DALLAS — Lions coach Dan Campbell, a former Dallas tight end under Bill Parcells, has created a dynamic offense in Detroit that surely reminds the Cowboys of what they used to be.
The Lions are enormously talented on offense with a dominating offensive line, dynamic running backs producing at the highest rates in the league, and speed on the perimeter that Jared Goff expertly uses to create big plays and score touchdowns.
The Cowboys, in contrast, seem to do nothing especially well at this point. After leading the NFL in scoring two of the past three seasons with a 31.2 average in 2021 and 29.9 last season, the Cowboys have plunged to 23.4 points per game. The Lions rank seventh at 26.0.
In describing the importance of Sunday’s game against the Lions, Dak Prescott couldn’t even bring himself to mention the obvious possibility of starting the season 0-3 at home.
“No way that we can, you know, what? Can’t even say it. But there’s no way we can drop another home game. Want the Dallas fans to come in, expecting to win, and bring everything they can. All the positive energy and vibes. And we’ve got to produce and go get it.’’
Unbelievably, a team that finished the 2023 regular season as the only undefeated team at home and scored more points than any other is currently winless at home and allowing the most points in the league on their field.
“We’re going on a bye,’’ Prescott said. “So we’re gonna get this win, go enjoy the bye and then figure it out after that.”
Interestingly, the Lions are coming off their bye week. That’s normally an advantage as teams can have time to self-scout, get healthy and spend extra time preparing for the next opponent. But the Lions are only 1-1-1 following their bye week under Campbell, and the loss came against the Cowboys in Week 7 back in 2022.
And, the McCarthy-coached Cowboys are 3-0 playing opponents coming off their bye the past three seasons, the only team in the NFL undefeated in that situation in that timeframe.
The Cowboys will probably need more from their offense to prevail Sunday while playing on the fast surface at home against an opponent that reached the NFC Championship Game last season.
One reason the Cowboys have struggled to score is the defense has not created turnovers that provide the offense short fields and extra possessions - not to mention scoring themselves as they did more often under Dan Quinn than any other team in the league the last three seasons.
That element is unlikely to return until Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence overcome the injuries keeping them off the field. Parsons won’t play this week, and Lawrence has to miss at least the next three games and is expected to be sidelined for more than that.
So while cornerback DaRon Bland, who set the NFL pick-6 record last season, might return from a broken foot and make his debut opposite 2021 NFL interception leader Trevon Diggs, it seems the defense won’t be able to force mistakes without pressure on the opposing quarterback.
Prescott will be confronted with the prospect of carrying an unreasonable amount of responsibility for creating success. Matchups are everything in the NFL, and Prescott is 5-0 against the Lions, his best record against any opponent. He’s also compiled a passer rating above 100 in each of those games, which is one short of Tom Brady’s record of six against a single opponent.
The Cowboys need Prescott at his best and for CeeDee Lamb to reassert his dominance for four quarters. His second-half numbers through five games are ridiculous: four catches for 25 yards.
When I asked him about that, Lamb cited halftime adjustments made by defenses and then said, “I’ve got to find different ways to be effective in the game. I understand that. And I will. When my time comes, best believe it’s gonna be big.”
Lamb contributed 13 receptions for 227 yards — both career highs and scored a 92-yard touchdown that was the longest-scoring play in the league last season.
The Lions play man coverage at one of the highest rates in the league, and Lamb is the best receiver in the league in those situations. Campbell said the Lions’ defensive game plan focuses on Lamb.
“We’d like to get back in a groove like that with him,’’ Prescott said. “What great opportunity that we have to try and get that connection going once against. It’s a defense we’re familiar with, having played the last few seasons. Understand how they’re going to try to play us. They’re going to for sure try to take him away, especially when you look back at that game…But we’ve got different ways to get him the ball still. And just be confident in what he will be able to do. But it would be great to get in a rhythm like that _ and when you’re in a rhythm like that with an elite receiver, it’s a rare feeling.’’
Cowboys' penalty problem
As they do every week, the Cowboys had five flag-throwing officials calling penalties at practice as Mike McCarthy emphasizes penalty avoidance - although the results do not indicate that priority.
The Cowboys had 11 accepted penalties vs the Steelers, their third game with 10 or more this season. That ties Texans for most in the NFL.
It has been a problem that McCarthy and his staff have been unable to correct. That was the team’s 14th game with 10+ accepted penalties under McCarthy — the most such games in the NFL over that span.
McCarthy seems to believe one contributing issue is the heavy roster turnover he’s experienced in Dallas, a lack of continuity and the reliance on young players early in the season.
Dowdle vs Elliott: Switching running backs?
Imagine if Dak Prescott had failed to recover Rico Dowdle’s fumble on the play before his game-winning touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert. The criticism of Mike McCarthy would have been endless and justified.
It defies explanation as to why Dowdle was in the game at that point. That is the exact role that Ezekiel Elliott was expected to fill after returning from exile. Since 2022, Elliott has rushed for 17 touchdowns — 14 from inside the 10-yard line. In Week 1, Elliott started ahead of Dowdle and scored on a 3-yard run.
Elliott seems quietly frustrated and revealed that he’s spoken to members of the organization about his role.
“Honestly, I’ve just been focusing on being a good teammate. I’ve been focusing on continuing the help lead this team. Not really so much. making this about me; just making it about this football team winning games.’’
McCarthy’s use of running backs has always been something of a curiosity. The only team since 1932 to finish last in the NFL in carries per game while averaging 5 or more yards per attempt for an entire season was the 2018 Packers. They finished 6-9-1 and fired McCarthy before the end of the season.
Despite the near disaster, Dowdle’s goal-line fumble created, McCarthy said he doesn’t expect any change in roles among the running backs this week.
QB duel
Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed all 18 passes he threw last week against the Seahawks, and he caught for a touchdown the only one he didn’t throw from wide receiver Amon Ra St. Brown. Goff was the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, which included Prescott being a fourth-round pick.
While they’ve split six previous meetings, Prescott has a 37.3-pt higher passer rating than Goff in their two matchups since Goff was traded from the Rams to the Lions, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Prescott and the Cowboys won both of those games at home.
Commanders rookie QB
Washington’s Jayden Daniels can join Dak Prescott as the only rookie quarterback since 1950 to win five of their team’s first six games in a single season if the Commanders upset the Ravens Sunday, per ESPN Stats and Info.
The Lewis-Detroit connection
Jourdan Lewis, a Detroit native, intercepted Jared Goff in both the 2022 and 2023 wins against the Lions. His two interceptions against Detroit are the most against any opponent in his career.
Franchise record
With a touchdown reception against the Lions, Rico Dowdle would become the first running back in franchise history with a receiving touchdown in three consecutive games.
Controlling Aiden Hutchinson
The Cowboys have played against multiple elite pass-rushers, including reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and former DPOY T.J. Watt.
The Cowboys coach staff created a protection plan that prevented them from wrecking the game, and the Cowboys won both games on the road. Now comes Aiden Hutchinson and next Nick Bosa.
I asked McCarthy what most impresses him about Hutchinson and he answered, “His relentlessness.’’
Utilizing Turpin
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Pro Bowl KR Kavonte Turpin’s improvement as a wide receiver: “When he first got here, he was kind of a gadget guy. You know, he's just getting the ball in space. Working with Robert Prince on the fundamentals of playing receiver, it's been really cool for us to see. He is truly a receiver. He really is.
It's been cool to see we can move him around, put him in different spots. We couldn't do that we first got here, and that's a testament to him evolving as a receiver. And again, let's be honest, he doesn't get a lot of kick return opportunities because nobody wants to kick to him, so we’ve got to get him involved as a receiver.’’