DETROIT — The last time these two teams squared off against each other, it was the Detroit Lions besting the ÃÛÌÒTV, with a statement win AT&T Stadium, to avenge their loss the year prior — in controversial fashion, no less. This time around, they clashed under the bright lights of Thursday Night Football, and with playoff hopes on the line for both.
Dak Prescott and George Pickens have been lights out to this point in the 2025 season, and CeeDee Lamb got back on track in a big way in the Thanksgiving victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs; and Javonte Williams entered the game threatening to deliver the first 1,000-yard season of his young NFL career.
Defensively, it was the single biggest test of the Cowboys' run defense, pitting two three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackles — Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark — against David Montgomery and the home-run hitter, Jahmyr Gibbs. And considering how aggressive head coach Dan Campbell planned to be, it was paramount the Cowboys understood the assignment at all three levels of their defense.
Unfortunately, though they nearly overcame a slew of self-inflicted wounds to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, they ran out of time to do so, but these several Cowboys did all they could to turn the tide.
[Note: This list is unranked.]
Brandon Aubrey
As it often goes, Aubrey did his job, time and again, and was a the most prolific offensive weapon for the Cowboys. The All-Pro kicker booted a 57-yard field goal to end Dallas' first offensive drive and then laid the thunder on the following return, preventing a return for a touchdown by the Lions. He'd also go on to boot a 55-yarder through the uprights late in the first half to make it a one-possession game (17-9, Lions lead) before Detroit went on to kick a field goal of their own to end the first half. The bottom line is, every time, Aubrey was butter, even from 63 yards out (!!) to make it a one-possession game, again, approaching the fourth quarter; and it gave him the record for most 60-yard field goals made in a single NFL season.
Javonte Williams
For the first time in his young NFL career, Williams broke the 1,000-yard mark as a rusher. This is a huge accomplishment, still, particularly when achieved with several games still remaining in the regular season. It's the most yardage Williams has rushed for since he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2021, and he now has a chance to add onto that tally before the month of December is all said-and-done. Williams has been a breath of fresh air on the ground for the Cowboys, as both a runner and a pass protector for Dak Prescott.
CeeDee Lamb
For Lamb, it was all about getting on the right track last week against the Chiefs. Once he did, and in a big way, it was about remaining consistent, and he achieved that goal against the Lions, in a game where Dak Prescott and the Cowboys desperately needed some kind of a spark to get the offense going. Lamb's 16-yard catch-and-run on 3rd-and-6 with 12 minutes to play in the second quarter and his 37-yard scamper showed he meant business in Detroit — just two of several plays he delivered big on, ultimately forced out with a concussion, but not before racking up 121 receiving yards on six catches.
Ryan Flournoy
You just kinda felt all game that, at some point, Flournoy would make a big play. Prescott was targeting him heavily throughout, and even more so once Lamb exited with a concussion. So when the two connected for a 42-yard touchdown with under 10 mins left to play in regulation, it just felt right. The score took the deficit against the Lions down to only three points and put the pressure on Detroit to try and not make any mistakes, and it felt like that was the case for the first time all evening in which that was true. It was the second-most production Flournoy has delivered this season, his second 100-yard receiving game of the year, bested only by his breakout game against the Jets in Week 5 when he racked up 114 receiving yards.
Sam Williams
When the Cowboys needed some sort of life, there was Sam Williams to help provide it. His blocked field goal late in the third quarter gave the Cowboys the ball with a shot at scoring, and though they couldn't find pay dirt, the blocked kick did lead to Aubrey's eventual 63-yard field goal to shrink the lead to just eight points as the fourth quarter got underway. In a game that saw so many self-inflicted wounds, Williams provided a highlight play for a third week in a row, and now has three blocked kicks in his career — half of the six blocked kicks the Cowboys have accumulated as a team since 2023.
Reddy Steward
One could make the argument that Steward is the best tackler on the Cowboys' defense, if not one of the top-3. The young cornerback understood his assignment, and executed it accordingly: do not miss tackles and get Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown down on first contact. Kudos to him for making sure nobody got yardage after he met them in the open field and, as such, being one of the team's leading tacklers in the game at one point; and they mattered in each respective moment.
