Week Fourteen: Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) @ Detroit Lions (7-5)

[MichiganCardinal]

          vs.          

Setting: 12/04/2025 8:15pm on Prime

Site: Ford Field in Detroit, MI

Weather: Climate Controlled

Opening Spread: Lions -3.5

All-Time Series Record: Cowboys lead, 19-13

Last Meeting: 10/13/2024, Lions won 47-9

 

Green Bay Packers (6-5-1)

Head Coach: Brian Schottenheimer (1st Season: 6-5-1)

Projected Starting QB: Dak Prescott (10th Season: 79-49-1)

Last Week: 31-28 W vs. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)

Looking Ahead to Week #15: Sunday Night vs. Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

 

Your Detroit Lions (7-5)

Head Coach: Dan Campbell (5th Season: 46-33-1)

Projected Starting QB: Jared Goff (10th Season: 88-57-1)

Last Game: 31-24 L vs. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)

Looking Ahead to Week #15: Sunday @ Los Angeles Rams (9-2)

 

Elsewhere in the NFL

Primetime: Texans @ Chiefs (SNF), Eagles @ Chargers (MNF)

1:00pm: Seahawks @ Falcons, Steelers @ Ravens, Titans @ Browns, Colts @ Jaguars, Commanders @ Vikings, Dolphins @ Jets, Saints @ Buccaneers, Bengals @ Bills

4:05/4:25pm: Broncos @ Raiders, Bears @ Packers, Rams @ Cardinals

BYE: Panthers, Patriots, Giants, and 49ers

[Motor City Sonics]

Wednesday:   I am coming out of retirement to help you win a Super Bowl

 

Saturday:  Oh, might not make the playoffs?   Um, never mind. 

[sagnam]

On fourth-down decisions, unpredictability matters

[GalagaGuy]

Maybe the Lions will come together as a team and shock the world by winning their remaining games or at least going 4-1.  I don't see it, but stranger things have happened in the world of sports.  

[MichiganCardinal]

20 minutes ago, GalagaGuy said:

Maybe the Lions will come together as a team and shock the world by winning their remaining games or at least going 4-1.  I don't see it, but stranger things have happened in the world of sports.  

I know the sense here is that going 4-1 would be a shock to the world, but that would likely be just winning the games they are favored in. Cowboys, Steelers, and Vikings they’ll be favorites. Rams they’ll be dogs. Week 18 is always weird, but I would expect them to come into Week as favorites there too if the game will matter.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Are we going to be favored still come game time against Dallas? I feel like that -3.5 spread shrinks or flips. 

[Sports_Freak]

6 hours ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Are we going to be favored still come game time against Dallas? I feel like that -3.5 spread shrinks or flips. 

The Cowboys are really bad defensively. At least, last I heard, they were near the bottom of some very important stats. Maybe Gibbs will run for 200+ yards...😆

No, Goff will pass for 400 yards;

 

Edited Sunday at 08:11 PM by Sports_Freak

[Hongbit]

This team has been built on a message of toughness and grit.   Now is the time to show if these are just words or if it really is a culture.

They still have not lost back to back games in more than 3 years.  I expect a much different team to show up on Thursday.  I am also not counting out St.Brown being out there even though it seems like a long shot.  

[sagnam]

On 11/29/2025 at 5:24 PM, MichiganCardinal said:

I know the sense here is that going 4-1 would be a shock to the world, but that would likely be just winning the games they are favored in. Cowboys, Steelers, and Vikings they’ll be favorites. Rams they’ll be dogs. Week 18 is always weird, but I would expect them to come into Week as favorites there too if the game will matter.

I’m not convinced they’ll be the favorite for Dallas. Dallas has a lethal passing offense and a strong interior DL. Will Goff have time and be able to find passing lanes? Can we cover the big 2 receivers long enough to slow them down? This game on paper could be a bad time.

[Motown Bombers]

 

[MichiganCardinal]

After the week this team has had, they should really just open a can of whoop ass on the Cowboys. With every reason in the world to count them out, come out and win this game 41-10 or something.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Karsch and Anderson seemed to speculate on their show today that St. Brown would not be playing this week. I think we're cooked if indeed that is true.

[MichiganCardinal]

1 hour ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Karsch and Anderson seemed to speculate on their show today that St. Brown would not be playing this week. I think we're cooked if indeed that is true.

They moved the ball fairly well against Green Bay despite ASB going out on the first drive. 24 points should have been enough if the defense wasn't so bad. Dallas has a worse secondary than Green Bay.

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, MichiganCardinal said:

They moved the ball fairly well against Green Bay despite ASB going out on the first drive. 24 points should have been enough if the defense wasn't so bad. Dallas has a worse secondary than Green Bay.

Last I saw, the Cowboys pass defense was 30th in the NFL. TeSlaa will go for 150 yards and 2 TDs. Jamo even better. Use Gibbs as a wideout with Montgomery in the backfield. This game is pretty much a must win...we need to go at least 4-1 and then hope for help.

Edited Tuesday at 09:32 PM by Sports_Freak

[MichiganCardinal]

2 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

Last I saw, the Cowboys pass defense was 30th in the NFL. TeSlaa will go for 150 yards and 2 TDs. Jamo even better. Use Gibbs as a wideout with Montgomery in the backfield. This game is pretty much a must win...we need to go at least 4-1 and then hope for help.

The problem will be protection. The Dallas pass rush is decent. The offense will need to find quick looks, utilize misdirection, and for the sake of all that is holy establish the run to allow for some effective play action.

And so OF COURSE Penei hurt his shoulder at practice and was an NP today while Awosika hurt his foot and was an LP.

I WANT OFF THIS RIDE!!

[Sports_Freak]

Sewell will play. He's a warrior. As for the Dallas pass rush? They have that same pass rush in their other games and they're still ranked around 30th in pass defense. Even though they've acquired some reinforcement. So yeah, an area of concern. But I really do see the Lions coming out very aggressive. That Ragnow incident may cause a chip on the other players shoulders. They'll want to prove they're capable of getting the job done.

[sagnam]

The Cowboys defense has allowed 21.7 points per game since acquiring Quinnen Williams prior to the Nov. 4's trade deadline, a remarkable improvement from the 30.8 PPG the unit allowed from Weeks 1-9, which ranked 31st in the league over that span.

Williams presence has elevated Dallas' pass rush, which has notched 8.0 sacks in the last three games since his arrival. The Cowboys have also improved in their rushing defense during the win streak by not allowing any opposing running back to get over the 60-yard mark in that span.

 

source: https://www.nfl.com/news/cowboys-exuding-confidence-after-win-over-chiefs-we-ll-play-anybody-anywhere

Edited yesterday at 12:56 AM by sagnam

[Shinzaki]

I got a bad feeling about this one

[number20]

18 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

Sewell will play. He's a warrior. As for the Dallas pass rush? They have that same pass rush in their other games and they're still ranked around 30th in pass defense. Even though they've acquired some reinforcement. So yeah, an area of concern. But I really do see the Lions coming out very aggressive. That Ragnow incident may cause a chip on the other players shoulders. They'll want to prove they're capable of getting the job done.

Honestly, who can say either way about any of this? At this point I'm having difficulty trusting this team any longer

[MichiganCardinal]

 

Could be better, could be worse. ASB a game-time decision. Meanwhile:

 

For the love of everything, line up Hutch against Nathan Thomas and DO SOMETHING.

[TP_Fan]

This seems like one of those games where the lions get behind early and never catch up again.  Could see this one getting away from them early and it never being competitive.

37-17 cowboys. 

[Gozer]

Even if the game gets out of hand I'll be here for the TP comments.

Lions figure it out this week...Lions by 10.  Drinking kool-aid all night.

[Tigeraholic1]

I got free tickets from Ford and will be taking four Process Engineers from India to their first Lions game! Going to start at Slows for lunch then creep our way downtown. Giving them the Detroit bar hop treatment. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I am not drinking the koolaid any longer this season. My optimism for this season is pretty much gone at this point and this team simply doesn't pass the eye test. There are a number of factors that have me down.

The biggest is just their subpar play overall and the loss of their core identity. This team controlled the line of scrimmage on offense and everything else flowed through that. Their ability to run the ball, grind opposing teams down, open up the passing game with play-action, control the clock, dictate the pace of play is all largely gone thanks to a weakened offensive line and injuries. Combine that with a lack of creativity in their offensive playcalling and you've seen this explosive offense take a step back this season.

They also have other factors working against them too. For one, a defense that can't seem to get a stop when they need it. Their defense lacks getting any type of pressure on opposing QBs and they are allowing opposing QBs to have all day in the pocket, with plays developing downfield. I've also felt let down by some questionable decision making by Dan Campbell when deciding whether or not to go for it, take a FG, or punt it away. On top of all that, injuries have yet again become a factor for this team at multiple positions. This all has me feeling down and out about the Lions right now.

I think tonight specifically, they lack the defense to stop the best passing offense in the league. They couldn't stop Jameis Winston and a crew of backup WRs as he threw for over 350 yards and 2 TDs. He got almost zero pressure all day in the pocket. If that's what Jameis can do, I shutter to think about what Dak, Lamb, and Pickens will do to us given how well they've been playing this season. I think we lost by 10 tonight with a score that is something like Cowboys 34-Lions 24. With that, I think our hope for the playoffs ends.

[MichiganCardinal]

The last three years, every time you have counted this team out -- really counted them out -- they come back punching. I don't think spirits have been this low in the fanbase since probably when they were 1-6 in 2022 and everyone was ready to restart the coaching search.

I don't think they're quite the complete package -- offense, defense, special teams, and coaching -- sufficient for them to say "just kidding" about what we have seen for the last month and go on a tear, finish 5-0, win the North, and go on a postseason run. I think they have the capacity to do that and the talent to do that, but I think for whatever reason (mostly the trenches) things just aren't clicking right now. They need to take it a game at a time.

That said, I do think we see an inspired performance tonight. This is where Campbell has thrived. Primetime, under the lights, after a week of hearing a lot of very loud doubters. If the Cowboys aren't prepared to take an early punch, it could get ugly. But, I do think they will be prepared to take that punch, will have some motivation of their own after losing by 38 in Jerry World last year, and will make it an exciting game.

Detroit 31
Dallas 27