Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins runs against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Abysmal stat explains why Cowboys were bullied in Week 8 vs Broncos

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 12:31 PM ET

Entering this weekend, the Dallas Cowboys felt they had a chance to make a run at the postseason. They just had their best game of the year against the Washington Commanders, and the defense seemed to find some confidence in the victory.

That feeling was short-lived with the Denver Broncos thoroughly embarrassing Dallas in a 44-24 win on Sunday.

Both sides of the ball had issues for Dallas with Dak Prescott coming under fire for a rough outing. No matter how flawed the offense was this weekend, it was nothing compared to their defense.

Dallas had no answers for Bo Nix and the passing attack, and they were bullied by the rushing attack. It looked bad in real time, but one stat makes it seem even worse. Denver backs average 5.35 yards before contact, which is the highest allowed this season by any defense.

Broncos running backs averaged 5.35 rush yards *before* contact on Sunday (TruMedia). That's the highest single-game mark in 2025.
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 27, 2025

The Broncos finished with 179 yards and two touchdowns on the ground Sunday, with rookie R.J. Harvey scoring the first two rushing touchdowns of his career.

Dallas Cowboys attempts to fix run defense have failed

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

When the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons ahead of the season opener, Jerry Jones made it clear that he wanted to get a run-stuffer in return. That led to the arrival of defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

While the Cowboys initially seemed to have a handle on run defense, that hasn’t been the case lately. The Broncos game is just another example of this team getting pushed around.

It also happened in a Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers, which saw former Cowboy Rico Dowdle gain 183 yards.

Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus hasn’t lived up to expectations this year, especially against the pass. If his unit continues to struggle against the run as well, it will be tough for him to survive the season.