Tag: Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions

3 major takeaways from Cowboys undefeated home slate

Complimentary football, a compliment to Lamb are major needs as the Cowboys finish off the regular season. | From @cdpiglet

The contest was much closer than the Dallas Cowboys are used to in home games, but their victory over the Detroit Lions means they ended the 2023 season undefeated at AT&T Stadium. Controversy aside, Dallas is the only team to go undefeated at home, and they are now in first place in the NFC East and will be the number two seed if they beat the Washington Commanders next week.

The Cowboys can look at the season in totality and see plenty of positives. Dak Prescott is a top-end MVP candidate and a possible First-Team All-Pro quarterback. CeeDee Lamb is in contention for offensive player of the year and is a likely All-Pro receiver. Tyron Smith has been mostly healthy and is still one of the top left tackles in the league. The defense still has a great pass rush and is excellent at causing turnovers.

A closer look would show plenty of issues that no team would want heading into the playoffs. With only one week left in the regular season and Dallas with a chance to be anywhere from the second to the fifth seed, the major takeaways from this game are focused on improvements going forward.

Cooks cooking, Jourdan Lewis’ olympic dive among Cowboys key Week 17 moments

From @ToddBrock24f7: It wasn’t just the obvious plays or usual stars that told the story of Dallas’ 20-19 win. Jourdan Lewis and Brandin Cooks were huge, too.

Saturday’s thriller at AT&T provided no shortage of plays that have been relentlessly discussed and will still be talked about for quite some time. But the Cowboys’ 20-19 win was about far more than just a bizarre tackle-eligible snafu in the closing seconds.

One can’t recap the Week 17 nailbiter without also including several other key moments; like the phantom tripping call against Peyton Hendershot, the 92-yard bomb to CeeDee Lamb, several overly-aggressive play calls by Detroit head coach Dan Campbell, and multiple big stops from Dan Quinn’s Cowboys defense.

Dive a little deeper, and there are still more plays that help tell the full story.

In this edition of 4 Downs, we look at how a Mike McCarthy decision, a clutch takeaway from an especially-motivated veteran, a field-flipping highlight (and the ensuing defensive response), and a routine sideline catch (that was anything but) were just as critical to the Cowboys’ dramatic win as any last-minute two-point try… and re-try and re-re-try.

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Studs and duds from Cowboys’ thrilling 20-19 Week 17 victory

Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb were among the studs in the Dallas Cowboys’ thrilling 20-19 Week 17 win over the Detroit Lions. | From @BenGrimaldi

There’s never a dull moment with the Dallas Cowboys, and they made sure NFL fans got their money’s worth in an exhilarating, 20-19,  Week 17 win over the Detroit Lions. The memory of the wild finish will remain long after the season ends, but the Cowboys walked away victorious in a game they needed to win.

It wasn’t the prettiest game Dallas has played at home this year, and in beating the Lions, the team finished the regular season undefeated at home for the first time since 1981. Mike McCarthy and the officials made things more interesting than it had to be late, but the Cowboys hung on.

The night was full of entertainment as the franchise inducted a Hall of Fame coach into the Ring of Honor, and then watched a record breaking-performance. Here are the studs and duds in the Week 17 win for the Cowboys.

Cowboys suffering self-inflicted wounds with early down play-calling

Despite the Cowboys struggles running the ball in Week 17, they continued to call running plays, crippling the offense on early downs. | From @ReidDHanson

In the Cowboys 20-19 win over Detroit on Saturday, Dallas put an end to their two-game slide and kept their division crown hopes alive. The win moved them to 11-5 and on pace to log their third consecutive 12-win season. Despite all the good news, the most recent win tasted anything but sweet.

The Cowboys offense was clunky. They struggled scoring points and sustaining drives. It was the third game in a row Dallas failed to eclipse the 20-point mark, something even the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium couldn’t fix. While goal line turnovers carry a large share of the blame in their recent scoring struggles, those are more fluke than a character trait. The same can’t be said for their play-calling.

In the Cowboys’ narrow escape on Saturday, Dallas repeatedly squandered early downs. Early downs are big play downs, offering the biggest opportunities for plays downfield. Yet all too often the Cowboys played it conservatively, choosing to run the ball early on and squandering valuable opportunities in the process.

The Cowboys ran with a paltry 37 percent success rate on early downs. This means on 63 percent of their early down rushing attempts they actually decreased their odds of scoring on that given drive. While the passing game was far from flawless, its success rate on early downs was nearly 50 percent and produced an EPA almost three times that of runs.

First downs were specifically an issue in Week 17. Even though the Lions boasted a top-5 run defense and suspect secondary, the Cowboys were committed to run the ball early. Per Warren Sharp’s tracking, Dallas ran the ball 12 times on first down, producing a total of 20 yards for an average of 1.7 yards per carry. Comparatively, Dak Prescott was 12-for-12 passing on first downs, producing 7.3 yards per attempt and a 58 percent success rate.

Dallas has struggled to run the ball most of the season so none of this is out of left field. Early down success rate in 2023 is at 37.1% while early down passing is at 50.6%. While certain circumstances may warrant early down runs, more often than not the Cowboys should be passing the ball.

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Good, Bad, Ugly: Cowboys win despite missed opportunities, run-game failures, clock issues

From @ToddBrock24f7: The end result brought a sigh of relief, but the Cowboys’ 20-19 win was plagued by some troubling issues as a postseason appearance looms.

The Cowboys won, but barely. Saturday night’s 20-19 thriller may have provided tons of drama for football fans, but it also gave the Cowboys plenty to address (and their fans even more to be concerned about) as they look ahead to the playoffs.

Sure, there was much to celebrate after the star-studded night that saw Jimmy Johnson enter the Ring of Honor. CeeDee Lamb had a record-setting night in front of the franchise’s legends, and Dak Prescott turned in another magnificent performance. Defensive veterans DeMarcus Lawrence and Jourdan Lewis put on a clinic, and Brandon Aubrey continues to be the best roster addition the club has made in some time.

But the team’s self-scout is going to be long and involved after this one. The Dallas running game looks to be in serious trouble, the defense’s soft coverages almost cost them big-time, and Mike McCarthy’s play-calling continues to confound in key situations. Add in more clock management snafus, getting torched on another fake punt, and ill-timed turnovers that kept points off the scoreboard and the visitors in the game, and there’s suddenly a good deal of bad and ugly to parse out after a very welcome win.

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Cooking in silence among 3 things learned about Cowboys in Week 17 win

The Cowboys learned about their punt return unit, Brandin Cooks and the trustworthiness of their defense in their Week 17 win over the Lions. | From @ReidDHanson

Every game is a learning opportunity and the Cowboys’ Week 17 performance against Detroit is no exception. Their 20-19 win narrowly avoided an upset at home and officially put Dallas’ two-game losing streak in the rearview mirror.

Over the last month some trends have begun to immerge. The Cowboys of today have taken on a new identity in many ways, and more than a few things have been learned of this playoff-bound franchise. With just one game remaining until the postseason the Cowboys either have to accept where they are as a team or change their approach on the more problematic issues plaguing them.

CeeDee Lamb selected for drug test after monster performance in Cowboys win

From @ToddBrock24f7: After a night that saw him break franchise records and set new career highs, the WR was ordered by the league to submit to a drug test.

Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb had a monster performance in Week 17, establishing two new franchise records and logging career-best numbers in multiple categories in a 20-19 Dallas win.

The NFL apparently wondered if there was more to it than Lamb’s natural talent.

Lamb took to social media late Saturday night to share a notice he received from the league immediately after the game, ordering the 24-year-old to submit to a supposedly-random test for performance-enhancing substances.

Lamb recorded 13 receptions for 227 yards, both new single-game highs for the fourth-year man out of Oklahoma. His 17 targets tied his single-outing best, a mark he set just a month prior in a win over Seattle.

And he did it while setting new Cowboys franchise records for most receptions (122) and most receiving yards (1,651) in a season. He outdid three-time Super Bowl champ and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin in both categories. Irvin, who set those marks during his 1995 campaign, was on hand at AT&T Stadium to help celebrate former coach Jimmy Johnson’s induction into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.

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Numerous single-season records have fallen around the league since the regular season was expanded to 17 games in 2021, giving players one extra opportunity to compile stats. What makes Lamb’s record-setting season all the more impressive, though, is that he surpassed Irvin in 16 games, the same number of outings the Playmaker had in ’95.

“I told you I’d enjoy it more if we won,” Lamb told reporters after the game went final. “That we did.”

And Lamb no doubt went on to enjoy the thrilling record-setting win as promised. Even if it also meant producing a urine sample.

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Cowboys OL Tyler Smith suffers plantar fascia tear, may still play in postseason

From @ToddBrock24f7: The second-year lineman completely tore his plantar fascia, but that may actually be preferable to a partial tear in terms of recovery.

The Cowboys offensive line was dealt a blow on Saturday when second-year man Tyler Smith left the game late in the third quarter. He appeared to have suffered a foot injury of some sort, and after some time in the sideline medical tent, Smith was seen warming up as if he might go back in.

The left guard did not return, though, and T.J. Bass replaced him for the remainder of the Cowboys’ 20-19 win.

Now word comes early Sunday from NFL insider Ian Rapoport that Smith completely tore the plantar fascia of his left foot. And although it sounds excruciating, the lineman’s prognosis moving forward may not be all that dire.

Smith reportedly said after the game that he felt he could have played on. He’s scheduled to get further testing on Sunday to determine what the tear means for his availability.

There is a chance that the 22-year-old won’t miss significant time, and he reportedly could even play through the injury starting with next weekend’s regular-season finale versus Washington.

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Smith missed Weeks 1 and 2 with a hamstring injury. Fellow linemen Tyron Smith and Zack Martin have also dealt with injures this season.

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CeeDee Lamb’s historic exploits carry Cowboys’ offense to Week 17 win

A look at CeeDee Lamb’s historic night, and the Cowboys needed every one of his yards to pull out the victory. | From @TimLettiero

The Dallas Cowboys desperately needed a bounce-back win after a painstaking past two weeks. After falling in two consecutive road games, they took on the hungry Detroit Lions at home, looking to extend their chances at the NFC East crown and keep the home winning streak alive. Controversially, they got the job done.

With a final score of 20-19, neither team ever felt in control. Both defenses held up extremely well against potent offenses but one offensive performance stood out. QB1 Dak Prescott had a fantastic outing, but it was WR CeeDee Lamb who completely took over the game and the record books.

Lamb broke two Cowboys single-season records in yards and receptions while also recording the longest reception and receiving touchdown since 1965 on his way to a 13-catch, 227-yard with a score, monster of a performance.

It becomes a lot easier to go for over 200 yards when your QB can Houdini his way out of the pocket and connect with you on a 92-yard bomb.

Lamb wasn’t done after this, though. He became Prescott’s go-to target, especially on third downw. Excluding the 92 yarder, the pair hooked up on four of seven targets on the money down, good for 79 yards. This crucial 3rd-and-10 conversion was what put Lamb over 200 yards on the night.

Lamb’s 17 targets tied a season and career high, and the 13 receptions and 227 yards both set personal bests. This was the eighth straight game Lamb has scored a touchdown, the most in the NFL this season, and he’s crossed the goal line 10 times in tthat stretch.

Lamb’s four highest yardage totals in his carer have all happened this season as he has amassed over 150 receiving yards in Weeks 8, 9, 10 and 17.

Lamb has done everything you could as to cement himself as a bonafide WR1 and one of the best receivers in the game.

Cowboys keep East hopes alive, survive wacky finish to tame Lions, 20-19

The Cowboys had to survive a late scare to improve to 11-5 on the season as they squeak past Detroit.

The Dallas Cowboys did not play a clean game in any way shape or form. Mistakes in the first half kept what should’ve been a widening margin close. Inexplicable clock management strategies reared their head at inopportune times.

And then, the pass defense which had been stout all game, allowed the Lions to easily march down the field for a touchdown in under two minutes. Head coach Dan Campbell expectedly went for two, and they converted, only to have it called back by penalty. Micah Parsons jumped offsides, negating an interception, but finally the game ended with an errant Jared Goff pass. Dallas escaped, 20-19, to improve to 11-5 on the season.

Dallas doesn’t control their own destiny, but have kept their hopes for a division title alive. They need the Eagles to lose one of their final two games and to also take out Washington themselves in Week 18. If they do that, the Cowboys are at least the No. 2 seed. Anything other than that they are the top wild card and the No. 5 seed.