The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions took the field on Saturday for a litmus test that would prove one team as a Super Bowl contender while the other would be viewed as a fraudulent threat in the NFC. In one of the last NFL games in 2023, fans got to enjoy a wild ride.
Detroit took an early 3-0 lead and seemed to have the early momentum at AT&T Stadium after picking off quarterback Dak Prescott in Lions’ territory. However, Dallas quickly rallied and a missed opportunity by the Lions’ defense provided the Cowboys with the early spark they needed to jump out as front-runners.
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Two of the NFL’s best offenses made mistakes, with each team committing costly turnovers that erased potential points off the board. It all made for a great back-and-forth game, with the Cowboys leading by a touchdown with 1:41 to go. Then, the Lions’ executed the perfect two-minute drive, scoring a touchdown to make it a 20-19 game. However, an illegal touch on the two-point conversion cost the Lions dearly.
Let’s dive into the winners and losers from this fantastic NFC battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
Winner: CeeDee Lamb proves he’s a superstar
Entering NFL games today, CeeDee Lamb led the NFL in receptions (109), ranked second in receiving yards (1,424), fourth in receiving yards per game (94.9) and was on the verge of his first season with double-digit receiving touchdowns. Against the Lions’ secondary, Lamb made everything look easy.
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- CeeDee Lamb stats vs Lions: 13 receptions, 227 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
On third-and4, Lamb turned a short first-down conversion right at the line, into a 31-yard catch-and-run thanks to a slippery move to take out the defensive back and race downfield. A few minutes later, Lamb broke open downfield for one of the longest touchdowns in Cowboys’ history. In a single quarter, Lamb had 123 receiving yards and a touchdown on 2 receptions. While he did have a bad fumble near the goal line, wiping out points for Dallas, this was one of Lamb’s best games in his young career and more are coming.
Loser: Derrick Barnes costs Detroit Lions 9 points
One play can decide an entire game, but often a single mistake will only cost a team a maximum of 7 points. However, Lions’ linebacker Derrick Barnes made a costly gaffe early in the first quarter that almost single-handedly wiped 9 points off the board for the Lions.
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Barnes had a free shot at Dak Prescott, having been left unblocked for a sack that would’ve been a safety. Instead, the third-year linebacker treated his sack attempt like the NFL played two-hand touch, allowing Prescott to just roll out and hit Lamb for the 92-yard touchdown. A potential 5-0 lead for Detroit with the football back turned into a 7-3 deficit because of Barnes. The points proved costly.
Winner: Aidan Hutchinson steps up for Detroit’s defense
One of the biggest reasons for Detroit’s defensive issues in the second half of the season has been the lack of a pass rush. Aidan Hutchinson has had his moments, but one man often can’t carry a defense. On Saturday night, Hutchinson nearly did just that.
Hutchinson tied his career-high with 3 sacks, matching his total from his second career game. Not only did he match a career-high in sacks, Hutchinson also set a personal best with 5 tackles for loss against the Cowboys. If not for Hutchinson, Dallas probably scores a lot more.
Loser: Dallas Cowboys run defense is still a problem
The Cowboys’ run defense hasn’t exactly been a strength in 2023. From Weeks 1-8, the Cowboys allowed an average of 4.1 yards per carry, but it did only surrendered 5 rushing touchdowns and a 108.9 rush ypg average to its first seven opponents. Things have spiraled since.
- Dallas Cowboys run defense (Weeks 9-16): 121.6 rushing yards per game allowed, 4.3 yards per carry, 8 rushing touchdowns in 8 games
Detroit became the seventh opponent since Week 9 to rush for 100 yards against Dallas. While neither David Montgomery nor Jahmyr Gibbs cleared the mark on their own, they ripped off some big runs. Gibbs also had a 40-plus yard scamper wiped out by an unnecessary hold. While this wasn’t an awful performance from the Cowboys’ run defense at home, it didn’t erase doubts about how it will fare on the road in the NFL playoffs.
Loser: Jared Goff proves he is the ceiling for the Detroit Lions
The Los Angeles Rams grew frustrated with Jared Goff’s issues versus pressure. From a clean pocket, he executes with the best of them thanks to good decision-making and great accuracy. When you get pressure in his general proximity, however, it gets very bad very quickly.
- Jared Goff stats vs pressure: 52.1 percent completion rate, 6-8 TD-INT, 50.2 PFF grade, 63.4 QB rating in 15 games
Nothing has changed in a new environment. Goff has great offensive weapons, a top-10 offensive line and one of the best play-callers in the NFL at his disposal. It doesn’t matter. The moment there’s pressure in Goff’s face, bad decision-making and off-target throws become the norm. He is the ceiling on this Lions’ offense and if offensive coordinator Ben Johnson leaves for an NFL head-coaching gig in 2024, Goff’s production will plummet and the Lions will likely take a step back.
On the potential game-winning drive, Goff was phenomenal against the Cowboys’ defense. However, that largely happened because Dallas turned to more of a prevent defense, dialing back the heavy pressure and letting Goff eat up yards. It backfired, but on that two-point conversion, Goff underthrew what would’ve been the game-winning score.
