For the first time since 2017 the classic rivalry between the Cowboys and 49ers will be renewed. The Cowboys (4-9) enter Week 15 off their most dominant win of 2020 over a struggling Cincinnati squad and aim to keep the momentum while some reinforcements make their way back from the injured reserve.
San Francisco (4-8) on the other hand, is looking to stay afloat after losing their fifth game out of six and dealing with the loss of Deebo Samuel who joins a long list of 49ers out for the year. Here are a dozen crucial facts to know ahead of Sunday's meeting with San Francisco at 12:00pm CT on CBS.
Here are a dozen crucial facts to know ahead of Sunday's meeting with San Francisco at 12:00pm CT on CBS.

Dallas has dominated the rivalry with the 49ers over the past 15 years
While much of the lore and history behind the Cowboys-49ers rivalry dates back to the 1980's and 1990's, the recent history has been controlled by Dallas. Since 2005, San Francisco has won just a single meeting with the Cowboys as Dallas has won five of the last six matchups. The most recent win for San Francisco was in the most recent meeting at AT&T Stadium, in 2014, where Colin Kaepernick tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Vernon Davis in a 28-17 win. The last time these two met, Dallas posted the third-largest margin of victory in rivalry history in a 40-10 win at Levi Stadium in 2017.

Lamb is seventh in the NFL for third down receptions
Even as a rookie, Ceedee Lamb has been a reliable target for whoever is at quarterback for the Cowboys this season, especially in high-leverage situations. On third down this season, Lamb currently has 21 receptions, seventh most in the NFL, while 15 those grabs that have resulted in a first down. Lamb is second on the team with four touchdown receptions and ranks second among all rookies with 61 grabs this season.

The Cowboys had not won a game by more than three points… until last week
For the first time in 2020, the Cowboys defense did not surrender 20-or-more points to an opponent which allowed for the biggest win of the season. Dallas set multiple marks with the 30-7 win over the Bengals last Sunday including their lowest opponent total allowed since Week 3 of 2019 against Miami and largest margin of victory since Week 17 versus Washington.

Cowboys Had Their First 2-Minute Warning Lead
It took 13 games but the Cowboys finally had a lead in the final two minutes of the game. Obviously, the 23-point win was the largest of the season, but their other three wins all occurred with late-game heroics. The Cowboys had to rally to beat the Falcons, Giants and Vikings. And in the other games, the Cowboys never held a lead at the 2:00 warning of the fourth quarter.

Elliott could double his total games with fewer than 50 rush yards with one more game
From the moment Ezekiel Elliott was drafted in 2016 to the end of the 2019 season, he had only experienced a total of six games where he did not reach the statistical milestone of 50 yards rushing. Should Elliott not reach that mark against San Francisco, it would be the sixth time this season alone that he was held under the half-century mark.

Dallas' defense has doubled their takeaway total in just four weeks
One of the struggles for Dallas the first nine weeks of the season was their inability to force turnovers or hold on to the football. Entering Week 10, the Cowboys had just seven takeaways to their total, lowest amount in the NFL. However, over the past four games the defense has matched that previous total with seven takeaways, including three on Sunday against Cincinnati.

49ers would guarantee a losing record with one more loss
It has been a trying season for the majority of the NFL with 2020 being more unpredictable and injury-filled than ever before. The 49ers are no different in the amount of impact from this season's trials. Without a starting quarterback, multiple skills players, and lineman on both sides of the football, San Francisco is slated to be the first reigning conference champion to post a losing record the following season sine Carolina did it in 2016.

San Francisco has had multiple turnovers in seven straight games
With a total of 25 turnovers on the 2020 season, San Francisco sits second (behind Denver, 29) for most giveaways in the NFL. Sunday's loss to Washington marked the seventh straight game where the 49ers have coughed up the ball on multiple occasions, the longest streak the franchise has seen since they did it from Weeks 4-12 of 2008. The 49ers finished 7-9 that year and lost to the Cowboys at Texas Stadium, 35-22.

Since 2017, the 49ers are just 5-26 without Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter
49ers franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has missed a fair share of games throughout his career including 15 that Nick Mullens has started. San Francisco is just 5-26 without Garoppolo starting compared to a 22-8 mark when he is the starter. Mullens is 5-10 overall when he gets the nod as a reserve and averages 21.1 points per game while a Garoppolo led attack nets 25.3 points on average.

The 49ers lost to Washington without giving up a single offensive touchdown
Washington's only two touchdowns in their 23-15 win over San Francisco each came from the defensive side of the ball. The 49ers are just the third team this season to lose a game without allowing a scrimmage touchdown joining the Jets (Week 7 vs. Bills) and Patriots (Week 6 vs. Broncos). It's the first loss since 2012 that has not included an offensive score and the seventh such game in team history.

49ers have more Pro Bowlers on IR than Cowboys
As much as we've discussed the Cowboys' injury situation with key players being out all year, the 49ers not only can relate. You could argue they've dealt with even more injury setbacks. San Francisco has four Pro Bowlers currently on IR in Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Dee Ford and Ezekiel Ansah, and that doesn't even include QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who was an alternate last year for the Pro Bowl. The Cowboys have had several players miss the entire year, but currently have Pro Bowlers Tyron Smith, Dak Prescott and Zack Martin on IR.

Joe Looney began his career with the 49ers
While the veteran center has spent the last five years with the Cowboys and has been the primary starter for two of the last three seasons, he was a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2012.
The 117th overall pick out of Wake Forest, Looney spent his first three years with the 49ers, starting only 10 games before joining the Titans in 2015.
Looney came to Dallas in 2016 and has been a regular on the O-line either as a backup or starter.
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The Cowboys will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in their last home game of the regular season on Sunday, Dec. 27 at 3:25 p.m. A limited number of tickets are on sale now. Get yours now before they sell out!
Details on all of the health and safety procedures you can expect at AT&T Stadium can be viewed at www.DallasCowboys.com/safestadium.