The Dallas Cowboys are 2-2 going into Week 5 of the NFL season.
Next on their schedule is the Pittsburgh Steelers and their stingy defense, fourth-best in the NFL with 261.3 yards allowed per game.
What should Dallas look out for regarding its next opponent? Here are five things to know about the Steelers:
Special K
The Steelers are second-best in the league in made field goals, posting an average of 2.8 per game. The Cowboys are first with an average of three field goals made per game. Chris Boswell is having a great season as Pittsburgh’s placekicker. Boswell nailed all six field goal attempts in the Steelers’ season-opening win against the Falcons, including three attempts from beyond 50 yards. Five of Boswell’s attempts against the Falcons came from 40 or more yards. That has happened just three times in NFL history. In two of those instances, it was Boswell who did it. During the season, Boswell has connected on 11 of 12 field goal attempts and six extra points for 39 points.
Fielding criticism
Justin Fields performed well against the Colts but could not avoid the Steelers’ (3-1) first loss of the season. Against the Colts, the Steelers quarterback passed for a season-high 312 yards and a score. He added 55 yards on 10 carries and another touchdown. On the other side of the coin, Fields also fumbled twice — losing one — and was sacked four times.
“I appreciate Justin’s fight. But he, and we, were a little bit sloppy at times, too sloppy to comfortably secure victory,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin after the game.
Fields, expected to start again this week, ranks 18th in total passing yards with 831.
Shining defense
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has his unit playing as one of the best in the league. Until the 27-24 loss to the Colts, Pittsburgh held each of its first three opponents to 10 points or less, something that had not happened since the 1973 season. The Steelers’ defense allows an average of 53.8 plays per game to opposing offenses, second best in the NFL behind the Dolphins (51.7). Pittsburgh is the fourth-best defense in the league in allowing third-down conversions with 3.8 per game.
Super Bowl memories
Until something different happens, the Steelers are tied to Cowboys history as the last team Dallas beat in a Super Bowl. That was in January 1996 at what was known as Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.. The Cowboys and Steelers have met 30 times in the regular season with a 16-14 record in favor of the Dallas squad. The last time they met was in the 2020 season, the Steelers won 24-19 at AT&T Stadium. The first game of this rivalry took place in 1960, which Pittsburgh won 35-28.
Tomlin is the man
Mike Tomlin is the active head coach with the second-best record at 184-111-2 for a .623 percentage. Tomlin has coached 297 NFL games, the same as Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. With 18 years as a head coach, Tomlin holds the longest tenure with the same team. Tomlin has won one Super Bowl and has coached 18 postseason games.
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