The Dallas Cowboys will host the Detroit Lions in the last game of wild card weekend this Sunday afternoon. In looking at the two teams who have worked incredibly hard at getting to this point, some fascinating facts surrounding both teams are worth pointing out.
1. The last time the Lions won a postseason game was in 1991, as they defeated the Troy Aikman-led Cowboys 38-6.
2. Matthew Stafford has yet to win a road game versus a team that completed the regular season with a winning record.
3. The Cowboys’ 26th-ranked pass defense is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 66.5 percent of their passes. Other than the Cowboys, only the Bears, Rams and Buccaneers have been more generous. This definitely works in favor of Stafford.
4. The Dallas Cowboys, who have the second-highest ranked ground game, face the Detroit Lions No. 1 ranked run defense. DeMarco Murray, nursing his surgically-repaired left hand, will certainly have his work cut out for him.
5. Detroit Lions’ running back Joique Bell has never rushed over 100 yards in a road game.
6. The last time Calvin Johnson faced the Dallas Cowboys was in Week 8 in 2013. He torched them for 329 receiving yards. Megatron’s receiving yardage was the second-highest in single-game history.
7. According to Pro Football Focus, Cowboys’ cornerbacks Sterling Moore and Orlando Scandrick have yet to allow a touchdown this season when “lined up in primary coverage.” We’ll see if they can contain the dual-threat that Johnson and Golden Tate offer.
8. The Dallas Cowboys put up an average of 41.3 points per game during the month of December. So far this season, the Lions have allowed 17 points or less in 11 games. Something will have to give here for one of the teams.
9. Tony Romo just became the first quarterback in Dallas’ history to post 10-plus touchdowns with zero interceptions over a three-game span. Romo and a red-hot Dez Bryant are going to be a force to contend with.
10. DeMarco Murray broke Emmitt Smith’s franchise record by putting up 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards. Detroit yielded just one 100-yard rusher during the regular season, which came in Week 17 against the Packers and Eddie Lacy.
Sunday’s game will certainly be a nail-biter for Cowboys’ fans whose powerful offense appears unstoppable these days. And Detroit’s fans will be hoping that their team’s threatening defense will be able to limit the Cowboys’ scoring drives while their quarterback avoids costly picks.
Photo: Dallas Morning News