For all of the temporary excitement about the Dallas Cowboys crawling back to the fringes of the NFC playoff race, they were just one bad game away from slinking back to irrelevancy.
The Cowboys aren’t finished after their 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, but the lights are getting dimmer. The Cowboys’ playoff odds took a huge hit as they now have a 9% chance to make the playoffs according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator and 7% according to NFL.com — and they have themselves to blame.
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Falling in a 3-5-1 hole about halfway through the season forces a team to be just about perfect the rest of the way, and the Cowboys weren’t perfect Thursday night. They fell behind early, had a nice comeback to cut Detroit’s lead to 30-27 in the fourth quarter, then gave up a very fast touchdown drive that put the game back out of reach. That was a microcosm of their season.
Any hope was erased when Jahmyr Gibbs scored his third touchdown of the night to give Detroit a 14-point lead with 2:19 to go.
The Lions haven’t won or lost two straight games since the start of October. But when they needed a win Thursday to realistically keep their playoff hopes alive, after a home loss on Thanksgiving to the Packers, they brought out the version that still looks like it can make a deep playoff run.
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The Lions move along with an 8-5 record, not comfortable with their playoff situation but feeling better about their chances. The Cowboys now have to win out to have any realistic chance, and even that might not be enough.
Lions put the Cowboys in an early hole
The game had huge playoff implications for both teams but the Lions were the only one to come out with a heightened sense of urgency.
The Lions were getting touchdowns while the Cowboys settled for field goals. Detroit got a 1-yard TD run from Jahmyr Gibbs in the first quarter, and in the second quarter David Montgomery broke free of a tackle and got into the open field for a 35-yard score. Dallas moved the ball decently but got only three field goals in the first half. The last field goal in the first half wasn’t even clean. The Cowboys settled for a FG with 55 seconds left, which gave the Lions way too much time to answer. Detroit did, hitting a field goal as the half expired to extend its lead to 20-9.
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Dallas made a critical mistake to start the second half. Prescott threw to George Pickens, who made a halfhearted play on the ball. It was tipped and bounced to linebacker Derrick Barnes for the interception. The Lions quickly turned that into a touchdown catch by rookie Isaac TeSlaa and a 27-9 lead.
That version of the Lions, getting big plays on offense and competing hard on defense, is impressive. That version hasn’t been the one that has shown up most weeks, as was the case last season.
Cowboys crawl back in it
The Cowboys have been playing well lately, and even though they lost CeeDee Lamb to a concussion, they weren’t going to fade without a fight.
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Thanks in part to Brandon Aubrey hitting some long-distance field goals, including a 63-yarder that looked like a layup for him, the Cowboys were still in the game when a busted coverage allowed Ryan Flournoy to get wide open for a 42-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion made the score 30-27 with 9:52 to go.
But the Lions had a quick answer. They had a long kickoff return, a 29-yard catch by Jameson Williams and a roughing-the-passer penalty during the play, then a 10-yard touchdown run by Gibbs. In less than three minutes the Lions had pushed their lead back up to double digits. Dallas’ defense, which had improved after a trade for Quinnen Williams, reverted back to its early-season form at the wrong time. The Cowboys allowed more than 400 yards and 44 points in a must-win game.
That sudden explosiveness on offense is why the Lions can still be dangerous. Injuries have piled up, but there are no obvious powerhouse teams in the league this season. The Lions are still capable of getting hot, though it would be nice to see them have their first two-game winning streak since Week 5.
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Had Dallas not gotten off to a tough start to the season, a loss the Lions wouldn’t have been that bad. The Lions are a capable team and tough to beat in Detroit. But Dallas had put itself in a position in which losing on the road to a good team virtually crushed their playoff dreams, outside of a miracle happening.
There’s no margin of error anymore.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Cowboys and Lions kick off the Week 14 slate:
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Andy Backstrom
Lions cornerback D.J. Reed looked this one all the way in after he and safety Daniel Thomas knocked the ball away from Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy.
Here’s a closer look:
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After combining for four sacks over the previous four games, Detroit has brought down Dak Prescott behind the line five times tonight.
Edge Al-Quadin Muhammad is responsible for three of those sacks
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A 42-yard kickoff return, followed by a 37-yard Amon-Ra St. Brown catch and run, put the wheels in motion for the Lions.
Then, after Detroit left guard Trystan Colon pulled to block Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., running back Jahmyr Gibbs waltzed into the end zone for a 13-yard score.
Gibbs has now tied Barry Sanders for the most career touchdowns (47) before turning 24 years old.
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If the Lions need to make a defensive stand late, they’ll likely have to do so without one of their top players.
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The Cowboys had to settle for a 29-yard field goal after a controversial offensive pass interference penalty was called on tight end Jake Ferguson.
Brandon Aubrey now has four field goals. This one was a chip shot, but earlier tonight he became the first player in NFL history to make three kicks of 55-plus yards in a single game, per the Amazon Prime broadcast.
His other makes are from 57, 55 and 63 yards.
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Ryan Flournoy, a second-year wideout out of Southeast Missouri State, has made two huge receptions on this Cowboys drive.
The first one went for 20 yards after Dak Prescott was sacked for a loss of nine the play prior. Later on, in Lions territory, Prescott located Flournoy for 10 yards on third-and-8.
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Jahmyr Gibbs found his way back to the end zone, this time from 10 yards out. Most of the speedy running back’s damage tonight has been inflicted in the passing game, but he got the job done on the ground in a pivotal red-zone situation.
Gibbs now has 46 career touchdowns before turning 24. The only player in NFL history to score more before that age is legendary Lions back Barry Sanders, who had 47 total TDs before he was 24.
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Gripping to a three-point lead, the Lions needed an answer on third-and-6 midway through the final frame. Jared Goff had one.
He stood in the pocket and rifled a pass to Jameson Williams while taking a hit from Cowboys defensive end James Houston that resulted in a roughing the passer penalty.
Williams turned his catch into a 29-yard gain, which was supplemented by Dallas’ infraction.
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Detroit made that too easy for Dallas. First Dak Prescott strolled for a first down on a 12-yard scramble that ended in an easy jog.
Two plays later, Prescott capitalized on the Lions’ busted coverage, delivering a pass to a wide-open receiver in Ryan Flournoy.
Flournoy blew by Detroit cornerback Amik Robertson, who appeared to be relying on safety help from Brian Branch. The two of them weren’t on the same page.
Flournoy made the catch and enjoyed a 42-yard score.
Then Prescott danced in the pocket before hurling a pass to tight end Jake Ferguson for a two-point conversion. It’s a three-point game.
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Just like that, it’s back to a two-score game. Jake Bates bounced back from his blocked field goal in the third quarter with a 46-yarder a bit more than three minutes into the fourth.
Fueled by the hard running and pass catching of running back David Montgomery, the Lions were chugging along. But a holding penalty disrupted their rhythm.
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Brandon Aubrey is a special teamer, but he’s really an offensive weapon. He just made it a one-score game with a 63-yard bomb of a field goal.
He converted, even after George Pickens’ offensive pass interference penalty.
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The Lions’ secondary has held its own against George Pickens in this one. He has only 3 catches for 22 yards so far.
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Dallas is building some second-half momentum. Following its touchdown drive, it blocks a 52-yard Jake Bates field goal.
Defensive end Sam Williams deflected the kick.
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Jahmyr Gibbs has been lethal out of the backfield all season but especially tonight against the Cowboys.
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CeeDee Lamb’s night is over. He’s been ruled out with a concussion. He suffered the injury while taking a hard fall after elevating for a potential catch in the end zone.
He recorded six receptions for 121 yards in two quarters and change tonight.
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While George Pickens kept the Cowboys’ drive alive with a catch on fourth-and-5, he lost the ball while fighting for extra yards and being swarmed by the Detroit defense.
Fortunately for Dallas, it recovered the fumble.
Soon after, running back Javonte Williams punched the rock in for a much-needed Cowboys touchdown. He also went over 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
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Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is being checked out after trying to make an acrobatic catch in the end zone.
Dak Prescott lofted a pass for Lamb, with Lions cornerback Amik Robertson in coverage.
Lamb went up with his left arm and attempted to bring the ball back to his body but couldn’t come down with the reception.
He stayed down on the ground initially before walking off with medical staff.
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Detroit now has 14 points off Dallas turnovers. Jared Goff located wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown not long after his defense picked off Dak Prescott.
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The Lions have brought their A-game defensively. They didn’t skip a beat on the first play from scrimmage in the second half.
Dak Prescott fired a pass to George Pickens on a quick slant route, but Lions cornerback Amik Robertson stuck his left hand in to create a pass break-up that turned into an interception.
Linebacker Derrick Barnes corralled the deflection and returned the pick 23 yards to the Dallas 14-yard line.
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DETROIT LIONS
Goff: 13/21, 153 yards
Montgomery: 2 rush, 37 yards, 1 TD
Gibbs: 3 rush, 18 yards, 1 TD; 5 rec, 63 yards
St. Brown: 4 rec, 46 yards
Campbell: 7 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF
DALLAS COWBOYS
Prescott: 16/21, 154 yards
J. Williams: 9 rush, 29 yards
Lamb: 5 rec, 89 yards
Houston: 1 sack