Without a doubt, Cowboys vs. Patriots has drawn national attention all week long. Beyond the fact that these teams are both at the top of league rankings, the numbers behind it are fascinating. Here are 10 facts you must see before Sunday's 3:25p.m. Kickoff on Fox.
1. A Patriots win would be their 10th victory of the year and set a new NFL record with 17 straight seasons of 10 or more wins. They've also won 18 straight regular season games at home, dating back to October 1, 2017.
2. Tom Brady has never lost to the Cowboys. He's a perfect 4-0 as a starter, beating Dallas in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. He owns a 101.9 QB rating over the Cowboys and the combined scores of those four games is 110-49.
3. Dallas ranks first in total offense through 11 weeks in 2019, averaging 444.6 yards-per-contest, including a league-best eight games with more than 400 yards. Dallas' offense also ranks 1st in the NFL in 3rd down conversions, converting 50.2% of their 3rd down attempts. Randall Cobb leads the Cowboys in 3rd down conversions, with 12.
4. Michael Bennett has never recorded a sack against the Patriots. New England is just one of six teams that he's never sacked, but it only includes two games – one in the regular season and Super Bowl 49. Bennett is one of 14 players in NFL history to have more than two sacks with five different teams.
5. The Patriots have scored two touchdowns on special teams this year. The Cowboys have scored two in the last six years.New England has found a way to get to the punter this year, blocking a pair of punts that have led to touchdowns. The Patriots have also scored four defensive touchdowns as well. But special teams has been an issue for the Cowboys in the past few games and appears to be a strength for the Pats this year.
6. Dak Prescott is not only leading the NFL in passing at 3,221 yards, but he's on a pace that is greater than what Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes did last year en route to winning NFL MVP and NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Through Mahomes' first 10 games last year, he had thrown for just 3,150 yards. Mahomes did have 31 TD passes at this point, to just 21 for Dak, who also has three rushing.
7. The Patriots are by far the best team in the NFL in third-down defense. Teams are converting just 19.3 percent of their third-down tries against the Patriots. The 49ers are second (30.7) and the Cowboys' defense is third (32.5). Now, the bright side for the Cowboys is that they rank first in third-down conversions on offense, moving the sticks 52.07 percent of the time.
8. The Dallas defense has held opposing offenses under 250 passing yards in eight-of-10 contests - tied for the second-most games in the NFL. The Patriots are 7th ranked passing team in the league, while the Cowboys have the 7th best passing defense.
9. When it comes to points per game, New England barely edges Dallas (28.7 to 28.6) and a big part of this comes from their top-tier defense. The Cowboys do have one defensive turnover that turned into points: Jourdan Lewis' fumble return against the Giants. For more on this, check out 3 & Out
10. The Patriots have only faced one offense ranked in the top 15 this year (Baltimore) and lost, 37-20. The Cowboys have faced three (Saints, Vikings, Lions) and are 1-3 against them.
