FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys' 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions a season ago is still very much in their minds well over a year later. This is a game that they not only want to win a bit more, but need to win if they want a good chance at the postseason.
The issue? Detroit is in a desperate position to reach the postseason too, sitting at 7-5 in a loaded NFC North division where that record puts you in third place.
What're the keys to the game for Dallas to win their fourth game in a row since the bye? Let's break it down in this week's Here We Goooo:
Limit explosive plays in the run game
You would be hard pressed to find a better running back duo in the NFL outside of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The nickname they've given themselves is Sonic and Knuckles, an appropriate one given Gibbs' speed and Montgomery's power in the running styles.
They are one of just two running back teammates in the NFL with over *500* (correction from the video, my apologies) yards rushing this season alongside their NFC North rival Chicago Bears with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. They've combined for 1,562 yards, 35 explosive runs (those of 10+ yards) and 16 touchdowns. Oh, and Williams is also the fastest back in the league with a max speed of 22.34 miles per hour.
In the last three weeks, the Cowboys have given up the third-least rushing yards in the NFL after being at the bottom of the league for most of the year heading into the bye week. On Thursday against the Lions, they'll face their biggest challenge yet. The Lions will get their plays, but if the Cowboys can take away the explosive element of the run game, it'll be a big step in the right direction.
The good news for Dallas is not only do they have one of, if not the best interior defensive lines in the league, but they'll be going up against a Detroit offensive line that has struggled at times against big fronts and could be dealing with injuries on Thursday night too. It'll be another opportunity for Quinnen Williams, who leads the league in run tackles resulting in a loss or no gain with 16, to create havoc up front and make contact early on to prevent those big gains.
Take advantage of Lions' physical secondary
Nobody runs more man-to-man coverage than the Lions, deploying it 44.6% of the time. They also play with a single high safety 66.8% of the time. Head coach Dan Campbell and new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard are not afraid to challenge opposing offenses, and press them at the line of scrimmage too.
With those instances though, the Cowboys will have their chances to take some shots if they so choose. And it's a good thing that they've got two of the biggest threats at the wide receiver position in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
In press coverage, there may be no better receiver in the NFL right now than George Pickens. On the 89.4% of his routes where he's lined up out wide, he faces press on 35.9% of those alignments. He's been targeted 39 times in those situations, hauling in a league-best 432 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions press opposing receivers on 37.3% of routes faced this season, the second most in the league.
We've seen some big-time "wow" moments from George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb the last few weeks. Don't be surprised if there are some more on Thursday night, as both teams have a good chance to land some punches on explosive plays. If Dallas wants to win, they'll need to find a way to hit the decisive one.
O-line needs to continue to pave the way
What makes it easier to look for big plays in the passing game? Establishing the run early, which makes opposing teams respect it more. The Lions still won't change much in their coverage tendencies regardless, but the offensive line has paved the way up front for some strong games recently and will need to do so again Thursday.
Javonte Williams is 45 yards away from his first 1,000 yard rushing season in his career, and if he surpasses that mark, he'll have done it in just 13 games. That has opened up a lot for Dallas' offense, which has allowed Dak Prescott to tap into play action, one of the favorite aspects of his game.
Williams has still been a big beneficiary of Brian Schottenheimer's offense, and a lot of it is of his own doing. He's fifth in the league in rushing yards after contact with 779, and has 311 yards after forcing a missed tackle, the fifth most in the NFL.
The Cowboys will need Williams to keep those numbers up high in this game against Detroit, who is allowing 103.7 rushing yards per game this season, the 11th best in the NFL. The interior trio of Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe and Tyler Booker have been doing a solid job of paving the way, having faced off against two of the best defensive tackles in the league during their last two games in Jalen Carter and Chris Jones.
On Thursday night, it'll be Alim McNeil and DJ Reader. Not to mention Aidan Hutchinson, who has 8.5 sacks and the second-most forced fumbles in the league with four coming off the edge. If they can establish the run game and continue to keep Dak Prescott mostly clean, it'll allow the Cowboys offense to have more opportunities to find the success they've been looking for in road settings this season.
