Lions score on quick drive of their own, Gibbs’ 10-yard touchdown makes it a 37-27 lead over Cowboys with 7:17 left in fourth quarter
Kennedy gets a nice return of 38 yards as the Lions start this important drive from their own 41. After two runs for Gibbs only gains four total yards, Goff finds Jameson Williams under pressure for a huge gain of 29 yards, with 15 yards added on from a roughing the passer penalty. Now at the Dallas 13, Gibbs gets three yards on a first-down run, then fights ahead for a 10-yard touchdown. Bates hits the extra-point and the Lions answer with a quick drive of their own. (7:17)
Flournoy scores easy 42-yard touchdown, Cowboys get two-point conversion as Lions now holding on to lead, up 30-27 with plenty of time left
After Turpin returns the kickoff to the Dallas 30, Prescott scrambles into open field for 12 yards, then Javonte Williams gets 11 yards. Cowboys get into Lions territory in just two plays as Flournoy makes a 5-yard reception, then Flournoy gets wide open and jogs into the end zone for the 42-yard touchdown. Cowboys score in just four plays as they go for two, as Ferguson makes the catch and it’s now a 3-point game. (9:52)
Penalties cost Lions on offense, Bates hits 46-yard field goal to give Detroit 30-19 lead over Cowboys in fourth quarter
(Start of 4th Quarter) It’s first-and-10 for the Lions at the Dallas 45 to begin the fourth quarter, as a false start penalty costs them five yards. Montgomery catches it short then runs ahead for 13 yards, then gets a carry for eight yards to move the chains. A holding penalty on an incomplete pass makes it first-and-20, then Gibbs slips for a loss of two. Goff connects with St. Brown on an out route to make it third-and-13, then Jameson Williams makes a short catch to give Bates a 46-yard field goal. This one isn’t blocked and Bates hits it. (11:50)
After Lions score in 46 seconds, Cowboys answer with 10 straight points, Detroit holds onto 27-19 lead after three quarters
Lions start this drive from their own 32, as Montgomery gets back-to-back carries for 13 yards and a first down. An illegal formation penalty makes it first-and-15, as Goff’s underthrown ball under pressure is somehow caught by Jameson Williams for 13 yards, then Montgomery gets the two yards needed for the first down on the final play of the quarter. (End of 3rd Quarter)
Bates’ FG is blocked, Aubrey easily makes 63-yard field goal as Cowboys inch closer, but Lions still lead 27-19 in third quarter
Cowboys take over from their own 42 after the field goal block. Javonte Williams gets four yards on first down, then Prescott again finds Flournoy for 18 yards and a first down. Malik Davis runs for a yard on first down, then a holding penalty against the Cowboys makes it second-and-19. After Ferguson makes a contested 10-yard catch, Pickens is flagged for offensive pass interference and it’s third-and-19. Reed breaks up the pass to Pickens, and Aubrey comes out for a 63-yard field goal and makes it look too easy. He’s so good, and the Cowboys make it a one-possession game. (2:49)
Lamb has been ruled out of the game with a concussion as the Lions start their next drive from their own 32. DaRon Bland wraps up Gibbs for a loss of five on first down, then Jameson Williams gets seven yards back on a screen pass. On third down, Gibbs makes a catch and loses Bland while putting on the brakes for a first down. After former QB Malik Cunningham takes a direct snap for a short gain, Goff and Williams connect for 16 yards to move the chains. Gibbs gets two touches for five yards, then on third down St. Brown drops the pass. It’s a 52-yard field goal attempt for Bates but the kick is blocked as the Lions come out with no points on that drive. (5:45)
Lamb suffers injury, Javonte Williams runs in 1-yard touchdown as Cowboys answer back, Lions up 27-16 in third quarter
Lions with huge momentum after that early turnover and score as the Cowboys start from their 35 after a touchback. Javonte Williams starts the drive with a 3-yard run, then Prescott’s underthrown ball is caught by Lamb in tight coverage from Reed, who also committed pass interference. After the 32-yard catch, Williams gets 11 yards for a first down, then a holding penalty against Reed gives the Cowboys another first down. Prescott’s pass to Lamb in the end zone is dropped as Lamb comes down awkwardly and leaves the field with an injury. Flournoy makes a 5-yard catch, then an incomplete pass makes it fourth-and-5 as the Cowboys offense stays on the field. Pickens makes a great catch in traffic for a first down but the ball is popped out and recovered in the end zone, but by rule there’s no touchdown. It’s first-and-goal at the Detroit 2 as Williams gets a yard, then finally gets in on second down for the touchdown. The extra point is good as the Cowboys stay in this game. (10:41)
Lions force Prescott interception, score touchdown two plays later to take 27-9 lead early in third quarter
(Start of 2nd Half) Cowboys start the second half with the ball as Turpin returns it to the Dallas 30… and that was quick. Prescott’s pass to Pickens is broken up by Amik Robertson and tipped into the air as Derrick Barnes intercepts it and returns it to the Dallas 14. Two plays later, Goff throws a great ball to TeSlaa in the end zone for a touchdown, as the Lions score quick off the turnover and extend their lead. (14:14)
Lions, Cowboys trade field goals to end the second quarter, Detroit goes into halftime up 20-9
Saylors returns the kickoff to the Detroit 26 as the Lions have one timeout left. Goff finds St. Brown as the receiver goes out of bounds with 40 ticks left, then Gibbs makes another catch for 18 yards. The Lions run to snap the ball as St. Brown makes another catch for nine yards and gets out of bounds again. Goff throws it away with 13 seconds left, then after a Cowboys timeout, St. Brown draws a pass interference flag. Now at the Dallas 29, Goff’s deep pass to TeSlaa goes out of bounds as Bates’ 47-yard field goal barely gets inside the left uprights to end the second quarter. (Halftime)
Another holding penalty on a kickoff return sets the Cowboys back to their own 20, but Prescott and Lamb connect again as D.J. Reed misses the tackle for a 21-yard completion. After Javonte Williams runs for three yards on first down, offsetting penalties keep the Cowboys away from being close to the end zone on a pass interference call on Reed. After the two minute warning hits, Prescott finds Turpin on third-and-4 for a first down. Prescott misses a deep pass to Lamb down the sideline, then Pickens is flagged for a facemask to make it second-and-25. Lamb makes a 10-yard catch as the Lions call their first timeout with 1:13 left, then on third-and-15 Ferguson makes a catch down the middle for 11 yards. Aubrey comes out on fourth-and-4 after a Lions timeout with 55 seconds left, as he hits a 55-yarder this time. (50 seconds left)
Campbell’s forced fumble leads to Montgomery’s 35-yard touchdown run, Lions take 17-6 lead over Cowboys in second quarter
Lions take over from their own 47, but a holding penalty on first down by Skipper and a false start penalty makes it first-and-25. Goff completes a 8-yard pass to Isaac TeSlaa, then finds Jameson Williams for 25 yards and a first down. After Goff’s deep pass to Williams is overthrown, Montgomery sheds a few tackles and runs free for a 35-yard touchdown! The extra point is good and it’s been a while but Sonic and Knuckles yet again find the end zone in the same game. (4:27)
Cowboys starting from their own 21, but on first down Prescott finds Lamb deep for a huge gain of 37 yards to get the Cowboys near midfield. The Lions send a blitz as Prescott accidentally throws a backwards pass that counts as a fumble and a loss of 16 yards. On third-and-21, Jake Ferguson makes a short catch but the ball is punched out by Campbell and recovered by Brian Branch for the first turnover of the night. (6:15)
After Saylors returns the kickoff to the Detroit 29, a first-down incompletion and a false start penalty makes it second-and-15. Goff and Gibbs connect again for 13 yards, then Goff throws a ball on what looks like a free play but no flag is thrown as it’s an incompletion and the Lions have to punt it away. (8:21)
Cowboys convert on multiple third downs, but Lions defense holds Dallas to field goal as Detroit holds 10-6 lead in second quarter
(Start of 2nd Quarter) Multiple Lions tackle Flournoy for a short gain of two yards as that starts the second quarter, but on third-and-6 Prescott throws a quick pass to CeeDee Lamb as he turns upfield for 16 yards and a first down. Turpin returns as he’s wrapped up on a 4-yard run, then Javonte Williams gets three yards on second down. Williams takes the toss outside for four yards and another third-down conversion on this drive for the Cowboys. Brevyn Spann-Ford makes a tough catch for eight yards on first down, leading to another third down as Prescott QB-sneaks ahead for another first down. The Lions force back-to-back incompletions, then Al-Quadin Muhammad gets a clear lane for a third-down sack as Aubrey barely hits the 42-yard field goal. (9:23)
Lions score on two of first three offensive drives, hold 10-3 lead over Cowboys after first quarter ends
Turpin returns the kickoff to the Dallas 30 before being looked at on the sideline. Javonte Williams gets two carries for nine total yards, setting up Prescott to find Ryan Flournoy for the first down. Javonte Williams gets three yards on the final play of this opening quarter. (End of 1st Quarter)
Lions take advantage of short field, Gibbs finds end zone as Detroit takes 10-3 lead late in first quarter
At the Dallas 42, Gibbs is tackled by the ankles for a short gain of four yards, then Goff finds Anthony Firsker for seven yards and a first down. Dan Skipper lines up outside as a receiver and drops the pass as the Lions are flagged for an illegal shift. Now it’s first-and-15 as the Cowboys sniff out a screen pass to Gibbs for a 2-yard gain, but on the next play St. Brown gets free for a 27-yard reception to make it first-and-goal. Eight yards away from the end zone, Jameson Williams takes a jet sweep down the sideline but steps out a yard short of paydirt. Gibbs finishes the job for the short touchdown run and Bates makes the extra point. (2:14)
Cowboys start from their own 5. Javonte Williams runs for two yards on first down, then Pickens falls ahead for three yards after a catch. On third down, the blitz gets to Prescott as he’s sacked by Jack Campbell for a safety, but review confirms the sack is not a safety, as Bryan Anger still has to punt from the back of the end zone. It’s a great punt as Kennedy returns it into Cowboys territory. (5:24)
Tom Kennedy makes a nice return down the sideline before Aubrey stops him at the Detroit 47. David Montgomery’s first carry goes for just two yards, but the Cowboys defensive pressure forces back-to-back incompletions from Goff for a three-and-out. There’s multiple flags on the ensuing punt against the Cowboys as the Lions accept the holding penalty. (7:07)
Lions defense stops Cowboys but Aubrey hits 57-yard field goal, game tied 3-3 in first quarter
Lions get the dangerous returner KaVonte Turpin down at the Dallas 32 as the Cowboys begin their opening drive. Javonte Williams gets four yards on first down, then Dak Prescott finds George Pickens for 11 yards as safety Thomas Harper takes a hit to the head while tackling Pickens and has to be helped to the sideline. Derrick Barnes wraps up Javonte Williams for a loss of five on first down, but Prescott finds Jake Ferguson down the seam for 18 yards. After stopping Javonte Williams for a small gain and forcing two incompletions, Brandon Aubrey one-ups Bates and easily hits the 57-yard field goal to tie this game up. (8:07)
Gibbs stars on opening drive, Lions settle for field goal to take early 3-0 lead over Cowboys
(Start of game) The first play from this offense is Jared Goff finding Amon-Ra St. Brown for seven yards, the receiver starting after recovering from an ankle injury suffered last week. After an incomplete pass on second down, Jahmyr Gibbs takes the screen pass and maneuvers his way to a 19-yard completion. Gibbs makes another catch off play-action and again escapes tacklers for 26 yards and another first down. It’s play-action again as Goff finds Ross Dwelley for four yards, then Gibbs loses two on second down to make it third-and-8. Goff is chased and sacked by former Lion James Houston, as Jake Bates easily nails the 38-yard field goal. (10:46)
Kickoff
It’s now time for a huge game with playoff implications, as the Lions host the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football in Ford Field. It’s a switch-up tonight, as the Lions are wearing all-white at home while the Cowboys are in their rarely-seen blue uniforms with silver pants. Detroit starts with possession as Jacob Saylors makes the return to their own 36.
Preview
Two NFC teams looking to stay alive in the playoff picture face off on Thursday Night Football, as the Detroit Lions host the Dallas Cowboys.
Detroit’s gone 3-4 since their 4-1 start, as the Packers swept the season series in a 31-24 victory over the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The team that traded Micah Parsons to Green Bay, the Cowboys, won their Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Chiefs to keep their playoff chances afloat.
The Lions are currently 2-1 against NFC East opponents this year, and have avoided losing back-to-back games through their rough stretch in the middle of the season. But injuries have hampered their Super Bowl hopes, and a possible return from Frank Ragnow was halted due to a failed physical.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are on a three-game winning streak and still have hopes of winning their division against a struggling Eagles squad. Dallas gives Detroit’s secondary a big challenge with one of the best receiver tandems in the league, having CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens catching passes from Dak Prescott.
Follow along here for live updates from Detroit News contributor Kameron Goodwill.
Lions vs. Cowboys
▶ Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Ford Field, Detroit
▶ TV/radio: Channel 2, Amazon Prime/97.1 FM
▶ Line: Lions by 3
▶ Records: Cowboys 6-5-1; Lions 7-5
▶ Series: Cowboys lead 19-13 (Last meeting: Oct. 13, 2024 — Lions 47, (at) Cowboys 9)
Mark Brunell: Isaac TeSlaa is ‘young and will make mistakes … but he has a bright future.’
Mark Brunell: Isaac TeSlaa is ‘young and will make mistakes … but he has a bright future.’
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