Inside The Star
As things stand right now, the Dallas Cowboys will probably be either 5-2 or 4-3 for the 2025 NFL season when they travel to Denver to take on the Broncos in Week 8.
Denver, under Sean Payton, is expected to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West crown. They’ll also have the advantage of that mile-high elevation.
The Broncos were a 10-win team that made the playoffs last year.
They’ve also improved on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in the offseason.
If Bo Nix continues to improve, and Payton is the quarterback whisperer after all, Denver is going to be a tough out. It will be a tough assignment for the Cowboys to fly home with a win on the books.
But there is a historical aspect to this contest that could prove to be a good omen for Dallas.
We’ve all talked about the Cowboys’ nearly 30-year-long championship drought. Some folks like to put air quotes on it because they are in denial.
But it still exists.
As does one other equally long drought.
The number of years since Dallas has beaten the Broncos in the regular season. The last time they did so was back in Week 2 of the 1995 season.
That was the last season that ended with the Cowboys hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Or even getting to a Super Bowl, or a conference championship game.
Since that 31-21 win at Texas Stadium, Dallas has lost seven straight games to Denver. The last meeting was a 30-16 rout that wasn’t as close as the final score made it.
It featured a bizarre blocked punt, that wasn’t a blocked punt after all, that likely killed any comeback bid by Dallas in the second half.
The highlight game was the 51-48 shootout at AT&T Stadium between Tony Romo and Peyton Manning. It is the highest-scoring final score in Cowboys’ history.
But could a Dallas’ win this year mean not only an end to the losing streak to the Broncos, but an omen that 2025 will also end the Cowboys’ drought of making it past the divisional round?
Maybe. At least a win here couldn’t hurt those chances.
In addition to Dallas being 5-9 overall, and 3-5 at Denver, against the Broncos, the Cowboys are 36-21 overall in Week 8 contests.
They are 12-11 when those games are played on the road. They have never played the Broncos in a Week 8 game.
Dallas is 2-1 against the AFC West in this week of the schedule.
We’ll take our good omens wherever we can find them.
