NFL Week 14 Preview: Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions | Chris Simms Unbuttoned | NFL on NBC

NFL Week 14 Preview: Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions | Chris Simms Unbuttoned | NFL on NBC

Thursday Night Football. Yeah. And you know, we saw the highest rated two games ever. Incredible. Two Thanksgiving games in the afternoon. The the the biggest audiences ever for any regular season game. The Cowboys and the Chiefs did 57.23 million. And I say that because tonight Cowboys at the Lions, the record for a streaming audience is like 243. I believe the record for Amazon is 17 and change. I got a feeling. You got a feeling, huh? A lot of people are going to watch this one. I think a lot of people are going to watch this one. I think it’s going to be a big big number. I’m I’m pretty excited about it. I know that. I mean, and I I can certainly, you know, understand everybody tuning in to watch it, right? The streaming, as you talked about, is always like we don’t know where that goes. But, uh, it it’s two marquee names. It’s Dallas who’s become the most fun team to watch maybe in all of the sport. So, that’s that’s going to make you tune in. Let alone it’s Dallas, which we know people tune in anyways. And Detroit, as we know, has kind of become an NFL brand name the last few years. People love Dan Campbell. People have latched on to their style of football. And to the point with Dallas, they’re fun to watch, too. So, you’re going to see some exciting big-time playmakers tonight in a big game that is, you know, not, you know, not desperation, but about as close as it gets to that to where you start the four alarm fire, right? I think for the Cowboys absolutely they need to continue this three-game winning streak. For the Lions, they can it’s not as big of a panic if they lose. But that tie, you know, the Cowboys lose and fall to 66 and one. They’re looking at a maximum possible record of 106 and one. 11 and six will knock them out without tie breakers and and I think 106 and one is not going to be good enough to make it in the NFC. So, they need this one, I think, a little bit more than the Lions. But the the the idea of the Lions having three times the number of losses they had last year with four games left. We never would have thought that that would happen. So for tonight, the Lions are three-point favorites at home with a 54.5 over under. This is the first of six games this week where both teams are 500 or better. Do the Lions get win number eight? Do the Cowboys get win number seven and four in a row? Well, I I think it’s going to be a really high-scoring football game. I guess that’s where I look right away, right? I I don’t think there’s going to be the way Detroit is playing on the defensive side of the ball and what you saw last week and what we’ve seen other weeks, right? They’re a team that likes to play man-to-man. All right? They’re a team that with their front four, they don’t get a ton of pressure on the quarterback. So, when I look at that, I just go, that’s not a good recipe against Dallas. And then Dallas just runs the ball just enough to keep you honest. And if they have a little success, they’re pretty good at staying with it. That’s one of Shottenheimimer’s calling cards is the run game. But he knows right now the calling card for this team is the pass game and these two damn receivers that are just absolutely on fire. And I think with that and the style of play, yeah, I expect them to score a lot of points. Now, the other side of the ball, yeah, I also expect the Lions to be able to move the ball on the Dallas Cowboys, but Dallas has been better as of late, and we’ve seen Detroit not quite be the same offense. The Ben Johnson and not having him effect is real in Detroit. There’s no denying that anymore. you can just turn on film. If you and I sat there and watched and then we went back and watched last year and stuff, you’d go, “Oh, yeah, it’s definitely not as creative.” It’s it’s not the same. And I think with all of that being said, Dallas being the hot team, Detroit being a little wobbly right now, and then right, it’s the first time I think there’s pressure on Dan Campbell because of the fourth downs and everything that’s there, and then they’re a beat up football team again. Like, I I can’t deny that the injuries for the Lions scare me a little bit. I’m going to go Cowboys 3728 on the road tonight. Oo 3728 Cowboys by nine. You know, I think it’s like one of those where it’s like maybe 3028 and they score a late touchdown to put it away, right? Like a close 3728, but I I think they will win the game and and somewhat convincing fashion that way. I’m going to go with it. The Yeah, we’re going to let the Lions social media know. There will be a lengthy video posted next week when the Lions win. The Cowboys had beaten the Lions six straight times. But last year, Detroit went into Dallas and splattered them 47 to9. That was the game where Aiden Hutchinson suffered the broken leg and was out for the rest of the year. Other than that, it was all Lions that day. And I think that stings a little bit for the Cowboys. They remember that well. Look, as you said, they’re the most fun team to watch in the NFL right now. the offense with CD Lamb and George Pickkins catching the passes from Dak Prescott. It’s It’s just fun. It’s fun. I’ve been welcomed onto the bandwagon. I’ve had some Cowboys fans try to keep me off. No, no, no. You don’t get a vote when somebody in the organization reaches out and welcomes me on, which is what happened. I’m on the bandwagon and I’m not giving up now. And you knew you knew I wasn’t gonna not pick the Cowboys. I mean, you knew you knew where this was going tonight. 2724. The Cowboys find a way and they keep it going. They have that magic right now. And as Pete points out, NextGen stats has the Cowboys odds of making the playoffs at 31% with a win, 6% with a loss. So, they’re just about done if they lose. And they know it. They know it. And Dak Prescott had the comments after the win over the Chiefs. None of this matters. None nothing we’ve done matters. The only thing that matters is the next game. And it starts when we get back to work and we got to do everything necessary to focus on getting to the point where we can do the kneel downs at the end of the game. And under your assessment 3728, they’ll be doing some kneel downs at the end of the game. We both have the Cowboys winning to start. The Lions are just inconsistent, right? I mean, and this is a week where they’re supposed to win. We’re we’re going through an 8week stretch of lose one, win one, lose one, win one, lose one, win one, lose one. This is supposed to be a win tonight, but I think it finally catches up to them to to both your your and I’s point there. I think to make it as simple as possible, I think the lines are going to be tight and the Cowboys are going to be loose. Yeah. Right. I really do. I mean, when when and and I think this is the psychology year-over-year when you had that great season where you were 15-2 and you had everything in front of you and you blew it in the divisional round. I think it’s so hard to go back to zero and zero and fight your way out of it. And once it starts to slip, it can all fall apart. And I feel like between the injuries and the the very significant consequences of not having Ben Johnson, Dan Campbell calling plays and it’s frankly not going well, way too predictable on fourth downs. I mean, anybody playing, if you’re practicing, preparing to face the Lions, you are assuming your defense is going to be out there for four downs. There isn’t any relief. You don’t exhale when you stop them on third down. You get ready for the next play. And once that element is part of the defense’s game planning and preparation, you lose your edge. Definitely. One of the reasons why they’re struggling, right? And Ben Johnson had all those creative plays and those got to have it moments. That’s what’s special about Ben Johnson. That’s why we’re watching the Bears and and the craziness of what what the Bears are leading the NFC. The number one seed. Yeah, it’s the Ben Johnson effect. I think it’s very real across the whole Lions football team. Yo yo yo. Thanks for watching, homies. We are now in the NFL season here on Chris Sims Unbutton. Hit subscribe to get our weekly picks, game recaps, film deep dives, and much, much more. Thanks again for watching. Subscribe, rate, review. Peace out. You know where to find us.

Mike Florio and Chris Simms preview the Thursday Night Football blockbuster between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions to kick off Week 14. #NBCSports #NFL #ChrisSimmsUnbuttoned
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NFL Week 14 Preview: Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions | Chris Simms Unbuttoned | NFL on NBC
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