Two of the top individual units in the entire NFL will square off Sunday afternoon in Denver when the Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) and their high-flying offense come to Mile High to face the Denver Broncos (5-2) and their stout defense.
Dallas enters Week 8 as the league’s No. 1 total offense (380.3 total yards per game) and No. 2 scoring offense (31.7 points per game), and Denver enters as the league’s No. 3 total defense (273.1 total yards per game allowed) and No. 4 scoring defense (18.1 points per game allowed). Dallas’ trio of quarterback Dak Prescott (1,881 yards passing, second-most in the NFL), running back Javonte Williams (592 yards rushing, second-most in the NFL) and wide receiver George Pickens (607 yards receiving, fourth-most in the NFL) are the only teammate trio in the NFL this season to rank top five in the league in passing, rushing and receiving. The Cowboys have had one teammate trio do that over the course of an entire NFL season since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger: the Hall of Fame trio of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin in 1992. That was when that core won their first Super Bowl title.
That statistic doesn’t factor in All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb returning in Week 7 from a three-game absence because of a sprained ankle. He racked up 110 yards and a touchdown on five catches against the Washington Commanders in Week 7. Tight end Jake Ferguson also stands at fourth place in the NFL in catches (51) and tied for second in the league in touchdown catches (6) with Pickens and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams.
As for the home team, the Broncos’ pass rush is the league’s best: they lead the NFL in both sacks (34) and quarterback pressure rate (44.9%). Two Denver edge rushers, Nik Bonitto (eight sacks, third-most in the NFL) and Jonathon Cooper (six sacks this season, tied for the fourth-most in the NFL), rank top five in the league in sacks. The Broncos’ two corners are also elite: Patrick Surtain II is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and Riley Moss‘s 37.5% completion percentage allowed is the lowest among 76 defenders with at least 30 passes thrown their way this season.
Will top tier offense or defense win out on Sunday afternoon? Stay tuned to our live blog below for analysis, key updates and highlights!
Where to watch Cowboys vs. Broncos live
- When: Sunday, Oct. 26 | Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
- Where: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver)
- TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ (try for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Broncos -3.5; O/U 51 (via FanDuel Sportsbook)
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