Cowboys bring a not-so-sweet Week 16 history into today’s game

As with Week 15 games, the NFL did not begin to schedule Week 16 games until the 1978 season.

Today will mark the Cowboys’ 46th Week 16 game in their history. They sit just above the .500 mark at 24-21 all-time in Week 16 contests.

Unfortunately they have a losing record when on the road in Week 16 – as they are today against the Dolphins – at 9-11 overall.

Streaky Situation

The good news is that Dallas has won its last three Week 16 games. All three were home wins against the Eagles, Commanders and the Eagles again.

Today will mark the first Week 16 game against a non-NFC East opponent since a 2018 home win against Tampa Bay.

The Cowboys lost the last Week 16 game played on the road to the Eagles back in 2019.

Carson Wentz was the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback back in 2019, the last time Dallas lost a Week 16 game. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)

It will also be the first Week 16 game played against an AFC opponent since a 2015 loss to the Bills at Buffalo.

Dallas started out strong in Week 16 contests, winning their first three. A 30-7 road win against the Jets in 1978 was followed by home wins against the Redskins and Eagles.

The Cowboys would lose the next six Week 16 contests before a 21-16 home win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 snapped the streak.

A three-game losing streak – a loss to the Packers sandwiched by two losses to the Eagles – followed.

Dallas dominated Week 16 in the 1990s, winning six in a row between 1991-1996. They lost two of the next three to close out the decade at 7-3.

They are 13-10 in Week 16 games in this century.

Dallas has enjoyed a pair of three game-winning streaks in Week 16 during the 21st Century – 2003-05 and again in 2020-22. They lost three straight from 2010-2012.

Against Miami

This will be the second time Dallas has faced Miami in Week 16 and the 15th time overall in the regular season with one Super Bowl meeting.

The last meeting was back in 1984, also in Miami, and resulted in a Dolphins’ 28-21 win.

Miami jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the Cowboys rallied to tie the game on two different occasions. A 63-yard pass from Dan Marino to Mark Clayton with 51 seconds left was the game winner.

The season-finale loss denied the Cowboys a playoff berth despite a 9-7 record.

The next meeting between the two teams came at Texas Stadium in 1987. Miami would win that game 20-14.

It proved to be the final meeting between the two legendary coaches – Don Shula and Tome Landry.

Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula (left) watches former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry make a chess move on July 19, 1996, at Myers Park Country Club during the filming of a promotion for an NFL Films show called “Head Coach.” (Miami Herald Sun)

Shula would finish with a 4-1 record against Landry in regular season games. But Landry would claim the victory in the lone Super Bowl meeting.

The Cowboys are 7-7 against Miami in regular season meetings. They are 1-0 in postseason play thanks to the 24-3 Super Bowl VI victory at the end of the 1971 season.

Dallas has outscored Miami 296-254 in their 14 regular season meetings.

The Cowboys enter today’s game with a four-game win streak over the Dolphins. Miami’s last win over Dallas came at Texas Stadium in 2003, a 40-21 victory.

The Cowboys are 3-2 against the Dolphins in Miami, having won the last three meetings in South Florida.

Divisionally Speaking

Dallas is 4-4 against the AFC in Week 16 meetings. They are 3-2 against the AFC East.

The Cowboys are 0-2 against the AFC North, 1-0 against the AFC South. They have never played an AFC West team in Week 16.

Dallas’ 20-17 record against the NFC is fueled by a perfect 5-0 mark against Washington.

They are 12-8 against the NFC East with a 2-2 mark against the Giants and 5-6 against the Eagles.

Dallas is just 2-4 against the NFC West and 5-2 against the NFC South. They are 1-3 against the North with the lone win coming against the Lions.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. OPPONENTS

NFC EAST

GIANTS   (2-2)

EAGLES   (5-6)

COMMANDERS   (5-0)

NFC WEST

CARDINALS   (1-1)

RAMS   (0-0)

49ERS   (1-2)

SEAHAWKS   (0-1)

NFC SOUTH

FALCONS   (1-0)

PANTHERS   (2-0)

SAINTS   (1-2)

BUCCANEERS   (1-0)

NFC NORTH

BEARS   (0-1)

LIONS   (1-0)

PACKERS   (0-1)

VIKINGS   (0-1)

AFC EAST

BILLS   (0-1)

DOLPHINS   (0-1)

PATRIOTS   (1-0)

JETS   (2-0)

AFC SOUTH

TEXANS   (0-0)

COLTS   (1-0)

JAGUARS   (0-0)

TITANS   (0-0)

AFC NORTH

RAVENS   (0-1)

BENGALS   (0-1)

BROWNS   (0-0)

STEELERS   (0-0)

AFC WEST

BRONCOS   (0-0)

CHIEFS   (0-0)

RAIDERS   (0-0)

CHARGERS   (0-0)