When the entire construct of the article is a look at “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of a given football game, one is contractually obligated to find some silver lining to represent the good. In the Cowboys’ Week 6 game versus Detroit, though, it was exceptionally hard to find. And after a 47-9 mauling, any positive takeaway whatsoever cannot help but be dramatically overshadowed by the bad and the ugly, of which there was an overabundance.
The parties most responsible for Dallas’s epic faceplant of a performance are truly too numerous to mention. But once again, this breakdown will live up to its stated mission by highlighting just a few of the trends that are currently the biggest problem areas for a team that absolutely no one believes is as good as their .500 record.
From a patchwork defensive crew that got blown through like tissue paper to a pass-protection unit that was practically a row of broken turnstiles and a red-zone offense that’s statistically even worse then you probably think, Sunday’s effort ranks among the most lopsidedly terrible in Cowboys franchise history. So here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Sunday… but certainly not in that exact order.
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Bad: Defensive deficiencies on full display
The Cowboys defense was missing multiple standout players on Sunday, and boy, did it show. Mike Zimmer’s crew gave up nearly 500 yards of total offense, allowed Detroit to gain an average of 7.5 yards per play, and watched the Lions score on their first nine drives that didn’t end in a kneeldown. Receivers were left wide open all day, linemen were repeatedly blown backward, and terrible tackling was everywhere. The less-than-half-hearted attempt by Trevon Diggs to arm-swipe at David Montgomery as he avoided contact was the one that got the most attention, but there were literally dozens of examples throughout the game of Cowboys defenders who were on the field looking as though they wanted to be anywhere else.
Ugly: Putrid pass protection
Perhaps the most shocking stat of Week 6’s complete embarrassment was Dak Prescott taking just four sacks, despite it seeming like he was under extreme duress on every single dropback. (It was technically 48.6% of them, according to NFL Pro.) First-round draft pick Tyler Guyton was a surprise DNP, Zack Martin graded out with a horrendous 28.3 per PFF (and a 0.0 in pass blocking), and the rest of the O-line was O-verwhelmed by the Lions defensive front. Yes, Prescott turned in poor numbers- 51% completion percentage, 178 yards, two interceptions- but much of that can be attributed to so many of his passes coming while hurried, off-balance, off his back foot, or without full follow-through.
Good: Lucky breaks on first drive
Given the way the game ended, it’s crazy to think that Dallas actually led for a brief moment early. But really, even that was only because of a few lucky breaks. After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, Prescott’s first pass of the game was tipped- and nearly intercepted- before landing in the hands of Rico Dowdle for a 15-yard pickup. Just three plays later, the Cowboys were nearing the red zone and seemed destined for a touchdown. But Prescott’s third-down pass into the end zone, intended for Jake Ferguson, was picked off. Only a late penalty flag- a holding call against Detroit linebacker Alex Anzalone- nullified the turnover. With a fresh set of downs, the Cowboys did next to nothing and had to settle for a Brandon Aubrey field goal. The 3-0 lead was very short-lived and quickly forgotten, but for those first three and a half minutes of play, it was nice to see the breaks go Dallas’s way. Little else did.
Bad: Worst-case scenarios in red zone
The Cowboys were a pathetic 0-for-3 in the red zone on Sunday, continuing a painful season-long trend. Of the 10 offensive plays they ran inside Detroit’s 20-yard-line, they amassed just eight total yards and threw two interceptions. It’s one thing to be ineffective in the red zone- the Cowboys rank 30th among the league’s 32 teams through six weeks- but what’s even worse than coming away from the red zone empty-handed is giving the ball away once you’re there. Of the Cowboys’ 16 trips inside the red zone in 2024, they have almost as many turnovers (five) as they do touchdowns (six).
Ugly: Getting suckered by exotic plays
The Lions and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson made a 47-9 blowout loss even more humiliating for the Cowboys by dusting off every schoolyard gadget play they could think of over the course of four quarters. They used a tackle-eligible formation (à la last year’s controversial two-point try) on 11 plays, including the first and last plays they ran from scrimmage. They lined up 330-pound Dan Skipper as a wide receiver. They nearly completed a touchdown pass to 318-pound Taylor Decker. They ran a hook-and-lateral to 335-pound Penei Sewell that was negated only by a penalty. And they hit on a 52-yard flea-flicker that saw four different Lions touch the ball on three pitches before Goff connected with Sam LaPorta for a 52-yard strike that more or less served as a dagger… just 18 minutes into the game. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Detroit was “having fun at our expense.” The rest of the season may be sparse on fun for Cowboys fans.
Good: Turpin’s success on kickoff returns
Obviously, its not great when the opponent scores a ton of points. But the upside to 10 Lions kickoffs Sunday is that KaVontae Turpin got plenty of chances. The return specialist had four kick returns on the afternoon for an impressive 194 yards. His best effort came late in the first half when he brought out the ball (from nine yards deep!) and raced 79 yards to set up the Cowboys for another Aubrey field goal. Per Next Gen Stats, Turpin reached a top speed of 21.64 miles per hour on the play, the fourth-fastest speed by any ball carrier this season, and the fastest any kick returner has gone over the last three seasons. Turpin has a punt return for a score already in 2024; if he keeps getting multiple opportunities every game, he’ll add his first kick-return score sooner rather than later.
