Tag: Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys

Lions and Cowboys: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction

Lions and Cowboys: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction for the Week 6 game in Dallas

It’s been a few Sundays since the Lions played, what with the bye week and a Monday night game. It’s nice to have the Sunday morning coffee to sip in the chilly Michigan autumn and conjure up some thoughts on Detroit’s game in Dallas later this afternoon.

It should be a good game. Lions fans get their first taste of Tom Brady calling a game, and it’s the featured matchup across the country in the late window. What a great opportunity for Dan Campbell’s Lions to show their mettle coming out of the bye and prove they belong among the NFL’s elite at this juncture of the 2024 season.

Why I think the Lions will win

This one is simple: the run game. The Lions are a top-10 run offense, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Only three teams run the ball more frequently than the Lions do (32.9 attempts per game) with the talented combo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. It’s a consistent attack built around one of the NFL’s best offensive lines–one that returns All-Pro center Frank Ragnow in the middle after missing Detroit’s last game.

That matches up against a Dallas run defense that has not been good. In fact, the Cowboys have the lowest PFF team grade in run defense, and they also rank near the bottom in tackling grade, too. Their linebackers are very speed-based, and they play behind a dilapidated line that doesn’t make many plays. This sets up as a game where both Montgomery and Gibbs can top 75 rushing yards and each score a touchdown.

Then there’s the flip side. Detroit’s defense against running backs remains the NFL’s best; the Lions still give up a lot of yards to opposing QBs that run, but no team allows a lower yards per carry to RBs on first downs (2.9) than the Lions run defense. They face a Dallas run offense that barely tries. The Cowboys run the ball less than all but one team, and one reason might be their anemic 3.5 YPC, also 31st in the league.

Without their top three pass rushers, notably Micah Parsons, the Dallas pass rush isn’t nearly as foreboding. They still have some talent, but this is a game where Jared Goff should have some opportunities down the field on play action. Old friend Amani Oruwariye figures to match up against Jameson Williams, and it could remind Lions fans why the team gave up on Oruwariye and have a much better secondary for it, too.

Aidan Hutchinson has a great matchup today, too. The Cowboys offensive line has been rebuilt, and it’s a lot better on the interior than at tackle. Hutchinson leads the NFL in sacks even though he’s played one fewer game than almost everyone, and his pressure rate and pass rush win rate are off the charts. Tackles Tyler Guyton and Terrence Steele are eminently beatable. As a bonus, the Dallas tight ends are among the worst in pass protection, too. If the Lions get anything at all from the other side opposite Hutchinson, it’s going to be a long day for Dak Prescott.

[lawrence-related id=113077]

What worries me about the Cowboys

We’ll start where we just left off: Dak Prescott. He’s a very good quarterback, one who has played very well against Detroit. Prescott is 5-0 against Detroit, completing over 67 percent of his passes and throwing 11 TDs against just one INT. His career QB Rating against Detroit (118.6) is higher than against any other team.

Even though Dallas can’t run the ball, it’s still a dangerous offense around Prescott, too. The Cowboys seem aware they can’t run and often eschew it, which puts a lot of pressure on the opposing secondary. CeeDee Lamb is an elite receiver who can win all over the field, and he and Prescott are in lockstep. Tight end Jake Ferguson is a good receiver, too. Their backs can catch and turn it up quickly, as well.

I’d be negligent if I didn’t bring up the officiating. Too many Lions-Cowboys games have been impacted by controversial (read: bad) officiating, including last year’s game, where referee Brad Allen decided Dallas should win.

In a close game, kicking matters. It’s hard to trust Lions greenhorn Jake Bates at this point; the track record just isn’t there. His Dallas counterpart, Brandon Aubrey, has already made a 65-yard FG this year and is 7-of-8 from beyond 50 yards this season. He’s quickly become the NFL’s best distance kicker, and that can be the difference in the game.

Final score prediction

It’s hard to forecast a win in Dallas, even with the Lions favored. Once bitten, twice shy is an apropos theme song. Still, Detroit has the better offense and the better defense as the two teams meet today. Barring some unexpected bye-week rust or OC Ben Johnson outsmarting himself, the Lions should be able to outscore the Cowboys in Dallas and run away with an impressive road win over a likely playoff foe.

Lions 30, Cowboys 24

 

 

 

Lions vs. Cowboys: How to watch, listen, stream the Week 6 matchup

Lions vs. Cowboys: How to watch, listen, stream the Week 6 matchup

The Detroit Lions come off the bye week with a trip to Texas to play their perennial nemesis, the Dallas Cowboys. A largely healthy Lions team looks to exact revenge on the banged-up hosts and avoid any officiating controversies that pockmark the series in Dallas’ favor over several years.

Detroit Lions (3-1) at Dallas Cowboys (3-2)

Sunday, October 13, 4:25 p.m. ET

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Watch

This week’s game will be broadcast as part of FOX Sports late-afternoon package. It is available in the markets in redthe map below (courtesy 506 Sports). The local FOX affiliates will air the game in those markets. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will have the broadcast call.

 

Listen

The Lions radio broadcast team of Dan Miller, Lomas Brown and T.J. Lang returns for another year. Their call of the game can be heard on the 45 affiliates of the Detroit Lions Radio Network across Michigan, including the flagship station, 97.1 the Ticket in Detroit.

Outside of Michigan, the game will be broadcast on the syndicated Westwood One Network. Check your local listings. The Lions call will be broadcast on Sirius XM Radio channel 225, and the game will be the national game on channel 88.

Stream

The FOX broadcast of the game is available to stream on several streaming platforms.

FUBO Sports will stream the game as well. They’re offering a free trial available for this game.

The NFL+ app will also stream the game for out-of-market fans on mobile devices.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

[lawrence-related id=111623]

Lions elevate rookie pass rusher from the practice squad vs. Cowboys

Lions elevate rookie pass rusher Isaac Ukwu from the practice squad vs. Cowboys

Coming out of the bye week, the Detroit Lions are in relatively strong health as a team. However, they still need some reinforcements for the Week 6 matchup in Dallas against the Cowboys.

To that end, the Lions elevated EDGE Isaac Ukwu from the practice squad to the active roster for the Cowboys game. Ukwu is an undrafted rookie from Ole Miss who made a strong push to make the Lions’ 53-man roster over the summer.

Ukwu’s elevation comes a day after Lions head coach Dan Campbell talked up the rookie’s potential to make an impact. Ukwu could see his first regular-season action in the pass rush rotation with Josh Paschal, James Houston and Trevor Nowaske as the Lions look to find replacement contributions for injured Derrick Barnes and Marcus Davenport.

Two key questions heading into Lions vs Cowboys

Two key questions heading into Lions vs Cowboys in Week 6

With a trifecta of impact edge rushers out, what will the Cowboys pass rush look like?

Micah Parsons (high ankle sprain), DeMarcus Lawrence (Lisfranc), and 2nd-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland (meniscus) are all out.

Replacing them will include:

  • Chauncey Golston, a 4th-year player with five career sacks, who picked up a half sack last game while playing 90% of defensive snaps.
  • Tyrus Wheat, a 2nd-year player with 0.5 career sacks, who got a big jump in playing time last game with 60% of snaps.
  • Carl Lawson, a 7th-year player with 27.5 career sacks, who picked up a half sack last game while playing played 52% of snaps.

If Goff has a clean pocket, he can be deadly as evidenced by last Monday night when he went 18/18 for 292 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT.

Can the Cowboys generate a pass rush without their top edge players? If the Cowboys decide to send more blitzes, it will be interesting to watch how well the Lions pass protection handles it. In the Lions favor is the fact that their starting offensive line will be intact with the return of Frank Ragnow from a left pec strain.

How productive is the Lions edge rush opposite Aidan Hutchinson?

The Lions edge position opposite Hutchinson was a big question mark coming into the year and has become even bigger with the season-ending losses of Marcus Davenport and Derrick Barnes. How this position resolves itself may be the key determinant in the final destination of this team.

Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal, and James Houston received increased opportunities to fill that role last game. Which of these players can step up their game to become a consistent edge rusher?

All three have overcome eye-opening medical histories:

  • Onwuzurike has made an extraordinary, almost unprecedented recovery from L5-S1 spinal fusion surgery in October 2022.
  • Houston is coming back from a severe right ankle injury (suspected high ankle sprain) with a fibula fracture that wiped out 19 weeks of his 2023 season.
  • Paschal has one of the more unique histories having recovered from a life-threatening melanoma in his right foot.

If the edge players can’t generate pressure, we may see more action from the LB position. The starters are Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell, while Malcolm Rodriguez, Ben Niemann, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, and Trevor Nowaske have been getting significant snaps as well.

Rodriguez picked up a sack last week blitzing from the edge. Nowaske saw a lot of pass-rushing opportunities in limited time last game, and we may see much more of that vs the Cowboys.

Cowboys elevate former Lions starting CB for Week 6 matchup

Cowboys elevate former Lions starting CB Amani Oruwariye for Week 6 matchup

The Dallas Cowboys are battling rampant injury issues across their defense. To help bolster their depth, Dallas has turned to a former Lions starter in the secondary.

In advance of Sunday afternoon’s game in Dallas, the Cowboys elevated cornerback Amani Oruwariye from their practice squad to the active lineup against the Lions. He’ll take the spot of regular starter DaRon Bland, who was not activated from the injured reserve for the game.

Oruwariye spent his first four seasons in Detroit, starting 36 games for the Lions after being a fifth-round pick out of Penn State in 2019. He picked off six passes in the 2021 season but couldn’t ever recapture that magic. Since leaving the Liona after the 2022 season, Oruwariye has bounced between the Giants, Jaguars and now Cowboys.

This will be the third time Oruwariye has been elevated, which means if the Cowboys want to use him again after Week 6, they’ll need to sign him to the active roster. He did intercept a pass in Dallas’ earlier win over the Giants.

Dallas also elevated LB Darius Harris from the practice squad.

Cowboys elevate former Lions starting CB for Week 6 matchup

Cowboys elevate former Lions starting CB Amani Oruwariye for Week 6 matchup

The Dallas Cowboys are battling rampant injury issues across their defense. To help bolster their depth, Dallas has turned to a former Lions starter in the secondary.

In advance of Sunday afternoon’s game in Dallas, the Cowboys elevated cornerback Amani Oruwariye from their practice squad to the active lineup against the Lions. Oruwariye spent his first four seasons in Detroit, starting 36 games for the Lions after being a fifth-round pick out of Penn State in 2019. He picked off six passes in the 2021 season but couldn’t ever recapture that magic. Since leaving the Liona after the 2022 season, Oruwariye has bounced between the Giants, Jaguars and now Cowboys.

This will be the third time Oruwariye has been elevated, which means if the Cowboys want to use him again after Week 6, they’ll need to sign him to the active roster. He did intercept a pass in Dallas’ earlier win over the Giants.

Dallas also elevated LB Darius Harris from the practice squad.

Lions vs Cowboys: Final injury report medical analysis

Lions vs Cowboys: Final injury report medical analysis for the Week 6 matchup in Dallas

It’s early in the week but the Lions look to have the health advantage heading into the Cowboys game. The Cowboys just recently lost three impact edge rushers in Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Marshawn Kneeland. Similarly but to a lesser caliber, the Lions lost two edge players recently in Marcus Davenport and Derrick Barnes.

The Cowboys also have had two players’ expectations downgraded over the course of the week in Eric Kendricks and DaRon Bland.

On the positive side, the Lions are returning a couple key players coming out of the bye in Frank Ragnow and Brian Branch, while the Cowboys are likely returning Caelen Carson.

DETROIT LIONS

A new listing popped up during the week with Kerby Joseph.

Kerby Joseph (UL LP FP – IN) hamstring, S

A hamstring strain in practice landed him on the Thursday report but won’t keep him out. Recall that Joseph also strained a hamstring before game 2 but did not miss the game.

Frank Ragnow (FP FP FP – IN) pec, C

After straining his left pec three weeks ago, he is ready to play vs the Cowboys with no concerns.

Brian Branch (FP FP FP – IN) illness, S

Branch missed one game after a concussion three weeks ago and an illness two weeks ago. He is more than ready to go now with no concerns.

Christian Mahogany (FP FP FP – OUT) illness, OG

After a bout of mono starting in July, this 6th-round rookie started practicing again on Tuesday October 8. From a physical standpoint, the mono likely has not been an issue for over 1.5 months and the 3x FP supports this. He will be inactive though since he is far behind mentally and there are many players ahead of him on the depth chart.

DALLAS COWBOYS

Downgrades in expectation over the week include DaRon Bland and Eric Kendricks.

With three of their top edge players out, the Cowboys will be relying on Chauncey Golston and Tyrus Wheat. Golston is a 4th-year player, who has five sacks in his career and picked up a half sack last game. Wheat is a 2nd-year player with 0.5 career sacks who got significantly more playing time last game.

Micah Parsons (NP NP NP – OUT) ankle, LB

This elite pass rusher will miss the Lions game due to a high ankle sprain.

Eric Kendricks (NP NP NP – OUT) calf/shoulder, LB

Kendricks played 100% of defensive snaps last game which makes his out designation a surprise. This could be a big loss in the middle of the defense. Lions fans are very familiar with Kendricks who played eight years in Minnesota.

DaRon Bland (FP FP NP – Questionable) foot, CB

This 1st-team All-Pro CB has been out the whole season due to a stress fracture in his 5th metatarsal but was expected to make a limited return this Sunday. However, an NP on Friday puts his return in doubt.

Bland’s injury is in the location of a Jones fracture which is a tricky injury due to the higher risk of malunion (non-healing bone) and refracture. The NP could indicate a setback of some kind.

Caelen Carson (FP FP FP – Questionable) shoulder, CB

Carson has been inactive the past two weeks but with 3x FP, I expect him to play on Sunday. He played 98% of defensive snaps three weeks ago so his return will boost the Cowboys secondary.

Nick Vigil (NP NP NP – Questionable) foot, ILB

Vigil has not played a defensive snap the last three games but plays regularly on special teams. Three NP suggests out.

Tyler Guyton (FP FP FP – IN) knee, LT

This 1st-round rookie starter exited the last game due to a left knee injury. The injury is reportedly minor and the 3x FP confirms this. He will start on Sunday. In case there is an aggravation, look for Tyler Smith to move from LG to LT and TJ Bass to insert at LG.

Trevon Diggs (FP NP FP – IN) ankle/illness, CB

Diggs played 100% of defensive snaps last week. A new issue popped up during the week but won’t keep him out.

Zack Martin (NP NP FP – IN) rest/back, OG

 

NOTABLES UNLISTED

Demarcus Lawrence DE, right foot Lisfranc – IR

This star DE is a big loss for the Cowboys and may be out for multiple months.

Marshawn Kneeland DE, right knee meniscus – IR

This 2nd-round rookie who was filling in for the loss of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence left the last game due to a torn lateral meniscus. He had arthroscopic surgery this week and is on IR.

Brandin Cooks WR, right knee infection – IR

A joint infection is a serious issue that requires IV antibiotics and drainage. The loss of Cooks may not have a significant impact as the Cowboys have a dangerous WR corps of CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and KaVontae Turpin. The Lions secondary will be getting no breaks here.

Here is the full report:

Lions avoid officiating nemeses in Week 6 trip to Dallas

Lions road games vs. the Cowboys have featured some awful officiating calls, but this week’s referee and crew weren’t part of them.

Seemingly every time the Detroit Lions have faced the Dallas Cowboys in recent years, one of the primary postgame stories is the officiating from the game. That was certainly true in the meeting last year, when referee Brad Allen and his crew incorrectly nullified a Lions two-point conversion in a game that Dallas ultimately won by one point.

Allen won’t be in Arlington, Texas, this week. Nor will Pete Morelli or his crew. Morelli was responsible for waving off a defensive pass interference flag thrown by his crew in the 2014 wild-card round against the Lions, effectively sealing a win for the Cowboys.

[lawrence-related id=101370]

This year, John Hussey and his crew will handle the officiating. Hussey has yet to do a Lions game in 2024. Like the Lions, Hussey and his crew are coming off a bye week. They’re one of the least flag-happy crews across the league, too.

The Lions avoid some old officiating nemeses in this week’s trip to Dallas. Here’s hoping they avoid any new controversies, too.

Lions vs Cowboys: Wednesday injury report medical analysis

Lions vs Cowboys: Wednesday injury report medical analysis from the practice reports for both teams

The Lions should have the health advantage heading into the Cowboys game. The Cowboys just recently lost three impact edge rushers while the Lions are returning a couple key players coming out of the bye.

DETROIT LIONS

The Lions report is technically an estimate as they didn’t have practice Wednesday but should be very accurate as they have already practiced twice this week on Monday and Tuesday.

Frank Ragnow (FP) pec, C

After straining his left pec two weeks ago, Ragnow has already logged two practices this week. He will play vs the Cowboys with no concerns.

Brian Branch (FP) illness, S

Branch missed one game after a concussion three weeks ago and an illness two weeks ago. He is more than ready to go now with no concerns.

Christian Mahogany (FP) illness, OG

After a bout of mono starting in July, this 6th-round rookie started practicing again on Tuesday October 8. From a physical standpoint, the mono likely has not been an issue for weeks and I expect he could play at any time if the Lions need him. The FP today corroborates this. From a mental standpoint, he’s not ready as he hasn’t practiced since before training camp.

Campbell on Wednesday stated: “It looked like his 1st NFL practice which is what you’d expect.” As long as the guys ahead of him stay healthy, expect the Lions to use the entire 21-day practice window before activating Mahogany to the roster.

NOTABLES UNLISTED

Kerby Joseph

Against the Seahawks, Joseph appeared to injure his right side which could have been a mild oblique or back strain. The concern was that it could be an aggravation of the right hip issue from last year. While this is still a possibility, his absence from the report is a good sign.

Carlton Davis

Last game, Davis was down for a while after getting hit hard in the right chest area. Fortunately, nothing significant came of it.

Brodric Martin

Martin suffered a right knee hyperextension on August 24 and is still on IR. Earlier this week, Martin was seen working with a trainer on the field. I’d expect him to start his 21-day practice window soon.

DALLAS COWBOYS

With three of their top edge players out, the Cowboys will be relying on Chauncey Golston and Tyrus Wheat. Golston, a 4th-year player, has five sacks in his career and picked up a half sack last game. Wheat is a 2nd-year player with 0.5 career sacks who saw big uptick in playing time last week.

Micah Parsons (NP) ankle, LB

This elite pass rusher hurt his left high ankle in week four and has missed one game. High ankle sprains can keep players out longer than anticipated. With how much stress Parsons puts on his ankle, I don’t expect him to play this week and the NP today supports that.

Tyler Guyton (FP) knee, LT

The 1st-round rookie starter left the last game in the 2nd quarter due to a left knee injury. The injury is reportedly minor and Jerry Jones stated he has a good chance to play. The FP today confirms that. In his place last game, Tyler Smith moved from LG to LT and TJ Bass inserted at LG but those moves look to be unnecessary this week.

DaRon Bland (FP) foot, CB

This 1st-team All-Pro CB has been out the whole season due to a stress fracture in his 5th metatarsal but will make his return vs the Lions. Bland’s injury is in the location of a Jones fracture which is a tricky injury due to the higher risk of malunion (non-healing bone) and refracture. With his return, that means he has passed the malunion risk but the Cowboys will likely ease him in to minimize the refracture risk.

Eric Kendricks (NP) calf/shoulder, LB

Kendricks played 100% of defensive snaps last game so you wonder if his NP is just rest/precautionary.

Nick Vigil (NP) foot, ILB

Vigil is a special teams player who has not logged a defensive snap in the past three games.

NOTABLES UNLISTED

Marshawn Kneeland (OUT) right knee, DE – IR

This 2nd-round rookie who was filling in for the loss of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence left the last game due to a torn lateral meniscus. He is having arthroscopic surgery this week and is on IR.

Demarcus Lawrence (OUT) right Lisfranc, DE – IR

This star DE is a big loss for the Cowboys.

Brandin Cooks (OUT) right knee infection, WR – IR

The loss of Cooks may not have a significant impact as the Cowboys have a productive WR corps of CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and KaVontae Turpin.

The full report is here:

Detroit Lions Podcast: State of the Lions out of the bye and Cowboys preview

Detroit Lions Podcast: State of the Lions out of the bye and Cowboys preview in a solo episode from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast is a solo effort coming out of the bye week. This one goes over the upcoming Week 6 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys as well as how good the Lions look relative to the rest of the league after the first quarter of the season.

Dan Campbell and the Lions coaching staff aren’t perfect, but the bye week gave Detroit fans the opportunity to see how flawed so many other consensus contenders are too–including coaching decisions that directly cost victories for the Bills and Bengals. The perspective is important when going through the criticism of Campbell, Ben Johnson and the Lions after the first four games.

Next up are the Dallas Cowboys, a team that doesn’t match up well at all with what the Lions do well. Foremost is Detroit’s outstanding running offense with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs going against what PFF grades as the NFL’s worst run defense and one of the worst tackling defenses in the league.

As always, the audio-only version of the show is available from your favorite podcast provider.

[lawrence-related id=112962]