Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys: Complete game guide and 3 things to watch in Week 14 matchup
● What: Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys
● When: Thursday, Dec. 4, 8:20 p.m.
● Where: Ford Field, Detroit
● How to watch: Amazon/FOX (Michaels/Herbstreit/Hartung)
● How to listen: 97.1-FM The Ticket in Metro Detroit or any number of network affiliates around the state.
● Line: Lions -3
● Injury report: The Lions ruled out safety Kerby Joseph, tight end Brock Wright and wide receiver Kalif Raymond.
They also listed several players as questionable, including All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and four of five starters along the offensive line.
● Officiating assignment: Shawn Hochuli’s crew.
● Last meeting: The Lions smashed the Cowboys in Dallas last season, 47-9. Jared Goff threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns, the team ran for another 184 yards and two scores, and the defense forced five turnovers in the romp.
Three things worth watching
● Detroit’s pass rush has been in a coma, and coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has promised some personnel and schematic changes aimed at getting it going again. It’s going to be interesting to see how that vision takes shape.
Maybe that means more Al-Quadin Muhammad, who has seen his playing time dwindle during a four-game stretch without a sack. He’s logged 15 or fewer snaps on the edge in three of the past four games. Given how impactful he was to start the season, it’s easy to suggest he’s being underutilized.
Alternatively, the team could ramp up Marcus Davenport’s usage in his second week back from a chest injury that shelved him for two months. However, it’s unclear how much more of a load he can handle after taking on 33 reps in his first game back.
Sheppard might also dial up the blitzing, which was effective earlier in the season but has been quieter in recent weeks. Linebackers Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone have all had individual success at times.
What’s clear is that if Dallas has as much time to pass as Detroit’s other recent opponents, it will be problematic.
● Statistically, Dallas brings one of the NFL’s worst defenses to town, but they’ve been much better in recent weeks, overlapping with the addition of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline.
However, it’s debatable whether the Lions are in a position to take advantage of the weakness. The offensive line is banged up, the tight room is depleted, and St. Brown is a game-time decision.
Jameson Williams has proven more capable of being the featured piece in the passing game, but the rest of Goff’s arsenal is filled with questions. It’s a potentially critical week for Isaac TeSlaa, who had a bigger role in practice than any other week of his rookie season. The rest of the supporting cast will be made up of mid-season additions and practice squad elevations, who, while often experienced, have a track record of marginal production throughout their careers.
It makes getting an inconsistent ground game on track as critical as ever. Controlling the tempo and the clock will be one of the better ways to keep the Cowboys’ high-octane offense in check.
● The Lions play as much man coverage as any defense in the NFL, and have actually seen the usage tick up since the bye. Sticking to their guns against the Cowboys could prove detrimental.
According to Next Gen Stats, Cowboys receiver George Pickens’ 504 receiving yards against man coverage lead the league by a wide margin, while Ceedee Lamb’s 294 yards are sixth.
Yikes.
With Terrion Arnold out of commission for the remainder of the season, the Lions will presumably lean on the trio of DJ Reed, Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin. Reed and Robertson are the projected starters, with the latter sliding into the slot in nickel packages.
If the Lions opt to be stubborn, they could easily end up getting torched by Dallas’ aerial assault. The alternative is playing more zone, which isn’t out of the defense’s wheelhouse, but schemes where they haven’t been as traditionally effective.
Detroit’s preferred zone scheme is Cover-3. But given Dak Prescott’s desire to push the ball downfield — with 52 attempts and 23 completions 20 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage — upping the usage of Cover-4 from the 12% we’ve seen through 12 weeks could be justified.
This game has "Take The Over" tattooed on it's lower back
There is no pass rush with the front 4. Linebacker is their best position. i’d go with a 3-4-4 alignment rotating D-lineman throughout the game. On offense, with the struggles protecting Goff, and La Porta and possibly Saint Brown missing, I would be using two back sets the whole game. Not having Gibbs and Monty out there together on virtually every play is a poor use of your available talent.