Rapid Rewind: Lions obliterate Cowboys, but lose star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to serious leg injury

Players from both teams gather around the cart as Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is taken off the field in the third quarter of Sunday’s game between the Lions and Cowboys. (Getty Images)

Arlington, Texas — What should have been a joyous victory — the total annihilation of the Cowboys in Dallas — turned into a somber affair when the Detroit Lions lost star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a significant leg injury.

The lower portion of Hutchinson’s left leg snapped when the limb smacked against teammate Alim McNeill as the two converged on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott in the pocket. Despite suffering the injury, Hutchinson was awarded a sack on the play.

Hutchinson was down for several minutes while medical personnel put his leg in an air cast and he was carted off the field.

Beyond the long shadow Hutchinson’s injury cast on contest, it was undoubtedly one of the most complete wins of coach Dan Campbell’s tenure. Outside of taking a knee to end the first half, the Lions' offense scored their first nine possessions in Sunday’s 47-9 victory, while the defense kept the Cowboys out of the end zone.

Game ball

Lions safety Brian Branch generated three turnovers, including two that ended scoring threats. He picked off a pass in the end zone in the opening quarter, forced a fumble recovered by teammate Terrion Arnold in the third quarter, and snagged a second interception in the final frame.

Scoring summary

First quarter

● 11:21 — The Lions' defense battled through a couple of tough breaks on the game's opening drive, including a deflected pass getting corralled for a 15-yard gain and a Kerby Joseph interception getting wiped out by a holding infraction against Alex Anzalone, but the unit ultimately clamps down in the red zone, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a 34-yard Brandon Aubrey field goal. COWBOYS 3, LIONS 0

● 9:06 — Riding the wave of a 42-yard bomb to Tim Patrick to convert a third-and-5, running back David Montgomery finished the series with a pair of quality runs, including a tackle-breaking, 16-yard effort across the goal line that put the Lions ahead. LIONS 7, COWBOYS 3

Second quarter

● 13:28 — Taking over after an interception, the Lions went to work on the ground, running it six straight times for 43 yards to open the series. A 15-yard grab for Jameson Williams pushed the offense into field goal range, but they went no further, taking a 40-yard boot from Bates to extend the early advantage to seven. LIONS 10, COWBOYS 3

● 11:39 — After the defense forced a three-and-out, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson went to his bag of tricks, calling a flea flicker out of reverse action for a 52-yard touchdown.

Quarterback Jared Goff initially tossed to Montgomery, who flipped the ball to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who hot-potatoed it back to Goff before the QB slung a deep shot down the right sideline for tight end Sam LaPorta for the score. LIONS 17, COWBOYS 3

● 3:39 — Detroit continued to find points every possession, navigating just outside the red zone before Goff was sacked on third down, resulting in a season-long 48-yard field goal for Bates. LIONS 20, COWBOYS 3

● 0:36 — Feeling a sense of desperation, the Cowboys went for it on fourth-and-2 in their own territory, only to cough it up on downs. Gifted a short field, the Lions marched 38 yards in six plays, capping the scoring drive with a 1-yard Montgomery plunge on a snap where both Taylor Decker and Dan Skipper symbolically reported as eligible. LIONS 27, COWBOYS 3

● 0:08 —Fielding the kickoff a step in front of the back line, KaVontae Turpin, returned it 79 yards, setting the Cowboys up to get a field goal from Aubrey before the half. LIONS 27, COWBOYS 6

Third quarter

● 12:35 — With no intention of resting on the laurels of the opening half, Goff continually eyed deep shots the first series of the third quarter before finding Williams with a step on a corner pattern for a 37-yard touchdown. LIONS 34, COWBOYS 6

● 8:52 — Battling a surge of injuries and rash of penalties, the Lions still managed to keep the Cowboys out of the end zone, leaving Aubrey to kick a 50-yarder. LIONS 34, COWBOYS 9

● 5:26 — Punching back with force, the Lions opened their response with a 38-yard pass to Kalif Raymond and a 19-yard run by Montgomery. With first-and-goal from the 2, the Lions humorously attempted a pass to Decker, but when that fell incomplete, they were driven back by a delay of game and a sack, leading to another Bates’ field goal. LIONS 37, COWBOYS 9

Fourth quarter

● 14:12 — Detroit squandered the chance for an exclamation point by taking two penalties in the red zone, including an offensive pass interference infraction against Jahmyr Gibbs that wiped a Williams’ touchdown off the board. Instead, the Lions settled for a fourth Bates’ field goal. LIONS 40, COWBOYS 9

13:18 — Taking over at the 4-yard line after an interception, the Lions needed just one play to punch it in as St. Brown bested former teammate Amani Oruwariye on a short curl in end zone. LIONS 47, COWBOYS 9

Turnovers

● With the Cowboys driving, looking to regain the lead in the opening quarter, Prescott targeted Lamb on a route to the back corner of the end zone, but Branch undercut the throw and made a diving interception to end the threat.

● Squashing another potential scoring drive, Branch punched a ball free from the grasp of Lamb, which was recovered by Arnold.

● Playing center field, Branch snagged an errant Prescott throw that sailed receiver Jalen Brooks because of pressure generated by McNeill.

● After having an interception negated by a penalty earlier in the game, Joseph grabbed his fourth pick in five games, coming down with an end zone shot off the arm of Cowboys backup Cooper Rush in the fourth quarter.

● Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin forced Turpin to cough the ball up after a short reception. The fumble was recovered by Malcolm Rodriguez.

Key stats

● Goff’s streak of 19 consecutive completions was snapped on his first throw of the game, but the QB finished with a strong line, connecting on 18-of-25 for 315 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

● Montgomery and Gibbs combined for 143 yards on 24 carries (5.96 yards per attempt).

● Williams, who came into the game leading the Lions in receiving yards, paced the team once again with 76 yards on three catches.

● Alim McNeill had two sacks, giving him 2.5 on the year. Linebacker Trevor Nowaske, playing defensive snaps for the second time in his career, tallied his first sack.

Notable

● The Lions attempted a hook-and-ladder with the lateral going from St. Brown to offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The play was ultimately rescinded because center Frank Ragnow got too far downfield as an ineligible receiver.

● The 47 points marked the most the Lions have scored in a game since beating Kansas City, 48-3, in Week 2 of the 2011 season.

● Quarterback Hendon Hooker made his pro debut, subbing in for Goff midway through the fourth quarter.

Injuries

● While making a run stop in the opening quarter, Lions defensive tackle Kyle Peko immediately clutched at the left side of his chest. He was ruled out for the remainder of the contest with a pectoral injury several minutes later.

● Hutchinson suffered what appeared to be a broken leg in the third quarter of the game.

● Cornerback Carlton Davis exited to be evaluated for a concussion after his helmet came off making a tackle and he was inadvertently kicked in the face by Rodriguez.

Inactives

After drawing two offside penalties in Detroit’s previous game, edge rusher James Houston was a healthy scratch. Also not dressing for the Lions were offensive tackles Giovani Manu and Colby Sorsdal, safety Loren Strickland and wide receiver Isaiah Williams.

Next game

The Lions will be back on the road next Sunday for a critical NFC North showdown with the undefeated Minnesota Vikings (5-0), who will be coming off their bye week.