DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are riding high once again after they demolished the Atlanta Falcons 43-3 last Sunday in Arlington. Despite seeing their winning streak of six games snapped against Denver in Week 9, Dallas was able to quiet concerns with the blowout win ahead of a showdown against AFC West leading Kansas City Chiefs.
2019 champions and Super Bowl LV runners up, the Chiefs started the 2021 campaign with a shaky record of 3-4 but, once the calendar flipped to November, they have gotten things turned around. Kansas City is on a three-game winning streak and are fresh off a 41-14 drubbing of division rival Las Vegas last weekend.
Always a tough venue to play in, the Cowboys will try to hand Kansas City their third loss in six games at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. With that in mind, here are 100 facts and stats as the Cowboys look for a statement win over KC:
SERIES FACTS (10)
-The Cowboys are 7-2 for the ninth time in team history. All of the eight previous teams made the playoffs:
Lost wildcard: 2003
Lost divisional: 1968, 1979
Lost conference: 1972, 1980, 1981
Lost league title/Super Bowl: 1967
Won league title/Super Bowl: 1993
-Since 1990, 65 of the 67 teams that started 8-2 made the playoffs, with 51 of those teams having won the division.
-Since 1990, 106 of the 126 teams that started 7-3 made the playoffs, with 63 of those teams having won the division.
-The Chiefs are 6-4 for the 11th time in team history. 7 of those previous 10 teams made the playoffs with three of those teams having won the division.
-Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, teams that started 6-5 made the playoffs 61 of 136 times with 23 of those 61 clubs having won the division.
-Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, teams that started 7-4 made the playoffs 99 of 141 with 41 of those 99 having won the division.
-This is the sixth time that the Cowboys will have the better record coming into a matchup against KC. Dallas is 3-2 when having the better record with an 0-1 record on the road.
-The Cowboys are 2-3 against the Chiefs on the road. Here is the breakdown by venue:
Municipal Stadium: 1-0
Arrowhead Stadium: 1-3
-The Cowboys are 7-4 against the Chiefs overall with a 3-1 record in November.
-From 1960-62, the Chiefs were known as the Dallas Texans of the American Football League. The Texans shared the Cotton Bowl with the NFL’s 13th franchise, the Cowboys. The Texans had a 15-6 mark in the Cotton Bowl compared to the Cowboys’ 4-14-1 record.
DAK PRESCOTT FACTS (15)
-Prescott is 1-0 against the Chiefs. Here is how that compares to other Cowboys quarterbacks:
Troy Aikman: 2-1
Craig Morton: 1-0
Danny White: 1-0
Drew Bledsoe: 1-0
Dak Prescott: 1-0
Tony Romo: 1-1
Roger Staubach: 0-1
Steve Walsh: 0-1
-Prescott has the second-highest completion percentage in the NFL at 70.3%.
-Prescott is tied with Joe Burrow for the fourth-most touchdown passes with 20.
-Prescott’s 1.7 interception percentage is tied for the seventh-lowest in the NFL.
-Prescott is tied with Russell Wilson for the fifth-highest yards per pass attempt at 8.2.
-Prescott has the highest passer rating in the NFL at 110.8.
-Prescott has a 3.7 sack percentage, tied with Matthew Stafford for the fourth-lowest in the NFL.
-Prescott gets 2.4 seconds of pocket time, tied for the eighth-highest in the league.
-Prescott has been blitzed 105 times, the third-highest in the NFL.
-Prescott has been pressured on 17.5% of his dropbacks, the third-fewest in the NFL.
-Among quarterbacks with at least eight starts, Prescott has the second-highest passer rating on first down at 112.9.
-Prescott has thrown the fourth-most touchdowns on first down with seven.
-Among quarterbacks who have started at least eight games, Prescott has the fourth-highest completion percentage on third down at 66.2%.
-Among quarterbacks with at least 60 passes on third down, Prescott’s 8.8 yards per pass attempt is the sixth-highest in the league.
-Among quarterbacks who have started at least eight games, Prescott’s 112.1 passer rating on third down is the highest in the NFL.
PATRICK MAHOMES FACTS (14)
-Mahomes’ 2,940 passing yards are the second-most in the NFL.
-Mahomes’ 25 passing touchdowns are second only to Tom Brady’s 27.
-Mahomes’ 10 interceptions are the third-most in the NFL.
-Mahomes’ six interceptions on third down are tied with Ryan Tannehill for the most in the league.
-Mahomes has chucked three interceptions inside the 10-yard line, which not only are the most in the NFL in that range, but also the most in the red zone throughout the entire league.
-Mahomes has benefited from 1,589 yards after the catch, the most in the NFL.
-Mahomes’ 3.3 completed air yards per pass attempt is tied with Trevor Lawrence for the fifth-lowest in the league.
-Mahomes has the highest intended air yards in the NFL at 3,199.
-Mahomes has had 20 of his passes dropped, tied with Justin Herbert for the second-most in the NFL.
-Mahomes has scrambled out of 29 pass attempts, tied with Taylor Heinicke for the fourth-most in the NFL.
-Mahomes has been pressured 96 times, tied with Carson Wentz for the sixth-most in the NFL.
-Mahomes is tied for the second-shortest pocket time in the NFL at 2.2 seconds.
-Mahomes has the highest play-action attempts at 106. However, he has the third-most passing yards in such situations at 810.
-Mahomes is 1 of 9 quarterbacks with at least two game-winning drives and two fourth quarter comebacks.
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT FACTS (10)
-Elliott has the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL with 663.
-Elliott is tied with Damien Harris and Joe Mixon for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns with seven.
-Among carriers with at least 100 attempts, Elliott’s 4.7 yards per attempt is tied for the seventh-most in the NFL.
-Elliott’s 73.7 rushing yards per game are the seventh-most in the league.
-Elliott has taken 385 yards before contact, the fifth-most in the league.
-Elliott’s 278 yards after contact are the ninth-most in the NFL.
-Elliott is tied with James Conner for the fifth-most third down conversions on the ground with 10.
-Elliott has the most touchdown runs on third down with two.
-Elliott has the third most rushing touchdowns inside the red zone with seven.
-Elliott has the 10th-most rushes inside the red zone with 25.
MIKE MCCARTHY FACTS (8)
-This is the 66th week that McCarthy has coached a team that has held undisputed first place in the division and his ninth with the Cowboys.
-All-time, McCarthy is 34-24 against the AFC with a 21-9 record on the road.
-McCarthy is 11-3 against the AFC West with a 5-2 record on the road.
-McCarthy is 2-1 against the Chiefs. Here is how that compares to other AFC West opponents:
Chargers: 4-0
Raiders: 3-0
Chiefs: 2-1
Broncos: 2-2
-McCarthy is facing the Chiefs for the first time as the Cowboys coach. Here is how other Cowboys coaches fared against the Chiefs:
Tom Landry: 2-1
Barry Switzer: 1-0
Bill Parcells: 1-0
Wade Phillips: 1-0
Jimmy Johnson: 1-1
Jason Garrett: 1-1
Chan Gailey: 0-1
-McCarthy is 27-33-1 in November with a 14-20 record on the road.
-McCarthy is 5-0-1 in pre-Thanksgiving games with a 2-0 record on the road.
-McCarthy is one of 1 of 12 coaches to have coached for 10-plus seasons in one location and then gone on to coach elsewhere. Here’s how the other qualifying coaches have fared:
Paul Brown – Cincinnati Bengals, 1968-75, 55-56-1 (0-3)
Mike Ditka – New Orleans Saints, 1997-99, 15-33 (no playoffs)
Jeff Fisher – St. Louis Rams, 2012-present, 7-8-1 (no playoffs)
Sid Gillman – Houston Oilers, 1973-74, 8-15 (no playoffs)
Curly Lambeau – Chicago Cardinals/Washington Redskins, 1950-53, 17-28 (no playoffs)
Mike McCarthy – Dallas Cowboys, 2020-present, 13-12 (no playoffs)
Jim Mora – Indianapolis Colts, 1998-01, 32-32 (0-2)
Marty Schottenheimer – Washington Redskins/San Diego Chargers, 2001-06, 55-41 (0-2)
Hank Stram – New Orleans Saints, 1976-77, 7-21 (no playoffs)
Mike Shanahan – Washington Redskins, 2010-present, 24-40 (0-1)
Dan Reeves – New York Giants/Atlanta Falcons, 1993-03, 80-92-1 (4-3)
Andy Reid – Kansas City Chiefs, 2013-present, 97-41 (7-6)
ANDY REID FACTS (10)
-Reid is 9-2 against the NFC East since the Eagles fired him after 2012.
-This is Andy Reid’s 32nd time (including the playoffs) to face the Cowboys, tying Joe Gibbs for the most in league history. For Reid to surpass Gibbs at his current post in Kansas City, barring Super Bowl appearances, Reid would need to stay in Kansas City for the next four seasons.
-Reid is 55-35-1 in November with a 27-17 record at home.
-Reid’s first career win came against the Cowboys on Oct. 10, 1999, the infamous game where Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending injury.
-Reid’s Eagles won their first game of the season series with the Cowboys 8 of 14 times. 2 of 14 of those games were at home.
-Though no longer the longest tenured coach in the league, Reid has been a head coach since 1999, the longest streak amongst active coaches.
-Among current head coaches, Reid has the second-most conference title game appearances with eight behind Bill Belichick’s 12.
-Among active coaches, Andy Reid has the most assistants in head coaching jobs: Ron Rivera, David Culley, Sean McDermott, Matt Nagy, and John Harbaugh.
-In 2009, when the Cowboys beat the Eagles in the NFC Wild Card, Reid joined Mike Holmgren, Ray Rhodes, Rich Kotite, Mike Ditka, Rich McKay, Dick Nolan, Jack Pardee, Leeman Bennett, Bart Starr, Marv Levy, Bill Cowher, Red Miller, Don Shula, Jim Caldwell, and Pete Carroll as the only head coaches to never defeat the Cowboys in the postseason.
-Reid is 3-4 against Dallas in November with a 1-4 record at home.
BROADCAST FACTS (9)
-This is the fourth time FOX will broadcast a game in the series, which will tie CBS for the most by any network. Here is the breakdown by network:
CBS: 4
FOX: 3
NBC: 3
ABC: 1
-Dallas is 148-134 all-time on FOX, including the postseason.
-Kansas City is 43-13 all-time on FOX, including the postseason.
-Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are calling the game for FOX. Buck and Aikman are the ninth of 11 different commentator pairings in the series. Their first game was the Oct. 11, 2009 overtime matchup that Dallas won 26-20 at Arrowhead Stadium.
-The Cowboys are 43-50 when Buck does play-by-play for their games.
-The Chiefs are 5-5 when Buck does play-by-play for their games.
-Dallas is 49-56 when Aikman does commentary for their games.
-Kansas City is 4-4 when Aikman does commentary for their games.
-This is the seventh late afternoon game to be played in the series. The Cowboys are 5-1 in late afternoon games against the Chiefs with a 1-1 record on the road.
JOHN HUSSEY FACTS (12)
-This week’s referee is John Hussey. The Cowboys are 3-2 when he officiates their games:
2016 – DET, 42-21 – W
2017 – SEA, 12-21 – L
2018 – WAS, 17-20 – L
2020 – CIN, 30-7 – W
2021 – NYG, 44-20 – W
-Dallas has had fewer penalties 1 of 5 times with Hussey:
2016 – DET: 5/62; DAL: 8/47
2017 – SEA: 11/142; DAL: 7/75
2018 – WAS: 5/35; DAL: 8/65
2020 – CIN: 3/25; DAL: 5/30
2021 – NYG: 5/48; DAL: 8/58
-Hussey is tied for the second-highest (.677) home team winning percentage among referees.
-Hussey has the absolute lowest (.111) percentage of games with home teams having fewer penalties.
-The Chiefs are 2-3 with Hussey:
2016 – OTI, 17-19 – L
2018 – @NE, 40-43 – L
2018* – CLT, 31-13 – W
2019 – RAI, 40-9 – W
2020 – @RAV, 20-34 – L
*Postseason
-The Chiefs have had fewer penalty yards 3 of 5 times with Hussey.
2016 – OTI: 2/25; KC: 5/40
2018 – NE: 0/0; KC: 5/58
2018* – CLT: 10/70; KC: 6/54
2019 – RAI: 12/99; KC: 0/0
2020 – RAV: 6/45; KC: 6/38
*Postseason
-Hussey’s games are tied for the third-most (5.0) sacks per game.
-Hussey officiated games are tied for the third-fewest (2.2) offensive holding calls per game.
-The Cowboys are 0 for 1 challenging Hussey with opponents similarly going 0 for 1. Replay Assistant is 1 for 1 with that one call benefiting the Cowboys.
-The Chiefs have yet to challenge Hussey. Opponents are 0 for 2. Replay Assistant has not yet been a factor.
-Hussey is tied for the sixth-highest (3 of 5) coaches challenge overturn rate.
-Hussey is tied for the highest (5 of 5) booth review overturn rate.
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS (12)
-The Cowboys are tied with the New England Patriots for the fourth-most takeaways with 17.
-The Chiefs have given up 1,369 yards after the catch, the second-most in the NFL.
-The Cowboys have given up 1,259 yards after the catch, the eight-most in the league.
-The Chiefs have had 51 missed tackles, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
-Kansas City has broken up 29 passes, the fourth-fewest in the league.
-Opposing quarterbacks have combined for a 99.5 passer rating against the Chiefs defense, the 10th-highest in the NFL.
-Quarterbacks have combined for an 82.7 passer rating versus Dallas, the fourth-lowest in the NFL.
-The Chiefs are tied with the Lions for the second-fewest sacks in the NFL with 14.
-Since 1989, the Kansas City Chiefs have only had 2 of 7 head coaching hires who were original and not transplants from other clubs.
-The Cowboys are 3-5 on Nov. 21. Here are the results:
1965 – CLE, 17-24 – L
1971 – @WAS, 13-0 – W
1976 – @ATL, 10-17 – L
1982 – TB, 14-9 – W
1993 – @ATL, 14-27 – L
1999 – @CRD, 9-13 – L
2004 – @RAV, 10-30 – L
2010 – DET, 35-19 – W
-The Chiefs are 2-5-1 on Nov. 21. Here are the results:
1965 – @NE, 10-10 – T
1971 – DEN, 28-10 – W
1976 – CIN, 24-27 – L
1982 – @NO, 17-27 – L
1993 – CHI, 17-19 – L
1999 – SEA, 19-31 – L
2010 – CRD, 31-13 – W
2011 – @NE, 3-34 – L
-The Cowboys have six birthdays to celebrate on Nov. 21:
1964 – Thomas Everett, S, 1992-93
1966 – Troy Aikman, QB, 1989-2000
1985 – Michael Hamlin, S, 2009-10
1986 – Kyle Bosworth, LB, 2013
1989 – Brett Maher, K, 2018-19
1993 – Cooper Rush, QB, 2017-present
Do you think the Cowboys will come away with win No. 8 all-time against Kansas City on Sunday? Share your predictions and favorite facts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.