The final week of the regular season is upon the NFL, and plenty is up for grabs across the league. However, what is up for grabs for the Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) and the New York Giants (3-13) have nothing to do with playoff hopes, but instead players trying re-write the history books within their respective organizations. Plenty of the records and stats that will be under watch this week will depend on who plays and for how long in the final opportunity for teams to evaluate talent prior to the offseason. Here are 8 notable 'big facts' to remember ahead of Sunday's Noon CT kickoff on FOX.
Dak the Halls (With a Win) - Dak Prescott became just the third Cowboys quarterback to win a game on Christmas Day as the Cowboys record on the holiday improved to 3-3 all-time. He joins the Hall of Fame duo of Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach as the only three to lead a team to victory on Christmas.
50 Games for Aubrey - Christmas Day was also a milestone game for Brandon Aubrey, who registered his 50th career game as an NFL kicker. Aubrey tallied 111 made field goals over those 50 games, the most by any NFL player over the first 50 contests in their career. He has gone 111-125 on field goals throughout his historic start to his Dallas tenure.
Dak's Chance at History - Dak Prescott could become the first Cowboys quarterback to lead the NFL in passing yards. He enters Week 18 with 4,482 yards, leading Matthew Stafford by 34 yards. While it's possible both quarterbacks could see minimal time in Week 18 for different reasons, Jared Goff (4,233) and Drake Maye (4,203) are the only two other quarterbacks that are within striking distance of Stafford and Prescott.
Prescott's Giant Winning Streak - Dak Prescott has defeated the Giants 14 games in a row after going 0-2 against them as a rookie in 2016. This is the second-longest win streak by a quarterback against a single opponent since 1950. Only Bob Griese had more with 17-straight wins against the Bills.
Dallas' Dominance Against New York - The Cowboys themselves have a nine-game winning streak against the Giants, dating back to October 2021. This is tied for the fourth-longest streak against a divisional opponent in franchise history, and the longest they've seen since defeating Washington 10-straight times from 1997-2002. New York has a 14-38-1 record against the NFC East since 2017, which is the second-worst divisional record in the NFL over that time span.
Dart's Debut Start Against Dallas - There has only been one Giants quarterback to lead a win over the Cowboys in franchise history. Eli Manning was who did so in 2004, while all other starting rookie quarterbacks are a combined 0-6. Those names included Joe Pisarcik, Phil Simms, Kent Graham, Daniel Jones, and Tommy DeVito. Jaxson Dart did not start in the Week 2 game in Dallas.
Giants Top Two Pick Opportunity - Entering the final week of the regular season, the Giants currently hold the 2nd overall pick in the NFL Draft. The Giants have selected inside the top two twice in the common draft era (since 1967). They've had some great luck in that spot before, drafting Lawrence Taylor in 1981 and Saquon Barkley in 2018.
We Believe in Javonte - Running back Javonte Williams has tallied 1,201 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He is just the second player in Cowboys history to hit 1,200 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in their first season with the team. Additionally, his 1,201 yards are the second-most by a first-year player with the franchise, only trailing Ezekiel Elliott's rookie campaign in 2016 when he tallied 1,631 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
