Football is a game of weird, unexplainable streaks. You have the "Curse of the Billy Goat" or the "Madden Curse," but there is something much stranger happening whenever the silver stars of Dallas fly into Denver. People call the Cowboys "America's Team," but for the last three decades, the Denver Broncos have basically treated them like a JV squad. It doesn't matter if the Broncos are starting a Hall of Famer like Peyton Manning or a guy like Trevor Siemian. They win. Dallas loses.
Honestly, it’s one of the most lopsided "non-rivalries" in the NFL. When the Denver Broncos versus Dallas Cowboys matchup appeared on the schedule for October 26, 2025, the narrative was the same as it’s been since the mid-nineties. Dallas fans were convinced this was the year. They had the top-ranked offense. Dak Prescott was playing MVP-level football. Meanwhile, the Broncos were starting a rookie.
You already know how it ended. Denver 44, Dallas 24.
The Thirty-Year Hex: A Statistical Nightmare for Dallas
The last time the Dallas Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos, Bill Clinton was in his first term. The date was September 10, 1995. Think about that for a second. In that game, Troy Aikman was throwing passes to Michael Irvin. Since that afternoon in Irving, Texas, the Cowboys have played the Broncos eight times. They have lost all eight.
It is a psychological wall at this point.
The 2025 meeting at Empower Field at Mile High was supposed to be the "reset button." Dallas came into the game at 3-3-1, looking to finally crawl over the .500 mark. Denver was sitting at 5-2, riding the momentum of a historic 33-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Giants the week before. What happened next wasn't just a loss for Dallas; it was an absolute drubbing.
- Bo Nix, the Broncos' rookie QB, looked like a veteran. He threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns.
- J.K. Dobbins chewed up the clock with 111 rushing yards.
- R.J. Harvey, another rookie, scored three times (two on the ground, one through the air).
By the time the third quarter rolled around, the score was 37-17. The Cowboys' defense, which had been struggling all season, looked completely lost against Sean Payton's play-calling. It’s kinda wild to think that despite all the money Jerry Jones pours into that roster, they can't figure out a way to beat a team they only see once every four years.
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Why Mile High Is a Death Trap for Dallas
There is something about the altitude that just eats the Cowboys alive. The last time Dallas won a game in Denver was 1992. That is a 33-year drought. If you ask a Cowboys fan about it, they’ll probably bring up the 2013 shootout. That was the legendary 51-48 game where Tony Romo threw for 506 yards and still lost because Peyton Manning was, well, Peyton Manning.
But the 2025 game was different. It wasn't a shootout. It was a physical beatdown.
Denver’s defense, led by Nik Bonitto, harassed Dak Prescott all afternoon. Prescott finished with a dismal 51.5 passer rating. He threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns. One of those picks was to Jahdae Barron—another rookie. It seems like whenever these two teams meet, Denver finds a way to make the Cowboys look ordinary.
The Super Bowl XII Connection
To find the one time Dallas actually got the better of Denver when it truly mattered, you have to go back to January 15, 1978. Super Bowl XII.
This was the "Orange Crush" era of the Broncos. It was Denver's first-ever Super Bowl appearance. They were led by Craig Morton, who—in a bit of poetic irony—was a former Cowboys quarterback. Dallas, on the other hand, had the "Doomsday Defense."
That game was a turnover festival. The Cowboys forced eight Denver turnovers. Eight! Morton was rattled from the first snap, and the Cowboys walked away with a 27-10 victory. It remains the only postseason meeting between the two franchises. For older Broncos fans, that loss is the root of the "revenge" they’ve been taking out on Dallas for the last thirty years.
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Comparing the Eras
| Era | Dominant Team | Key Storyline |
|---|---|---|
| Late 70s | Dallas Cowboys | Super Bowl XII dominance and the Doomsday Defense. |
| The 90s | Split | The last time Dallas felt comfortable in this matchup. |
| The 2010s | Denver Broncos | Peyton Manning's 51-48 masterpiece and the 2017 Zeke shutdown. |
| The 2020s | Denver Broncos | The Bo Nix era begins with a 44-24 statement win. |
What Most People Get Wrong About the Matchup
The common narrative is that Dallas is always "better on paper." If you look at the 2025 stats, it makes sense. Dallas had the #1 offense in the league heading into Week 8. Denver’s passing game was ranked 19th. On paper, it should have been a Dallas blowout.
But football isn't played on paper.
Sean Payton’s scheme in Denver is built to exploit teams that play "finesse" football. Dallas, under Mike McCarthy (and whoever else Jerry keeps on staff), often struggles with physical, disciplined defenses. In the 2025 game, the Broncos outgained the Cowboys on the ground 179 to 108. They won the turnover battle. They controlled the clock.
Basically, Denver plays a brand of "boring" winning football that Dallas just can't seem to handle.
The "Javonte Williams" Factor
One of the weirdest subplots of the recent Denver Broncos versus Dallas Cowboys game was Javonte Williams. The former Broncos running back was wearing a Cowboys jersey. He actually scored two touchdowns against his former team.
Usually, the "revenge game" narrative works in favor of the player. Not here. While Williams got his goal-line scores, he was limited to just 41 yards on 13 carries. He was overshadowed by the Broncos' new backfield duo of Dobbins and Harvey. It was a perfect microcosm of the rivalry: even when something goes right for Dallas, Denver finds a way to make it not matter.
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How to Bet This Game Moving Forward
If you are a betting person, the historical data is screaming at you.
- Don't bet on the Dallas moneyline in Denver. History says they won't win. They haven't won there since 1992.
- Look at the "Under" for Dallas offensive stars. In 2025, Jake Ferguson was held to zero catches. CeeDee Lamb was kept out of the end zone. Denver’s secondary, even when injured, plays Dallas differently than any other team.
- The "Simpsons" Curse is real? There’s a joke on Reddit that the Cowboys haven't beaten Denver since the episode "You Only Move Twice" aired in 1996, where Hank Scorpio gives Homer Simpson the Denver Broncos as a gift. Homer complains he wanted the Cowboys. Ever since then, the Broncos have been the better team.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're a Cowboys fan, the next time this game rolls around (likely in 2029), don't buy the hype. No matter how good the Dallas record is, Mile High is a different beast. For Broncos fans, this is your "guaranteed win" every four years.
To really understand why this happens, you have to look at the coaching. Sean Payton has a specific "Dallas blueprint." He knows how to frustrate Dak Prescott by taking away the intermediate middle of the field. Until Dallas finds a coach who can adjust to the altitude and the physical pressure of the Broncos' front seven, this streak is going to keep growing.
Keep an eye on the Broncos' roster development under Bo Nix. If the 2025 game was any indication, the gap between these two teams isn't closing; it's widening. Denver is building a team with young, cheap talent that plays with a chip on its shoulder. Dallas is still trying to win with expensive stars who disappear when the air gets thin.
To prep for the next matchup, start by tracking the Broncos' defensive sack rate. They led the league with 34 sacks heading into the 2025 Dallas game. When a team can pressure the QB with only four rushers, Dallas historically crumbles. That is the metric that matters most.