Following their thrilling victory on the road in Minnesota last Sunday to secure the NFC North, the Detroit Lions will be traveling to Dallas tonight in prime time to try to extend their winning streak to three games and move up in the NFC playoff standings.
Detroit can move up to the No. 2 seed if they defeat Minnesota this evening and the next week. The No. 1 seed is still up for grabs, depending on how San Francisco performs in their next two games. However, the Lions’ game against the Cowboys tonight must come first.
Five things to be aware of in this one are as follows:
1. TRAIL WARRIORS
The Lions will be the first opponent to win this season if they triumph tonight at AT&T Stadium. Dallas is 7-0 at home and leads the league in points scored per game (39.9). After the NFL merger, it is presently the third-highest home scoring average, only surpassed by New Orleans (41.1) and Green Bay (40.1) in 2011. This season, the Cowboys have outscored opponents at AT&T Stadium 279-108.
“There’s just something about them—listen, our pace, our execution, the plays they have—that makes us feel that way. This is evident in the way they attack you both at home and away, according to Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who made the statement this week.
And I believe it’s because of how the throng reacts to them in certain circumstances. You know what, they’re a very dynamic squad, so we need to be at our best to begin this game. They really have been playing so well at home, particularly at the beginning of the game.”
In club history, Dallas hopes to become the third team to finish 8-0 at home, behind the 1980 and 1981 squads. Detroit has a 6-2 record and has performed well away from home this season.
2. ACTIVE DUO
Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions became the fourth group of players in franchise history to surpass 1,000 scrimmage yards for the season.
For the first time, two running backs in Detroit have amassed 10 scrimmage touchdowns in the same season (2023) and both players have over 800 rushing yards in a single season.
This season, are Gibbs (872) and Montgomery (910) able to accumulate 1,000 running yards? Given how things are going, it seems plausible. Could they pull it off together this evening? With 115.7 yards allowed per game, the Cowboys’ running defense is rated 19th coming into the season.
3. THE PARSONS EFFECT
One of the league’s most dynamic defensive players is Micah Parsons of Dallas. This season, he has racked up 53 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 13.0 sacks, and 30 quarterback hits. The fact that Dallas moves him all over the field makes it harder to slow him down. He has 182 repetitions at left outside linebacker, 170 at right outside linebacker, 205 at left end, and 80 at right end. In addition, he will play off-ball linebacker in the box.
According to Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, “Oh yeah, he’s a game-wrecker for sure,” Johnson said this week. “I was just talking to the guys upstairs, they move him around so much whether it’s right side, left side, over either guard, over the center, he’s just – every snap he’s almost in a different location, so it’s hard to get a beat a little bit to account for where he’s at.”
The offensive line in Detroit will need to be very excellent at keeping track of him at all times. Because of the attention opposition must pay to Parsons, the Cowboys have other explosive rushers who are enhanced by his presence. The Lions’ 29 allowed sacks this season rank them eighth in the NFL.
4. The Brown Effect
Amon-Ra St. Brown departed the first quarter of last year’s 24-6 defeat in Dallas after taking a forearm to the head and seemed a touch lightheaded. Due to an amendment made to the NFL’s concussion protocol earlier in the season that prohibited players from returning to the field if they had symptoms of ataxia, St. Brown was unable to play again even though he passed all sideline concussion tests.
The Lions’ passing game was unsatisfactory all day, with St. Brown playing only 10 plays and recording one four-yard reception. St. Brown is undoubtedly excited to carry out his role in Dallas this time around.
St. Brown said last week, “Last year was kind of unfortunate what happened.” “I can’t wait to play outside. I’m thrilled to get back out there with the boys in primetime against a solid team this late in the season—a club that hasn’t lost at home—after being limited to playing in just about two drives that game. It will be enjoyable.
With 1,281 yards and 106 catches, St. Brown leads the Lions. In addition, he has eight touchdown receptions. The record for catches in a player’s first three seasons is something he is only 22 receptions away from matching. With 302, St. Brown is pursuing Justin Jefferson of Minnesota, who has 324. St. Brown scored a touchdown and 12 receptions for 106 yards in last week’s victory against the Vikings.
5. LESSONS LEARNED
The Lions’ defense produced four takeaways on four interceptions last week, including safety Ifeatu Melifonwu’s game-winning interception that kept the game close at the Lions’ 5-yard line by stepping in front of Jefferson. This play was a major factor in the Lions’ ability to secure a division title against Minnesota, which they won 30–24.
Dallas leads the NFL in overall offense and has scored at least 30 points in each of its home games this season. When blitzed, quarterback Dak Prescott completes 68% of his throws, and Dallas leads the league with only 13 turnovers all season.
Is it possible for the Lions’ defense to generate some of the significant turnovers that they produced in their victory against the Vikings last week? According to Glenn’s experience, turnovers tend to occur in large quantities, so he hopes that trend continues.
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