These are some of the things we are going to be paying close attention to on Sunday afternoon.
The Dallas Cowboys have won six straight games against the Detroit Lions and on Sunday they will try to make it seven. The Lions are coming off a bye so they’ll be well rested when they stroll into AT&T Stadium. Rest couldn’t come soon enough for the Cowboys as this is a banged up team and their bye week is just around the corner. Before that can happen they’ll have to get through one more game. Here are five things to look for when the Cowboys host the Lions on Sunday.
1. A tough test ahead for the run defense
It’s nice to see the Cowboys’ run defense improve over the last couple of weeks, but the challenge they face this week will be tough. The Lions feature a dynamic tandem of runners in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery provides a consistent punch and Gibbs will hurt you with his explosiveness. Since joining the Lions last year, Montgomery has had the fourth-best rushing success rate while Gibbs has had the sixth-best explosive run rate (courtesy of NextGenStats). These two collectively put up almost 140 yards per game on the ground.
Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images
The Cowboys’ defense will have to do a good job clogging the middle and be physical when tackling. If defenders fail to fill voids or miss tackles, this could be a long day for the defense.
2. Gotta get to Goff
The Lions’ rushing attack is good. They are ranked sixth-best in the league in rushing yards per game. But their passing attack is equally potent. They rank seventh-best in passing yards per game. The Detroit offense will be the most balanced offense the Cowboys have faced this season. There will be challenges on every play.
The passing attack features good receiving weapons in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta, but their danger level will come down to the guy throwing them the ball. Jared Goff is coming off a game where he didn’t throw a single incomplete pass (18/18 against the Seahawks in Week 4). He had it easy. When Goff isn’t pressured he has a passer rating of 113.2 since 2023 which is second in the NFL. However, when he’s pressured that drops to 64.0 (ranked 23rd). The Cowboys can’t afford to let him get comfortable in the pocket.
This could be troubling for a team that keeps losing its best-pressure guys. With a depleted defensive line (including one of the league’s top pressure guys in Micah Parsons), the Cowboys must find a way to get to Goff. Look for Mike Zimmer to get creative with some added rushers coming from the back seven.
3. Slow down St. Brown
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been a problem since entering the league. He’s super slippery in his routes and he always finds a way to get the ball. He’s coming off two straight Pro Bowl seasons, including a 119-catch, 1,515-yard season a year ago.
Despite his talent, teams have had success against him this year. He’s had two games under 50 yards receiving which matches his total from all of last year. And the Cowboys just so happen to have one of this year’s top slot corners in Jourdan Lewis.
#Cowboys Jourdan Lewis has surrendered 11 receptions for 61 yards on 18 targets faced, resulting in -17.9 target EPA, the fewest of any slot cornerback per NFL Pro.
Lewis has been lights out for the secondary.#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/oLjLZ06SC1
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) October 10, 2024
Lewis is playing like a man possessed. He’s physical, relentless, and so pesky that he makes receivers lose their cool. But more than just the everyday passion he brings, Lewis is getting it done and has emerged as a tough matchup for opposing slot receivers.
4. Dealing to the outside
Dak Prescott has been throwing into tight windows all season as his 24.1% tight-window throw rate is the second-highest in the NFL. The team took a nice stride in reducing that number with a season-low 11.9% tight-window percentage against the Steelers last week. That’s promising.
The Lions’ defense likes to congest the middle of the field as they have the second-lowest open target rate between the numbers this year. This is a sharp contrast to last year when they allowed the most yards in the NFL in this area of the field.
Prescott loves to work the middle of the field with a lot of quick shots to CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson. But the easy stuff might not be so easy in this one. Instead, look for Prescott to attack the outside and spread the defense out. He’s been sharp with his sideline throws and will need to continue to do so if the Cowboys offense is expected to move the ball.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
5. Steele standing
No Cowboys offensive lineman gets as much hate as right tackle Terence Steele. Any bad play he makes becomes engrained in people’s memory and in their defense, he had a lot of them last year. But whether it’s noticeable or not, Steele has improved. Time from injury has allowed him to perform better and he currently ranks 13th in pressures for all right tackles this year. That’s better than average and it’s better than one might expect when he’s squared off against T.J. Watt, Brian Burns, Kyle Van Noy, and Za’Darius Smith.
Steele has another tough challenge in Aidan Hutchinson. The Lion’s edge rusher leads the league in sacks with 6.5 this year. For Dak to deal, he needs some Steele. The Cowboys’ offensive line must hold up and that means keeping Hutchinson from wrecking things up.
What will you be watching on Sunday?
