As you rush around for last-minute Christmas gifts, ponder this: The last time the Cowboys won a home game you were mulling over your Halloween costume.
Yeah, it’s been that long.
The team’s 7-0 road record is as confounding as its continuing futility at home. The Cowboys are 3-4 at AT&T Stadium, last winning way back on Oct. 19 over the Giants. And this “Home Sour Home” trend isn’t new. Since moving into their $1.2 billion stadium in Arlington in 2009, the Cowboys are only a mediocre 26-22 at home.
If the Cowboys lose to the Colts Sunday in their home finale and then beat the Redskins in Washington next week, they would cap arguably the strangest season in NFL history by being the first team to go 8-0 on the road but only 3-5 at home.
In fact, of the other five teams to go 8-0 on the road none finished with fewer than six home wins and all advanced to the conference championship or Super Bowl.
The Cowboys’ feat would not only make history, it would put their playoff hopes in serious peril.
The good news: To cough up their NFC East lead they’ll have to do something that’s happened only once in the last 54 years and twice in the history of ever. Lose to the Colts at home.
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It occured in 1960 when quarterback Don Heinrich was out-dueled in front of 25,000 fans in the Cotton Bowl by a guy named Johnny Unitas. And again in 1996, when the defending champs got touchdowns from Emmitt Smith and Deion Sanders but were beaten on a late rally engineered by a guy named Jim Harbaugh.
Whether in Baltimore or Indianapolis, the Colts have always been in the AFC and, therefore, haven’t made many visits to North Texas. They’re 2-5 on the road against Dallas, making them one of the Cowboys’ favorite guests.
No NFL team has been playing the Cowboys longer with less success on the road. Only nine teams have fewer road wins against the Cowboys than the Colts, and all nine began traveling to DFW in 1970 later.
A look at teams’ records in road games against the Cowboys:
TEAM -- W-L
Eagles -- 22-36
Giants -- 21-33
Redskins -- 17-36
Cardinals -- 11-31
49ers -- 9-8
Rams -- 8-9
Vikings -- 7-7
Browns -- 7-9
Packers -- 6-12
Dolphins -- 5-3
Bears -- 5-7
Steelers -- 5-9
Titans -- 4-3
Saints -- 4-11
Raiders -- 3-2
Broncos -- 3-2
Lions -- 3-8
Falcons -- 3-9
Chargers -- 2-2
Jaguars -- 2-2
Colts -- 2-5
Seahawks -- 2-6
Ravens -- 1-0
Jets -- 1-2
Patriots -- 1-4
Chiefs -- 1-4
Bills -- 1-4
Panthers -- 1-4
Bengals -- 1-5
Buccaneers -- 1-10
Texans -- 0-2
