DALLAS — The Cowboys have finally created some positive momentum with back-to-back road wins in what has been a tumultuous start to the season.
Beating the title-contending Lions could be another major step forward.
Here are my "5 Things to Watch" in the Cowboys vs. Lions Sunday afternoon showdown:
What time do the Dallas Cowboys play?
- Time: Sunday, Oct. 13 at 3:25 p.m. (CST) / 4:25 p.m. EST
- Where: AT&T Stadium
- Opponent: Detroit Lions
5 Things to Watch for Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions
1. New look defensive line had to make a stand
Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer deserves credit for turning around a Cowboys run defense that was woefully inept in weeks two and three of the season.
The Saints and Ravens racked up 464 yards combined in those two games. But the Cowboys turned things around instantly, going from surrendering 232 yards per game in those two to just 59 yards per game against the Giants and Steelers.
Against all odds, it's no time to backslide though. They've got to find a way to limit the Lions, who chew up ground yards at a clip of 151 yards per game. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are what a running-back-by-committee should actually look like.
2. Injuries can't be the defense's excuse
The Cowboys will try to limit the Lions' top-3 NFL-ranked offense without its four best edge players. Micah Parsons (ankle), DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), Marshawn Kneeland (knee), and Sam Williams (season-ending ACL tear in training camp) are all out with injuries. But the Cowboys' now no-name defense will have to fight its way to provide resistance Sunday.
Nose tackle Mazi Smith has shown great improvement. He and his fellow defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa, Tyrus Wheat, and Linval Joseph - names you're probably not familiar with - will have to make a stand or things could get ugly in a hurry against Detroit.
The Lions thrive on the run game setting up play-action passing. Quarterback Jared Goff is coming off an 18-for-18 perfect passing performance against the Seahawks, throwing for 292 yards and a pair of TDs. Success on the ground is the foundation for Goff to be at his best, and how the Cowboys handle it will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.
3. Dak & Ceedee have to cook
There was a ton made of a sideline situation between Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb after Prescott threw a first-half interception against the Steelers.
Sunday Night Football analyst Chris Collinsworth claimed, "something's wrong," between the Cowboys' high-dollar duo. Both men flatly refuted the assertion. "Me and Dak ain't got no beef, that's my locker mate," said Lamb. Prescott said the situation was, "just another example of [the media] trying to make nothing into something."
Okay, so we've apparently got that situation straight. Now Dak and CeeDee need to cook.
Lamb's numbers so far are solid. He ranks ninth in the NFL with 386 receiving yards. But almost all those yards have been racked up in the first half of games. Incredibly, Lamb has just four catches for 25 yards in the second half of the first five games COMBINED.
Sunday against the Lions figures to be a tight one and the Cowboys' best two weapons, along with Mike McCarthy, have to scheme their way to success despite the defense being stacked against the Cowboys' most explosive player.
4. Secondary weapons must make an impact
Running back Rico Dowdle had his career-high against the Steelers with 87 yards on 20 carries, and that must carry over.
The Lions are stingy against the run, but the momentum the Cowboys offensive line has created has to keep moving forward. The running-back-by-committee approach should be adjourned. Dowdle, for better or worse, is your lead horse and should get most of the work.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy hinted this week that will indeed be the case.
Receiver Jalen Tolbert's game-winning grab was well-deserved for a young man who has been putting in work since he was drafted in the third round in 2022.
Dak Prescott has praised Tolbert's progress and preparation since he joined the club, and seeing it pay off with such a big play was promising.
Tolbert had a career day, like Dowdle, with seven catches for 87 yards. Those aren't mammoth numbers for a receiver, but they are significant. When you factor in both Dowdle and Tolbert, they can at least give opposing defensive coordinators SOMETHING to think about, other than scheming ways to blanket Lamb with multiple defenders.
5. Meet force with force
The Cowboys haven't started 0-3 at home in a decade-and-a-half (2010). They have set a standard under McCarthy in terms of having a sizeable home-field advantage with a 25-10 record overall.
Make no mistake, the Dan Campbell-led Lions will come into AT&T Stadium with a ton of force after they believe they were robbed of a win last December. Multiple penalties and a botched tackle-eligible play by the Lions led to a wild and controversial ending in the Cowboys' 20-19 victory.
The Cowboys have a prime opportunity to steer this season in the right way by beating the Lions, who are a 3-point favorite. Dallas beat Pittsburgh in a game many expected they would lose. Doubling down on that effort with a makeshift, injury-riddled roster would create a ton of good vibes headed into the bye week.