DALLAS — The 2022 NFL season is set to kick off Thursday with the defending Super Bowl champs, led by Highland Park alumni Matthew Stafford, taking on this year's odds on favorite to hoist the Lombardi trophy: the Buffalo Bills.
With the new season just around the corner, there are a number of storylines to look out for, including Texas native Patrick Mahomes looking to extend the longest active streak of consecutive season opener wins (7). If Mahomes and the Chiefs win on Sunday, that will mark eight in a row, joining only five other teams to do so in the Super Bowl era, according to a NFL press release.
Those teams are: Pittsburgh (8 in a row from 2003-10), Chicago (9 in a row from 1984-92), New England (10 in a row from 2004-13), Miami (11 in a row from 1992-02) and .... the team with the most all-time: "America's Team."
The Dallas Cowboys won a record 16 straight home openers from 1966 to 1981. The streak started with a dominant 52-7 win over the New York Giants in 1966 and lasted until 1981, when the Cowboys defeated the Washington Redskins, 26-10.
The Cowboys' streak was snapped in 1982 in a 28-36 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The longest active season opener win streaks belong to: Kansas City (7), Los Angles Rams (5), Las Vegas Raiders (3), Los Angeles Chargers (3), Seattle Seahawks (3) and New Orleans Saints (3).
The Cowboys look to avenge last season's season opener 31-29 loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dallas hosts Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday, Sept. 11 at AT&T Stadium.
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