Dallas' roller coaster of a season continues with a Sunday showdown in Denver.

The Cowboys visit the Broncos on Sunday in just the 14th matchup between the teams. Denver has a few winning streaks going coming in. It's won the last seven games against the Cowboys and it currently has a four-game winning streak, the longest in the NFL. Denver also has an eight-game home winning streak, dating back to last season.

The Broncos enter this game with one of the top defenses in the league and needing 33 fourth-quarter points to defeat the New York Giants last week.

Dallas has been on a roller coaster of a season. They haven't won consecutive games since late last season and are seeking a victory to go over .500.

Here are five things to watch in Cowboys-Broncos:

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Stopping the Broncos' pass rush

The Cowboys will take on the best pass rush of the season's first two months when facing the Broncos. Denver leads the NFL with 34 sacks on the season, with its two linebackers -- Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper -- combining for 14 sacks. Bonitto is third in the league in sacks, while Cooper is tied for fourth. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been sacked eight times, twice in the last three weeks.

"They do a really good job, not just the timing of the count, which is one thing that you always find with good pass teams, it's a very structured pass rush," offensive coordinator Klayton Adams said. "So it's not just a bunch of individuals out there trying to win on their own. They do a pretty job hunting the pack and trying to force the quarterback to stay in the pocket, and try to push the middle in on them and high rush on the outsides."

One of the positives with the Cowboys' offensive line is the possible return of center Cooper Beebe. He's missed the last five games with a foot injury. He's currently on injured reserve and in the middle of his 21-day practice window. If Beebe is unable to play Sunday, Brock Hoffman, who's played well in his absence, would get another start.

So, what's up with the Cowboys' pass rush?

With Micah Parsons in Green Bay, the biggest issues with the Cowboys were their pass rush. In the first four weeks of the season, the Cowboys had five sacks. Now this team has 15, which includes 10 the last three weeks. Blitzing more and better coverage on the back end, particularly against Washington last week, has helped. Coach Brian Schottenheimer credited the positive play of Jadeveon Clowney and Donovan Ezeiruaku. Clowney had a sack, fumble recovery, three quarterback pressures and a pass breakup in the win over Washington. Ezeiruaku recorded his first career sack and also had four quarterback pressures.

Another rush end, Dante Fowler, had a solid game as he was credited with five quarterback pressures. On Sunday, they face a Broncos quarterback in Bo Nix, who's been sacked seven times this season.

"He can move around a lot," Fowler said.

Nix, the 12th pick of the 2024 draft, has 72 yards on 10 rushing attempts the last two weeks.

Frisco kid is one to stop

Lone Star High School grad, Marvin Mims Jr., is one of the more dynamic returners in the league. He's a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection. This season, he's second in the NFL in punt return attempts (17) and yards (209). He's the equivalent of the Cowboys' KaVontae Turpin. Though Mims might be a better receiver. In Mims' career, he's averaged 15 yards per punt return and 26.9 yards per kickoff return.

"He's explosive, he's got long speed, he's got vision," special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "He's got good contact balance. I think he's tough, he's got speed but he also, while he's running sometimes, teams might set up a wall return, he just doesn't blindly honor it. If there's a cut for him to have. I just think he's good in a lot of different situations, whether it's kick return or punt return."

Is it time for a 70-yard field goal?

When the Cowboys go to Denver, they will deal with the high altitude of the area. Empower Field at Mile High has an elevation of 5,280 feet above sea level. That elevation, along with the wind, can lead to further field goal attempts.

For kicker Brandon Aubrey, attempting a kick from 70 yards might be in the plans.

"We'll see, it all depends on the situation," Sorensen said.

Aubrey is 5-for-7 on kicking attempts from 60-plus yards in his career. This year, he's made kicks from 61 and 64 yards. Aubrey has made an NFL record five kicks from 60-plus yards.

The high altitude could create some long field goal tries on Sunday.

"It changes it for sure," Sorensen said. "The ball carries a bit more, how much more, we'll see, and the wind plays a factor in all that stuff. We'll see. I think the altitude affects people differently as far as the body."

AdvertisementThe best corner in the 2021 NFL draft

The reasoning behind the Cowboys selecting Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft was that they couldn't draft a cornerback. When Denver picked Patrick Surtain with the 12th overall pick, it made Dallas trade down with Philadelphia. The Eagles got a receiver, DeVonta Smith, at No. 10, while the Cowboys selected Parsons.

There was a thought the Broncos would snag a quarterback, but with the top three players of the draft being quarterbacks, the Broncos went in a different direction.

Welcome to the unpredictability of the draft.

The Cowboys will see Surtain for the second time in his career on Sunday. This season, Surtain, considered one of the top corners in the game, has no interceptions, but has eight pass breakups. Also, quarterbacks have a 73.9 quarterback rating against him, 17th-best among defenders. Surtain is a corner who can cover a receiver exclusively, which might be the case with either CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens. He could also just stay on one side of the field and cover whoever is in front of him.

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5 final thoughts about Cowboys-Broncos: Is it time for a new Brandon Aubrey record?