Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys

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)

Richard Silva of The Detroit News breaks down the Lions’ Week 14 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Key matchup

DETROIT RUN GAME VS. DALLAS DEFENSIVE FRONT

The Cowboys transformed their ability to stop the run when they landed defensive lineman Quinnen Williams in a deal with the New York Jets at last month’s trade deadline, pairing him with fellow defensive tackle and former Green Bay Packers standout Kenny Clark. Without Williams this season, the Cowboys have allowed an average of 30.8 points and 143 rushing yards per game. With Williams, those numbers have shrunk to 21.7 and 69.7, respectively, as Dallas has strung three wins in a row.

Rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku paces the Cowboys with 13 run stops, according to Pro Football Focus. Five other players — Jadeveon Clowney (11), Sam Williams (10), Kenneth Murray Jr. (10), Osa Odighizuwa (10) and Solomon Thomas (10) — are in double digits.

In four of the Lions’ five losses this season, they’ve been held below 100 rushing yards, and they only had 119 in a defeat to the Packers on Thanksgiving. Detroit’s offensive line has been able to capitalize when playing subpar opponents, but it’s struggled against the NFL’s top tier. It’s a small sample size, but the Cowboys since Week 11 certainly qualify as being elite.

Cowboys to watch

▶ George Pickens, receiver: A budding star, Pickens has taken off in his first year with the Cowboys, posting career highs in catches (73), yards (1,142) and touchdowns (eight), and that’s with five games remaining in the regular season. He’s a big-play machine (his average yards per reception, at 15.6, ranks sixth) and he’s superb at bringing down passes in traffic; he’s hauled in 62.1% of his opportunities for a contested catch, third-best among the 18 players who’ve had at least 20 tries.

▶ Javonte Williams, running back: Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor (921) and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson (744) are the only running backs who have more yards after contact than Williams, who has rumbled for 734 yards following a defender making initial contact. Williams, drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, is in the midst of a career season. He’s collected 955 yards and eight touchdowns over 12 starts, and his average per carry (4.8) ranks 12th.

▶ James Houston, defensive end: Houston, a sixth-rounder by the Lions in 2022, has found a potential home with the Cowboys. He leads the team in sacks (4½), recording more in 12 appearances this season than he did across 13 games from 2023-24. He has 17 pressures in 2025, complementing an edge rushing group that’s led by Dante Fowler Jr. (29), Ezeiruaku (28), Clowney (26) and Williams (19).

Facts and figures

▶ Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey is two successful field goals away from tying Kansas City’s Harrison Butker for the fewest games played (47) to reach 100 makes. Aubrey, who has one of the NFL’s most powerful legs, has made 89.9% of his attempts throughout his career. That’s second-best from an all-time perspective, behind only the Los Angeles Chargers’ Cameron Dicker (93.6%). Detroit’s Jake Bates (85.7%) doesn’t yet qualify for the stat, but his career rate so far would be 18th.

▶ The Cowboys have done well in protecting quarterback Dak Prescott, allowing fewer sacks through 13 weeks (17) than all but two other teams – the Broncos (14) and Seahawks (15). Prescott has played a role in making that happen, with a pressure-to-sack rate (10.3%) that ranks third-best among the 42 quarterbacks who have dropped back at least 100 times this season, behind San Francisco’s Brock Purdy (5.6%) and Denver’s Bo Nix (9.5%). Prescott is adept at sensing danger and escaping it.

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