ARLINGTON, Texas -- In the middle of an eight-game winning streak, the Dallas Cowboys hope to end a losing streak today against the Baltimore Ravens.
Confused? The Ravens own a 4-0 record in the all-time series against the Cowboys. Baltimore is the only team in the NFL the Cowboys have never beaten.
The games have gotten progressively closer over the years: 27-0 loss on Nov. 19, 2000, 30-10 loss on Nov. 21, 2004, 33-24 loss on Dec. 20, 2008, 31-29 loss on Oct. 14, 2012.
The nine-point loss in 2008 was particularly gut-wrenching because that was the final game in Texas Stadium history. The two-point loss in 2012 was a story on how not to manage the clock in late-game situations.
With today's game every team in the NFL will have made at least one appearance at AT&T Stadium, which opened in 2009.
Respect from Dez: Last week Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant spoke glowingly about Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This time it is 16-year veteran Steve Smith Sr.
"That guy, he's phenomenal all the way around," Bryant said. "He's a complete beast. He takes his life serious and he understands his opportunities. I think if you want to be a player in this league he's somebody also you look up to. Most people misunderstand him just because they just hear what a lot of people say instead of actually doing their research and seeing what he's all about. That dude is damn amazing. I love the way he goes about his business."
Smith has eight 1,000-yard seasons to his credit, tied for the most among active players. He has 51 100-yard games in his career. In seven games this season he has 36 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns after returning from a torn Achilles suffered last season.
He needs three more catches to join Jason Witten in the 1,000-reception club.
What could have been: The Cowboys made a fairly strong play for safety Eric Weddle in free agency. He opted to sign with the Ravens over the Cowboys after a nine-year run with the San Diego Chargers.
Weddle's connection to the Cowboys would have come through special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who was with the Chargers before coming to Dallas. The Cowboys also coached him at the Pro Bowl two years ago.
The Ravens landed Weddle, a three-time Pro Bowler, with a four-year, $26 million deal that included $13 million guaranteed. He is second on the Baltimore defense with 45 tackles and has two interceptions, seven pass deflections and a forced fumble.
"He's been a really good player for a long time," coach Jason Garrett said. "One of the things that happens in free agency and in the draft, you talk about a lot of different players. You develop relationships with a lot of different players and you see if they can possibly help your football team. He was one of those guys that we had talked about and spent some time with for obvious reasons. He's a good player and ultimately he decided to go to Baltimore. He felt like that was the best fit for him. But a lot of respect for him and what he's done throughout his career."
The ref: John Parry has not been kind to the Cowboys. Since 2010, the Cowboys are 2-5 with Parry as the referee and there is a wide discrepancy in the penalties called. The Cowboys have been penalized 51 times for 355 yards, while their opponents have been flagged 31 times for 221 yards. Parry and his crew last worked the Monday night game between the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants. Here is a breakdown of their work from that game.
