Behind a new-look defense and some extra firepower on offense, there's a new hope brewing in Dallas. The Cowboys (4-5-1) still face a mountain to climb and a tough schedule ahead, but they have a golden opportunity to continue their momentum against the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) this week. Philadelphia has won four straight and hold a monumental lead in the division. But if Dallas were to have a similar level of success as they did against Las Vegas last week, it could spark the improbable run needed to stay competitive down the stretch. Here are 10 notable 'big facts' to remember ahead of Sunday's 3:25pm CT kickoff on FOX.
Choose Your Character
Two newcomers helped the Cowboys achieve something that has not happened since 2018 in Week 11. George Pickens finished with 144 receiving yards, while Javonte Williams had 93 rushing yards in the win. The last time Dallas won a game where they tallied a 140-yard receiver and a 90-yard rusher was in 2018, when Ezekiel Elliott (113 rushing yards) and Amari Cooper (217 receiving yards) did so against the Eagles in Week 14.
Elite Company
George Pickens is just the fourth player in Cowboys history with at over 900 receiving yards and at least seven touchdowns in the first 10 games of the season. He joins the Hall of Fame trio of Bob Hayes (1966), Michael Irvin (1995) and Terrell Owens (2007) as the only players to start the season by reaching those milestones.
Quinnen's Quick Impact
Recent trade deadline acquisition Quinnen Williams finished his Cowboys debut with 1.5 sacks and a team-high five quarterback hits, all coming in the first three quarters. That marks the most quarterback hits by a player in their first game with a team since Calais Campbell had six in Week 1 of 2017 with Jacksonville.
Playoff Positioning
Entering Week 12, the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) hold the largest division lead in the NFL, with the Cowboys currently in second place with a 4-5-1 record. The Eagles can clinch the division as early as next week with a win over Dallas on Sunday and a similar result in Week 13. Should the Eagles hold on, they would be the first repeat NFC East champions since winning four-straight from 2001 to 2004.
Throwing it Back to 2003-04
Another similarity to those 2003 and 2004 Eagles teams, is they were the last teams to win three-straight against the Cowboys. Philadelphia is currently on a three-game winning streak in the rivalry but have only defeated Dallas four-or-more times in-a-row twice in franchise history. The first streak happened from 1987-1991 and lasted eight games, while the Eagles also won six-straight from 2000-02.
Not-so-Fly
Despite their recent success, Philadelphia currently ranks 28th in the NFL with 184.9 passing yards per game. It's the fewest passing yards on average since 1999, when they averaged a league-worst 103.3 passing yards per game. If their current trend continues, it would be the fewest passing yards per game by a top two seed since 2015.
These Cowboys Can Sling It
On the other hand, the Cowboys offense has thrown for at least 230 passing yards in each of their last nine games, the second-longest streak in franchise history. If they surpass 230 passing yards this week, they'll match their longest stretch of ten games that bridged between the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
On the Verge of History
Dak Prescott needs just 160 passing yards to become the Cowboys' all-time leading passer. Currently, Tony Romo holds the record for most career passing yards with 34,183, but Prescott is within a strong outing from exceeding his predecessor with 34,024. Prescott's season-low passing yards this year is 188 (twice), once against Philadelphia in Week 1 and again I Week 8 against Denver.
Defense Leads the Way
Philadelphia has won back-to-back games despite being held under 20 points for the first time since 2004. This is due to the defense holding their last two opponents (Green Bay and Detroit) to 10-or-fewer points for the first time since Week 2 and 3 of 2022. Philadelphia just happened to lose in the Super Bowl in each of those seasons.
Fangio's 'Blueprint' Still Works
Sunday will mark the fifth meeting between Dak Prescott and Vic Fangio-led defenses. Prescott is 1-3 against the Eagles' defensive coordinator but has tallied some individual success in those meetings. His lone win came in 2016 while Fangio was with the Bears, but he has completed 61.2 percent of passes with five touchdowns and one interception. While averaging 230.3 passing yards per game.
