Big Facts: 4 100-Yard Receivers is Franchise Record
Here are a dozen interesting facts to know ahead of Sunday's matchup at Noon CT on FOX.
Cowboys have held only a one-point lead in the second half this season
In each of the three games this season, the Cowboys have held a second half lead with each limited to just a single point. In week one against the Rams, they led 14-13 at halftime and into the beginning of the third quarter. The only second half lead against the Falcons came with the game-winning field goal to make it 40-39. And last week, Dallas took a 31-30 lead with under four minutes to play.
Myles Garrett is third on active list with 33.5 sacks in his first 40 games
The Arlington native and Texas A&M product has taken the league by storm since his first overall selection in 2017. Garrett (33.5), along with fellow Aggie Von Miller (35.0) rank second and third on the active list for sacks in a player's first 40 career games. The only player above them on the list is the Cowboys' Aldon Smith who tallied an unbelievable 40 sacks in his first 40 games, second to only Reggie White in NFL history (50).
Nick Chubb first to record back-to-back 100-rushing yards and two score games since 1967
Chubb has undoubtedly carried over the momentum from a break-out 2019 campaign with a historic start to the 2020 season. After tallying just 60 yards in week one, Chubb toted the rock 22 times for 124 yards against Cincinnati and 19 times for 108 yards in the win over Washington. He found the endzone twice in each the two games which made him the first since Leroy Kelly in 1967 to have back-to-back performances of that caliber.
Cowboys Have Never Had Four 100-Yard Receivers In A Season … Until Now
No other team in the NFL has four different wide receivers to crack 100 yards this season, except for the Cowboys. The Falcons, who had a trio of 100-yard receivers in Week 1, are the only team with three so far, but the Cowboys already have four, thanks to Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup going over 100 last week in Seattle. The week before, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb both hit 100 as well.
This marks the first time in Cowboys history that four different wide receivers have had 100-yard games in the same season, and its only Week 4 of the season. The Cowboys have had three receivers and a tight end hit 100 back in 2012 and a couple of other times where either a back and/or tight end went over 100. But this is the first time four wide receivers have done it in a season – and they all occurred just seven days apart.
Aldon Smith became seventh player to reach 50-plus sacks in 62 career games
It is nothing but vaulted company as a pass rusher to reach 50 or more sacks in the first 62 games of a career. Smith did just that with his three-sack game against Seattle last Sunday. He, along with Reggie White, Derrick Thomas, Von Miller, Justin Houston, J.J. Watt, and Dwight Freeney are the only players to hit that mark in NFL History.
Dak Prescott can become the third quarterback to rush for 25 touchdowns in first five years
Prescott found the endzone three times on the ground over the first two weeks of the season which brought his career rushing touchdown total to 24. With one more rushing score this season, he'll become just the third quarterback to do so in their first five seasons in the NFL. The other two to do it were Cam Newton who had 43 and Daunte Culpepper who tallied 26.
Odell Beckham Jr. holds 13-games with 140-plus receiving yards since 2014
Dallas is no stranger to Beckham Jr. thanks to his time in New York. One of the top receivers in the game when he is healthy and one of just three players with 13-games with over 140 receiving yards since 2014 along with Julio Jones (20) and Antonio Brown (15). One of those games came against the Cowboys in Week 12 of 2014, but since his move to Cleveland he has seen only one 140-plus yard performance, in Week 2 of last season against the Jets.
Jarvis Landry is in rare company as he enters his 100th career game
As Landry prepares to play his 100th career NFL game this weekend, he is in rare company when it comes to his consistency at wide receiver. He is one of just six players to reach 576 total receptions in their first 100 games along with Julio Jones, Anquan Boldin, Antonio Brown, Marvin Harrison, and Andre Johnson. Impressive as that is, he's reached the mark on 870 targets, over 40 fewer than the next lowest total.
Cowboys have not lost to the Browns since Bill Belichick was coaching in Cleveland
While the Browns lead the all-time series between the two organizations, Cleveland has only mustered three wins over Dallas since 1970. The Cowboys have won nine of the last dozen meetings including each of the last four (tied for their longest winning streak in the matchup's history). Vinny Testaverde was the winning quarterback for Cleveland's last win in 1994 and Emmitt Smith was the only Cowboys player to find the endzone.
Fifth time in Cowboys history opening a season with three-straight one score games
As exciting, or stressful, as the first three weeks have been for the Cowboys it holds some historic significance. Only four previous seasons (2011, 2005, 1988, 1979) in franchise history have seen Dallas start the season with three straight one-score games. The only season where the Cowboys went on to make the playoffs was in 1979 and the longest such streak of one-score games belonged to 1988 and 2011, with 5-straight to start the year.
With 5 catches, CeeDee can join elite company
While CeeDee Lamb has one 100-yard game and has yet to score his first NFL touchdown, his production has been more than steady. In fact, if he can catch five passes this Sunday against Cleveland, Lamb would become only the fourth player in NFL history to begin a career with four straight games of at least five receptions. So far, only Anquan Boldin (2003), Andre Johnson (2003) and DeSean Jackson (2008) have accomplished that feat, proving once again how difficult it is for receivers to make an immediate impact in the league, regardless of the era.
Dak wins these early-season home games
Since he became the starting quarterback in 2016, Dak Prescott has enjoyed success in these early-season games at AT&T Stadium. In all home games in the first four weeks of a regular season, the Cowboys are 7-2, with their only losses occurring against the Rams in 2017 (35-30) and the 2016 season opener against the Giants (20-19) in Dak's professional debut. Also, Prescott has thrown 15 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions in those seven games. To compare, the in previous 12 games for this category, the Cowboys were just 6-6 before Dak became the starter.
Baker Mayfield is the first of 4 recent Heisman Trophy winners to play Dallas
The Cowboys just finished facing three quarterbacks who have been to the Super Bowl in recent years, now they're about to start a trend of playing the last four Heisman winners. On Sunday, Baker Mayfield (2017, Oklahoma) brings his Cleveland squad into AT&T Stadium. Before the season is out, the Cowboys are also slated to play Arizona's Kyler Murray (Oklahoma, 2018), Baltimore's Lamar Jackson (Louisville, 2016) and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow (2019, LSU). Also, the Ravens have Mark Ingram (Alabama, 2009) and Robert Griffin III (Baylor, 2011) on the roster as well.
