Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys: Game preview and prediction

With Aaron Rodgers and the explosive Packers offense coming to town next week for what amounts to a playoff game, Stafford has to be better, and this offense has to find a way to come up with more big plays.

In his two games in Dallas – a 34-30 win in 2011 and a 24-20 wild-card playoff loss in 2015 – Stafford played well enough to win or give his team a good chance. Ultimately, that’s his job as a likeable coach who the players supposedly connect with on a deep level – to guide the roster and summon them to finish. With one more victory this team will tie the franchise mark for most wins in a season with 13, and if they decide to play to win the last two contests, they could set the franchise mark at 14 wins. They have to win one more game to secure the NFC East. There’s three hours each weekend to show people who you are, and that’s what we try to do: “be the best versions of ourselves”.

In the Lions’ first drive of the second half, they failed to move the football down the field.

Detroit won the coin toss and deferred, so Dallas received the opening kickoff.

The biggest sign the Cowboys were serious about this one came late in the third quarter, when Bryant took a pitch from quarterback Dak Prescott and tucked the ball as if planning to run. The game was an offensive battle early on, and the Lions scored touchdowns on their first three possessions.

But Robinson said his favorite play of his rookie season has been a tackle: He brought down Chicago Bears running back Joique Bell for a 2-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 snap from the Detroit 36-yard line in a Week 4 game at Soldier Field on October 2. He has 15 touchdowns rushing, two behind league-leading LeGarrette Blount of New England. Over that time, the Cowboys have accumulated thirteen sacks. The Lions could use that first-half balance against the Packers.

The Cowboys stalled out on their next drive and were forced to punt.

“I don’t get into talking about officials and what they called and what they didn’t call”, Caldwell said.

That first key is going to be: cut down the penalties.

Bryant and the Cowboys were trailing by seven near the end of the first half when quarterback Dak Prescott threw one up for the star receiver to make a play on. Of course, because Dez Bryant had the ball in his hands, the Lions’ defense bit on the reverse and started to run towards the ball. JJ Wilcox intercepted Stafford at the Detroit 38 with 12:05 left in the quarter.

The little-known undrafted back in his second year out of South Dakota State, filling in with Theo Riddick sidelined for a third straight game with a wrist injury, had a career-high 64 yards and two touchdowns at halftime.

The huge revival in this game was that of Dez Bryant.

Regardless of the Cowboys’ 13-2 record and facing Dallas on the road, this has to be alarming for the Lions, effectively being rendered 21 points worse than a beat-up team starting rookies at quarterback and running back. Bailey’s extra point made it 35-21.

Prescott showed a willingness to fit the ball to Bryant in hard situations that we haven’t always seen from him this season.