After the bye week additions of Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson, along with the return of DeMarvion Overshown, the Cowboys’ run defense looked impenetrable.
They shut down Ashton Jeanty and the Raiders. Las Vegas had 12 carries for 27 yards in a 33-16 Dallas’ win.
Saquon Barkley and the Eagles fared little better the following week.
Philadelphia only gained 63 yards on 18 carries, with Barkley throttled for 22 yards on 10 carries in the 24–21 Cowboys’ win.
The Chiefs cracked the code somewhat, gaining 119 yards on 23 carries.
But 30 of those yards came courtesy of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ scrambles. The Chiefs’ actual running backs had just 89 yards on 20 carries.
Dallas’ defense, which was 32nd in the league in rushing, was now up to being a middle of the pack unit.
A vast improvement and one reason why the Cowboys were above the .500 mark at 6-5-1 following the 31-28 Thanksgiving Day win.
So what went wrong on Thursday night against the Lions in a 44-30 loss that may have sealed the Cowboys’ playoff fate?
Lions Just Kept Running
In the wins over the previous three weeks, the opponents either (a) never established the run (Las Vegas) or (b) abandoned the run way too early in close games (Eagles and Chiefs).
On Thursday night, Detroit kept running the football and the Lions running backs piled up 111 yards and four touchdowns on just 20 carries. Jared Goff’s two runs for minus-two yards made the Lions’ run totals 22-109-4.
By staying with the run, they kept the Cowboys defense off balance.
Eventually, they broke off big runs.
David Montgomery’s 35-yard gallop for a score was one. Jahmyr Gibbs’ 10-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter was another.
Detroit just put the blueprint out on how to defeat the Cowboys’ defense on film.
Just keep pounding the rock at them.
Eventually they will crack. That is why the Cowboys’ run defense failed.
Because someone finally exposed them.
Expect their final four opponents to be scouring film for the rest of the month.
Yes, That Was OPI
The raging “controversey” on social media after the game was the offensive pass interference call on Jake Ferguson.
Many thought Ferguson was 100% innocent. Nearly the same amount thought defensive pass interference should have been called.
They are all 100% wrong.
If you look at the play from the camera in the back of the endzone you miss a vital piece of information.
Look at the opposite angle (shown below). Look carefully at Ferguson’s left hand and what he does with the defender’s right shoulder pad.
Grabbing the opposing player and moving him out of the way is pass interference, no matter if it’s an offensive or a defensive player.
Ferguson was correctly called for offensive pass interference.
By The Numbers
The Cowboys are now 19-14 all-time against the Lions.
Dallas had enjoyed a nice six-game win streak over the Lions before last year’s blowout loss and now have a two-game losing streak on the board.
Detroit holds a 10-6 advantage when the teams meet in Michigan.
Dallas is now 34-30 in Week 14 contests, with one bye week that was back in the 1990 season. They are 20-20 when playing away on this week of the schedule.
The teams are now 1-1 when meeting in the 14th week of a season.
In Week 14 of the 2007 season, the Cowboys won, 28-27.
Cowboys Scoragami Update
Thursday night’s final score of 44-30 was the first such final score in a game involving the Cowboys. The same would have been true had Detroit not scored their final touchdown.
Or if Dallas had scored in the final two minutes instead of turning it over.
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