The NFL started scheduling bye weeks back in 1990. They even scheduled two bye weeks in the 1993 season.
For the most part, the 34 bye weeks have resulted in much-needed rest for the Cowboys.
And about 68% of the time it has led to a win the next game following that week off. In 1993, it equated into two post-bye week victories.
With last Sunday’s week off Dallas has now enjoyed 35 bye weeks.
They have an overall record of 23-11 in games played following a bye week coming into this Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams will be the 15th different opponent the Cowboys have faced following a bye week.
Home Cooking
The Cowboys have only played 11 games at home following a bye – against 23 on the road. But they are 8-3 in those games.
They host the Rams this Sunday but they did lose the last time they played a home game following a bye week.
Back in 2018, coming off a Week 8 bye, the Cowboys hosted the Titans. Tennessee broke a 14-14 tie at halftime with two second-half scores for a 28-14 win.
Dallas had won their first six home games played after a bye week but have been alternating wins and losses since beating the Cardinals in 2001.
If they hold that pattern it bodes well for a win on Sunday.
The Cowboys have never lost back-to-back games at home that followed a bye week.
Road Warriors
The Cowboys have played twice as many games away from Texas following a bye week. But they hold a solid 15-8 record in those games.
While Dallas has a pair of two-game losing streaks on the road in such games, they have several winning streaks too.
The Cowboys won four straight post-bye week road games between 1993-98. They won five in a row between 2003-2008.
Most recently they won four straight between 2017 and 2021. That streak was snapped last year in Green Bay.
In the 23 seasons Dallas has played in this century, 17 of their games played after a bye week have been on the road.
The Usual Suspects
As is usually the case in all-time records, the Cowboys have faced their NFC East rivals the most over any other division in post-bye contests.
Dallas is 10-4 overall against the division.
The Cowboys are 2-0 against the Commanders, 5-1 against the Eagles, and 3-3 against the Giants.
From 2013 to 2015 Dallas faced off against New York all three years in their first game after a bye week. The Cowboys went 2-1 in that stretch.
Dallas is a combined 5-0 against the NFC West.
The Cowboys have won all four post-bye games against the Cardinals and beat the 49ers in 2017.
Dallas has never played Seattle in the week following a bye. Their meeting on Sunday against the Rams will be their first post-bye week meeting.
The Cowboys are 4-2 against all four of the NFC North teams. They are 2-0 against the NFC South via two wins over the Falcons.
When it comes to AFC teams though Dallas is just 2-5 overall.
The Cowboys beat the Jets in their only meeting. Dallas is 1-2 against the Titans and have lost to the Ravens, Patriots and Colts.
POST BYE WEEK ALL-TIME RECORD
Sorted by number of games played against opponent
- Eagles (5-1)
- Giants (3-3)
- Cardinals (4-0)
- Titans (1-2)
- Commanders (2-0)
- Falcons (2-0)
- Vikings (2-0)
- Packers (1-1)
- Bears (1-0)
- Jets (1-0)
- 49ers (1-0)
- Colts (0-1)
- Lions (0-1)
- Patriots (0-1)
- Ravens (0-1)
