 11 teams made the playoffs: 2000, which lost the wild-card to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
-Since 1990, when playoff formats were last realigned, 79 of the 169 teams that started 5-4 made the playoffs (46.7%).
-Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, 26 of the 174 teams that started 4-5 made the playoffs (14.9%) with 11 of them having won their division.
-The Cowboys are 5-8 against the Broncos, including the postseason, with a 2-3 record at home:
- Texas Stadium: 2-2
- AT&T Stadium: 0-1
-The Cowboys are 0-2 against the Broncos in November with all of those games played at home on Thanksgiving.
-Since 1970, the Cowboys are 156-115 in early afternoon games with a 74-40 record at home.
-Since 1970, Denver is 72-82-1 in early afternoon games with a 21-27-1 record in the Central Time Zone.
DAK PRESCOTT FACTS (14)
-Among quarterbacks with at least six starts, Prescott’s 73.1 completion percentage is the best in the NFL.
-Despite not playing for two weeks, Prescott is tied with Justin Herbert for the eighth-most touchdown passes with eight.
-Prescott’s 7.4 touchdown percentage per pass attempt is the fifth-highest in the NFL.
-Prescott’s 8.4 yards per attempt is the seventh-highest in the league.
-Prescott’s 302.2 passing yards per game are the fourth-most in the NFL.
-Prescott’s 115.0 passer rating is the third-highest in the league.
-Prescott gets sacked on 4.0% of his dropbacks, representing the sixth-fewest in the NFL.
-Prescott’s 7.4 intended air yards per completion are tied with Davis Mills for the eighth-lowest in the NFL.
-Prescott’s completed air yards per pass attempt are the ninth-lowest in the NFL at 4.4.
-Among quarterbacks who have started at least six games, Prescott’s 111.8 passer rating on third down is the seventh-highest in the NFL.
-Among quarterbacks who have started at least six games, Prescott’s 9.5 yards per pass attempt on third downs is the fifth-highest in 2021.
-Among quarterbacks who have started at least six games, Prescott’s 70.0 completion percentage on third down is the second-highest in the league.
-Prescott is making his second start against Denver. Here is how other Cowboys quarterbacks have fared:
- Roger Staubach: 3-0
- Troy Aikman: 2-1
- Danny White: 0-1
- Steve Pelluer: 0-1
- Ryan Leaf: 0-1
- Drew Bledsoe: 0-1
- Tony Romo: 0-2
-The Cowboys with Prescott and teammate Cooper Rush, along with the Jets, are the only teams to have multiple quarterbacks this season with a game-winning drive and fourth-quarter comeback.
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER FACTS (15)
-Bridgewater is the 53rd starting quarterback in Broncos franchise history.
-Bridgewater’s 70.4 completion percentage is the fourth-highest in the NFL.
-Bridgewater has thrown for 96 first downs, the ninth-most in the league.
-Bridgewater is tied with Trevor Lawrence for the 10th-fewest yards per completion at 10.6.
-Bridgewater has been sacked 22 times, tied with Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff for the third-most in the NFL.
-Bridgewater is tied with Tom Brady and Zach Wilson for the eighth-highest intended air yards per attempt at 8.7.
-Bridgewater is tied with Joe Burrow for the sixth-highest completed air yards per pass attempt at 4.6.
-Among quarterbacks who have started every game, Bridgewater has benefited from the lowest yards after the catch per reception at 4.0.
-Bridgewater is tied for the seventh-most passes batted at the line of scrimmage with five.
-Bridgewater has had 2.8% of his passes dropped, the fifth-most in the league.
-Bridgewater benefits from 2.4 seconds in the pocket, tied for the seventh-most in the league.
-Bridgewater has been pressured 84 times, the third-most in the NFL.
-Bridgewater is tied with Matt Ryan, Jameis Winston, and Justin Herbert for the seventh-most red zone touchdown passes with one.
-With Bridgewater and Drew Lock each throwing a red zone interception, the Broncos are the only team to have two quarterbacks who have thrown at least one red zone pick.
-Bridgewater is 1-0 against the Cowboys. On Sept. 29, 2019, he led the New Orleans Saints to a 12-10 win on Sunday Night Football at the Superdome, going 23-of-30 for 193 yards and an interception. Dallas sacked Bridgewater five times.
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT FACTS (10)
-Elliott has the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL with 571.
-Elliott is tied for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns with five.
-All five of Elliott’s rushing touchdowns have come in the red zone, tied for the third-most in the NFL.
-Elliott has generated 30 first downs on the ground, the third-most in the NFL.
-Among running backs with at least 90 carries, Elliott’s 4.8 yards per carry are the third-highest in the NFL.
-Elliott hasn’t fumbled in the last 11 games, the longest stretch of his career.
-Elliott gains 324 yards before contact, the third-most in the NFL.
-Elliott’s 247 yards after contact are the sixth-most in the league.
-Elliott has gained 374 yards on first down, the fourth-most in the NFL.
-Among players with at least 50 first down carries, Elliott’s 4.99 yards per carry on first down is the third-highest in the NFL.
MIKE MCCARTHY FACTS (8)
-This is the 64th week that McCarthy has held undisputed first place in his team’s division and his eighth with the Cowboys.
-McCarthy is 26-32-1 all-time in November with a 13-12-1 record at home.
-All-time, McCarthy is 34-23 against the AFC with a 13-14 record at home.
-McCarthy is 11-2 against the AFC West with a 6-0 record at home.
-McCarthy is 2-1 against the Broncos. Here is how that compares to other AFC West opponents:
- Chargers: 4-0
- Raiders: 3-0
- Broncos: 2-1
- Chiefs: 2-1
-McCarthy is facing the Broncos for the first time as the Cowboys’ coach. Here is how other coaches fared:
- Tom Landry: 3-2
- Jimmy Johnson: 1-0
- Barry Switzer: 1-0
- Chan Gailey: 0-1
- Dave Campo: 0-1
- Bill Parcells: 0-1
- Wade Phillips: 0-1
- Jason Garrett: 0-2
-McCarthy is 48 for 98 on challenges for his career with an 0 for 3 rate in 2021.
-McCarthy has extended a winning streak 58 of 86 times in his career.
VIC FANGIO FACTS (5)
-Fangio is the first Bears defensive coordinator since Buddy Ryan to be hired straight to a head coaching gig from Chicago.
-Fangio is 7-17 against playoff-winning coaches with a 3-9 record on the road.
-Fangio is 1 of 4 AP Assistant Coach of the Year Award winners to have been hired as a head coach the following year. The only assistants who weren’t were Wade Phillips (2015), Greg Roman (2019), and Brian Daboll (2020).
-A win over the Cowboys would join Fangio with Dan Reeves, Josh McDaniels, John Fox, and Vance Joseph as the only Denver head coaches to defeat Dallas in their first meeting.
-Fangio is just the fifth Broncos coach to come from a defensive background. The other four are Vance Joseph, John Fox, Wade Phillips, and Ray Malavasi.
BROADCAST FACTS (10)
-FOX will be broadcasting a game from this series for the fourth time. Here is the breakdown of the series by network:
- CBS: 8
- FOX: 3
- NBC: 2
-Dallas is 147-133 all-time on FOX, including the postseason.
-The Broncos are 34-19 all-time on FOX.
-Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will be Sunday's play-by-play team.
-Dallas is 29-20 when Burkhardt calls their games, including Compass Media Network games.
-The Cowboys are 1-0 with Olsen providing commentary for their games.
-Burkhardt is calling his first Broncos game for FOX.
-Olsen is calling his first Broncos game for FOX.
-One of the best games of Olsen’s career came against the Broncos on Nov. 11, 2012, when he caught nine passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
-This will be the second early game in the series. Otherwise, the remaining 11 games in the series have been late afternoon kickoffs.
BILL VINOVICH FACTS (15)
-This week’s referee is Bill Vinovich. Dallas is 8-6 with Vinovich officiating. Here are the results:
- 2004 – @CIN, 3-26 – L
- 2004 – WAS, 13-10 – W
- 2005 – PHI, 33-10 – W
- 2006 – Colts, 21-14 – W
- 2012 – @CIN, 20-19 – W
- 2013 – @DET, 30-31 – L
- 2014 – @NYG, 31-28 – W
- 2015 – NYG, 27-26 – W
- 2015 – @TB, 6-10 – L
- 2016 – @WAS, 27-23 – W
- 2017 – PHI, 9-37 – L
- 2018 – @HTX, 16-19 – L-OT
- 2019 – BUF, 15-26 – L
- 2020 – @MIN, 31-28 – W
-The Cowboys have had fewer penalties than their opposition 10 of 14 times with Vinovich making the calls:
- 2004 – CIN: 4/20; DAL: 7/46
- 2004 – WAS: 8/69; DAL: 1/13
- 2005 – PHI: 8/54; DAL: 5/48
- 2006 – CLT: 5/35; DAL: 7/53
- 2012 – CIN: 8/70; DAL: 6/49
- 2013 – DET: 8/61; DAL: 2/31
- 2014 – NYG: 5/30; DAL: 7/63
- 2015 – NYG: 5/44; DAL: 3/35
- 2015 – TB: 7/62; DAL: 6/68
- 2016 – WAS: 8/51; DAL: 6/39
- 2017 – PHI: 3/30; DAL: 2/10
- 2018 – HTX: 5/25; DAL: 7/72
- 2019 – BUF: 7/53; DAL: 5/66
- 2020 – MIN: 8/80; DAL: 4/30
-Vinovich has the highest (.833) home team winning percentage among officiating crews this season.
-Vinovich is tied for the eighth-highest (.500) percentage of home teams having fewer penalties.
-The Broncos are 3-8 with Vinovich. Here are the results:
- 2004 – @NO, 34-13 – W
- 2006 – @RAM, 10-18 – L
- 2006 – @KC, 10-19 – L
- 2012* – RAV, 35-38 – L-OT
- 2013 – SDG, 20-27 – L
- 2014 – @SEA, 20-26 – L-OT
- 2014 – @CIN, 28-37 – L
- 2015 – RAI, 12-15 – L
- 2016 – @NO, 25-23 – W
- 2017 – NYG, 10-23 – L
- 2019 – CLE, 24-19 – W
*playoffs
-The Broncos have had fewer penalties 7/11 times with Vinovich:
2004 – NO: 10/79; DEN: 6/82
2006 – RAM: 10/94; DEN: 4/30
2006 – KC: 4/25; DEN: 7/44
2012* – RAV: 8/56; DEN: 10/87
2013 – SDG: 4/35; DEN: 6/43
2014 – SEA: 7/34; DEN: 4/27
2014 – CIN: 7/45; DEN: 6/72
2015 – RAI: 10/70; DEN: 4/27
2016 – NO: 3/25; DEN: 1/10
2017 – NYG: 5/77; DEN: 5/46
2019 – CLE: 5/40; DEN: 7/55
*playoffs
-Vinovich’s games are tied for the seventh-most sacks with an average of 4.8 per contest.
-Vinovich’s crew calls the fifth-fewest (2.2) offensive holding calls per game.
-Under Vinovich, the Cowboys have won 2 of 7 of their coaches challenges compared to their opponents winning 3 of 7 coaches challenges. Additionally, Replay Assistant is 2 for 7 on challenges with only two of those rulings benefiting the Cowboys.
-The Broncos are 5 for 6 challenging Vinovich with opponents going 2 for 3. Replay Assistant is 1 for 9 with three of those calls benefiting Denver.
-Vinovich is tied for the sixth-highest (.500, 2 of 4) coaches challenge overturn rate.
-Vinovich is tied for the fourth-lowest (.500, 2 of 4) booth review challenge overturn rate.
-Vinovich is a CPA away from the NFL.
-Vinovich is a veteran official of the CFL and Arena Football.
-From 2007-11, Vinovich was Ed Hochuli’s replay official as Vinovich could not referee due to a heart condition.
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS (13)
-The Cowboys are tied with the Cardinals, Packers, and Buccaneers for the fourth-most takeaways in the NFL with 14.
-The Broncos give up a score on 29.6% of their drives, the third-lowest in the NFL.
-The Broncos have the fewest missed tackles in the NFL with 31.
-Denver has dialed up the fourth-most blitzes in the NFL with 103.
-Opposing quarterbacks have generated an 82.7 passer rating against the Broncos defense, the fourth-lowest in the NFL.
-Opposing quarterbacks have generated an 87.8 passer rating against the Cowboys defense, the seventh-lowest in the league.
-Denver gives up 100.9 rushing yards per game, the ninth-fewest in the NFL.
-The Broncos defense is tied with the Saints and Vikings for the fewest red zone trips allowed with 16. Their 50% red zone conversion rate is the seventh-lowest in the league.
-The Cowboys are tied with the Steelers and Browns for the eighth-lowest red zone conversion rate at 55.6%.
-The Cowboys are 5-2 on Nov. 7:
- 1965 — SF, 39-31 — W
- 1971 — @CRD, 16-13 — W
- 1976 — NYG, 9-3 — W
- 1993 — NYG, 31-9 — W
- 1994 — NYG, 38-10 — W
- 2004 — @CIN, 3-26 — L
- 2010 — @GB, 7-45 — L
-The Broncos are 4-2 on Nov. 7:
- 1965 — SD, 21-35 — L
- 1971 — DET, 20-24 — L
- 1976 — TB, 48-13 — W
- 1993 — @CLE, 29-14 — W
- 1999 — @SD, 33-17 — W
- 2004 — HTX, 31-13 — W
-The Cowboys have birthdays to celebrate on Nov. 7:
- 1940 — Mike Clark, K, 1968-71, 1973
- 1958 — Ron Fellows, CB, 1981-86
- 1965 — Tim Jackson, CB, 1989
- 1977 — Anthony Thomas, RB, 2005
- 1994 — Taco Charlton, DE, 2017-19
-The Cowboys also have a death to remember. On Nov. 7, 2018, former fullback Walt Kowalczyk passed away. Kowalczyk played for the 1960 team and carried 50 times for 156 yards and a touchdown while also catching 14 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Do you think the Cowboys will be able to break the current six-game losing skid to Denver on Sunday? Share your predictions and favorite facts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.