QB Dalton returns to Cincy as Cowboys and Bengals face off
DALLAS (3-9) AT CINCINNATI (2-9-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
OPENING LINE - Cowboys by 3 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Cowboys 2-10, Bengals 7-5
SERIES RECORD - Cowboys lead 8-4
LAST MEETING - Cowboys beat Bengals 28-14 on Oct. 9, 2016 at Dallas
LAST WEEK - Bengals lost to Dolphins 19-7; Cowboys lost to Ravens 34-17
AP PRO32 RANKING - Cowboys No. 29, Bengals No. 30
BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (27), RUSH (30), PASS (18).
BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (26), RUSH (29), PASS (25).
COWBOYS OFFENSE - OVERALL (9), RUSH (17), PASS (9).
COWBOYS DEFENSE - OVERALL (24), RUSH (32), PASS (6).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Dallas has won four of the last five meetings. ... A Dallas loss would tie the franchise's longest losing streak against AFC teams at seven. It's happened twice previously, from 1987-89 and 2000-02. ... First-year Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is 14-25-1 since the start of his last full season in Green Bay in 2017. He had eight straight winning seasons with the Packers before that. McCarthy was out of football last year after a midseason firing in 2018. ... Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton was a second-round Bengals draft pick in 2011 and played nine seasons with the team. When Cincinnati parted ways with him in April, he was the franchise leader in completions (2,757), touchdown passes (204), passer rating (87.5) and 300-yard passing games (28). ... Dalton has 26 career winning drives in fourth quarters or overtime, fourth most by any quarterback since he entered the league in 2011. ... Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott had five touchdowns rushing through five games but has none since. His only TD in the past seven games was a receiving score in the only win in that stretch, Nov. 22 at Minnesota. ... The Dallas defense is last in the NFL in points allowed (33 per game) and yards rushing (168 per game). ... The Bengals have dropped four straight games. ... Cincinnati G Jonah Williams (knee) was put on injured reserve this week. CB Darius Phillips (groin) came off the list. ... The Bengals have thrown the ball 64.1% of the time, fourth most in the NFL. ... Bengals G Xavier Su'a-Filo played for the Cowboys the last two seasons. ... Cincinnati is second in the NFL in converting fourth-down chances (81%, 17 of 21). ... Bengals WR Tyler Boyd has a team-high 73 catches. He's averaging 6.1 per game. ... Bengals WR Tee Higgins has 53 catches and is on pace to challenge Cris Collinsworth (67) for the franchise rookie record. ... Cincinnati RB Giovani Bernard's 829 consecutive carries without a fumble is by far the longest such streak in the NFL. Bernard has been the starter since RB Joe Mixon went out with a foot injury Oct. 18. ... In the last meeting of the teams, Bernard had 96 total yards from scrimmage (50 rushing and six catches for 46 receiving yards). ... Bengals LB Logan Wilson's two interceptions tie him for second among NFL rookies. ... There were 48 players on NFL rosters who entered the league as draft picks of the Bengals. That's three more than any other team in the league. ... Bengals S Vonn Bell has 10 or more tackles in two of his last three games. ... Fantasy tip: Dallas WR Michael Gallup had seven catches for 86 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens.
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