The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions 20-19 after a rather confusing and controversial ending. Dallas stopped Detroit three times straight on two-point conversions, winning all three untimed downs. Dallas dominated Detroit on defense, intercepting Jared Goff twice and limiting him to 271 yards and two interceptions. The Cowboys hunted the Lions successfully, and their playoff ticket is punched. Here’s what Dallas must take away from the Lions game, and how the team can remain hot come January.
Dallas Cowboys Edge Detroit Lions 20-19 and Gain Momentum in Controversial Ending
Run Defense finally showing signs of life
James Cook, James Conner, and Christian McCaffrey all turned Dallas’ run defense into Swiss cheese. The same could not be said about Detroit’s backfield. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs ran the ball nine times each. In total, Dallas allowed 118 yards of rushing defense. While it’s worse than their Christmas Eve performance against Miami (91 yards), it’s a sign of life. Without DT Johnathan Hankins, the Cowboys still managed to limit the Lions’ rushing attack to a reasonable degree. Detroit’s run game averages 4.7 yards per carry, and Dallas held them to just 4. Might seem like a small margin, but the NFL is a game of inches.
The likes of Dante Fowler, Micah Parsons, and Dorance Armstrong all made impactful plays. However, nobody played bigger than Demarcus “Tank” Lawrence. He’s been blowing up short-yardage running plays for two weeks, frustrating Raheem Mostert and now Jahmyr Gibbs. Lawrence has turned back the clock at just the right moment. If he continues on his current pace, look to find Lawrence in the 2024 Pro Bowl.
He might just be the final piece to Dallas’ incoming playoff punch.
Clock Management Skill
Ok, Mike McCarthy, your defense just got an interception with 2:08 in the fourth quarter. Run the ball? Take a knee? Do something to chew clock? Evidently not.
The Cowboys nearly let the Lions win due to Mike McCarthy’s rather critical clock management. After a (completely botched) tripping call on Cowboys TE Payton Hendershot, Dallas found themselves with 1st and 25, 2:00 on the clock. Despite Detroit’s two timeouts, QB Dak Prescott threw the ball three straight times. This gave Detroit the ball at their 25 with 1:41. Jared Goff & company marched to the end zone for a score, and then things got controversial. Jared Goff threw the ball to OT Taylor Decker for a successful (at the moment) two point conversion. In a head-scratching sequence of events, Decker actually did not report eligibility.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” said Lions HC Dan Campbell. “70 reported…68 didn’t, and we threw it to 68. That was the explanation,”
The Cowboys likely would have lost to the Lions if that play didn’t get called back. Count your lucky stars, Cowboys fans, you got away with one. It won’t always be this way. Dallas likely faces Tampa Bay, Green Bay or Los Angeles in the 2024 NFL playoffs. Each of these teams can move the ball just as effectively as Detroit. It doesn’t take a genius to see that Mike McCarthy’s clock management is a problem. It’s a fixable issue, but the Cowboys won’t have any room for error come playoffs.
Momentum Swing
The Cowboys beating the Lions was merely the beginning of Dallas’ momentum swing. At the moment, all the Cowboys have to do is defeat a Washington Commanders team that hasn’t won since November 5th. This will clinch them the NFC East, and home field advantage. Speaking of home-field advantage, the Cowboys are 11-0 at home on the season. The road to the playoffs will run through Jerry’s world, and the Cowboys are starting to wake up.
“It’s important just to, you know, get the momentum going back in the right direction,” Said Cowboys RB Tony Pollard.
Pollard’s good showing is another good momentum shift for Dallas. Backup RB Deuce Vaughn also saw the field, getting fans and teammates excited. CeeDee Lamb finished Saturday’s game with 13 catches for 227 yards, one of which was a 92-yard Touchdown. His utterly dominant performance puts him in the NFL’s top 3 receivers heading into the playoffs. The Lions’ highly controversial 2-point conversion call overshadowed just how much momentum the Cowboys are building.
Main Photo: Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK
