The Dallas Cowboys will travel to Denver, Colorado, where the elevation sits at 5,280 feet. For those who paid attention in science class, that’s exactly a mile above sea level, which is why they are accurately
labeled the Mile High City. The Cowboys have not beaten the Broncos in over 30 years, with their last victory coming in September of the Super-Bowl-winning 1995 season. Over these 30 years, the teams played seven times, with Dallas losing every time. It’s the longest current losing streak the Cowboys have against any team in the NFL.
Dallas looks to put an end to this losing streak and, in doing so, earn a winning record for the first time this season. The Broncos sit atop the AFC West with a 5-2 record and are trying to make the playoffs for the second-straight season after the Sean Payton era has put them back on the map after an eight-year playoff hiatus. It has the potential to be a good game, unless the Cowboys show up and get their clocks cleaned, similar to what’s happened during their last two contests. Hopefully, things will go a little differently this time around. Here are five things to watch for in the thin air of Mile High.
1. Under pressure
This game will feature one of the best passing offenses in the league going up against the top-ranked passing defense in the league. Dak Prescott has been on fire, and he will look to keep things moving against a Broncos defense that is no joke. With the possible return of center Cooper Beebe, the Cowboys could have all of their starting offensive linemen back on the field. This unit has done a great job keeping Prescott upright, as he’s only been pressured on 30% of his dropbacks, the sixth-lowest rate in the league.
However, the Broncos bring the heat as they generate pressure on a league-best 47% of their pass rushes. With an edge duo of Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper (14 sacks between them), the Broncos should cause some problems for Cowboys’ tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph loves to line up several defenders at the line of scrimmage and challenge the OLine to sort out the pass-rush. How well Dak and company can handle the pass rush should go a long way in determining how much success the offense, and subsequently the team, will have on Sunday.
2. On a roll
Denver has won four straight games, including two of them in close battles against the Cowboys’ NFC foes, the Eagles and Giants. During this time, second-year quarterback Bo Nix has scored nine touchdowns (six passing and three rushing) and has only thrown one interception. The former Oregon quarterback is a big reason for their early 5-2 start this season.
While Nix doesn’t air out a lot of passing yards (222 yards/game last season, 222 yards/game this season), he does a good job getting rid of the ball quickly. Most of the time, it’ll be a quick drop back and deliver. If the Cowboys’ defense employs a lot of zone and gives up a soft cushion, the Broncos’ offense should have success moving down the field. Denver also has a lot of success when Nix rolls out of the pocket. The Cowboys’ secondary has had problems sustaining coverage if the quarterback has extra time to dance around. They could get themselves in trouble if Nix rolls out of the pocket enough to find breakdowns in the coverage.
3. Watch the horizontal attack
Another way the Broncos offense likes to attack is by sending their skill players in motion and throwing quick bubble screens. Whether it’s running backs or receivers, they love to get their playmakers in space and allow them to maneuver around in traffic. Receiver (and return specialists) Marvin Mims Jr. is a prime candidate for this. They will throw the ball out wide and challenge the defense to fight through blocks to make stops.
The defense of the Cowboys has been very suspect when it comes to screen plays and little designed plays that get players in space, as their opponents have reeled off some big plays in those moments. They have shown some improvement as of late, but the back seven will need to be ready to shed blocks and make good open-field tackles. How effectively the defense can handle these short passes will determine how quickly they can get off the field.
4. Javonte’s return to Mile High
Cowboys’ fans are quick to tell you how much they love the signing of free agent running back Javonte Williams, whether that was their original feeling or not. He has been nothing short of fantastic for the Cowboys’ offense. He leads the NFC in rushing yards, has scored a career-high six rushing touchdowns, and keeps churning out big run after big run. His vision and power have helped the rushing attack average 4.9 yards per attempt, the third-best in the league.
This week, Williams will square off against the team that drafted him. He had a promising start to his career, carrying the ball 203 times for 903 yards in his rookie season with the Broncos. Injuries hindered his production in the following three seasons, making him expendable this past offseason. But one team’s garbage is another team’s treasure. Williams has a new lease on life in Dallas, having a career season, even surpassing his impressive rookie numbers back in 2021.
5. Bring the fight
It’s kind of strange, but the last two times these teams have played each other, the Cowboys have been laughed out of the building. In 2021 at AT&T Stadium, the Broncos jumped out to a 30-0 lead before a couple of garbage touchdowns made the final score closer than it was. Oddly enough, Javonte Williams rushed for 111 yards in that game, the most ever for him during his four years in Denver. And back in 2017, they also got run all over, this time by C.J. Anderson, as they endured a Mile High beatdown, losing by 25 points. In those games, the Cowboys not only looked terrible, but they just didn’t show up ready to play.
This group is supposed to be different. Yes, we know defensively, there are issues, but they have put together a couple of good performances over the last few games. A win is the goal, but this team needs to show up in Denver with some fight. Win the battle in the trenches and give their team a chance to pull out a big road win. Having a winning record would be nice, but playing good football and showing some resiliency will set the stage for a promising second half of the season.
