The Dallas Cowboys lost on Thursday night to the Detroit Lions. Losing in general is difficult to take, but doing so when your playoff lives are on the line makes it especially frustrating. For all intents and purposes the Cowboys held a 23% chance of reaching the playoffs before Thursday night’s game. In losing their […] The Dallas Cowboys lost on Thursday night to the Detroit Lions. Losing in general is difficult to take, but doing so when your playoff lives are on the line makes it especially frustrating. For all intents and purposes the Cowboys held a 23% chance of reaching the playoffs before Thursday night’s game. In losing their odds dropped to 9% which means you can use the gif from Dumb and Dumber to talk about it. The New York Times playoff simulator gives the Cowboys a 41% chance of reaching the playoffs if they win out (Vikings, Chargers, at Commanders, and at Giants). Even winning out is below 50% which is why Thursday night was so critical. Within that world the Cowboys would obviously need a ton of help. The TL;DR is that they would need the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and now Detroit Lions to all collapse and fall beneath them in the NFC Wild Card standings. To be clear only two of them need to do so as Dallas is currently the second team out, but again that underscores how tough this all is now. An argument can be (and has been) made that the most probable (not that it is probable) path in as as the NFC East winner. In addition to winning out the Cowboys would need the Eagles to lose at least three of their remaining games (at Chargers, Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, Commanders). Have crazier things happened? Of course. But we were already asking for crazy before the loss to Detroit. Now we are asking for CRAZY. See More: Dallas Cowboys Playoffs

Second Quarter The Cowboys managed to put points on the board on their next possession, but it was incredibly difficult and required an enormous amount of effort. It seemed like the Cowboys were trying with all of their might for even the tiniest bit of yards in different spurts and stretches. CeeDee Lamb finally made […] The Dallas Cowboys entered Thursday night in Detroit with a chance to win four games in a row and provide a serious boost to their building playoff hopes. That did not happen. They lost. At no point were they really close to not losing to be honest. We should remember the positive equity that Dallas built up over their three-game winning streak and not dismiss it entirely. The Cowboys rallied and made matters impressive across this season, but it is hard to say that there is legitimate hope left after losing this game specifically. Dallas still has a chance and for all we know could get an enormous amount of help, but their already low odds took a serious hit by losing this game to this team. The Cowboys are now 6-6-1 with a week and a half to rest and reflect over the gauntlet that they just ran. Maybe they pick up a ton of help, maybe they don’t. Either way it will surely be hard for them to look back on this game as they had a number of self-inflicted errors. Below you will find our recap of it all as it unfolded. Deep breaths, everyone. First Quarter The Cowboys won the toss and deferred which put them on defense to start. After speculation as to whether Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown would even play in this game… the very first play of it went to him for a 7-yard gain. The Cowboys were able to get Detroit into a third down two plays later though, but unfortunately Jahmyr Gibbs was able to help them out of it. Gibbs was actually a point of frustration for the defense for a majority of this first possession, but as soon as the Lions reached the redzone things got a little bit tighter. Donovan Ezeiruaku had a tackle for loss on second down with Detroit really threatening and then a play later James Houston (a former Lion) took down Jared Goff for the sack. The Lions kicked a field goal to start the scoring off. SCORE: COWBOYS 0, LIONS 3 (Jake Bates 38-yard field goal) The Cowboys took the field with purpose and clearly wanted to get on the board themselves. Dak Prescott was able to connect with George Pickens early on and with Jake Ferguson for an impressive conversion on a second and 15, but unfortunately the Lions defense forced a 3rd and 10 and were able to get the offense off of the field. Brandon Aubrey was able to attempt a 57-yard field goal with a chance to equalize though, and thankfully we all know how those things tend to go. SCORE: COWBOYS 3, LIONS 3 (Brandon Aubrey 57-yard field goal) The Cowboys defense really began to show itself on the next possession. Dallas was getting consistent pressure on Jared Goff and on second down got to him so much so that he threw an incompletion that the officials initially let go as a fumble (it was clearly a forward pass). Ultimately it was a three and out which led to a punt and thanks to a penalty the Cowboys began the next drive inside of their own 5-yard line. That field position wound up being treacherous. When the Cowboys were facing third down Dak Prescott was under pressure from the Lions defense and was sacked for what officials initially ruled was a safety. The call was looked at though and while the sack stood it was ruled that Prescott was not taken down for two Detroit points. The Cowboys punted it away and the Lions took over with tremendous field position to start. It was the Dallas 42-yard line specifically where Detroit started and if you give one of the better offenses in the NFL that kind of start then they are usually going to find a way. Despite trying to involve Dan Skipper on offense again (let it go, Lions) and failing Detroit saw Amon-Ra St. Brown rip off a big play and eventually Jahmyr Gibbs punch it in for the game’s first touchdown. SCORE: COWBOYS 3, LIONS 10 (Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown) The first quarter ended with the Cowboys offense moving a bit. Second Quarter The Cowboys managed to put points on the board on their next possession, but it was incredibly difficult and required an enormous amount of effort. It seemed like the Cowboys were trying with all of their might for even the tiniest bit of yards in different spurts and stretches. CeeDee Lamb finally made an appearance early on in the possession and KaVontae Turpin even had a handoff as well. Despite those things the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal when Detroit got home on 3rd and 10. SCORE: COWBOYS 6, LIONS 10 (Brandon Aubrey 42-yard field goal) Things got weird on the next Lions possession. Dallas got lucky when Detroit had a false start on second down which made things tough for them. They picked up a ton of it, 13 yards to be exact, on the down, but on 3rd and 2 it looked like several Cowboys players jumped offsides. Jared Goff seemed to assume this as well as he threw a pass that had a low-percentage chance of being completed, the kind you throw when you believe you have a free play. Amazingly there was no penalty called and it was fourth down so the Lions punted away after a three and out. It was on the next possession when the Cowboys finally flew too close to the sun. Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for a huge gain so things felt positive, but then he had an awkward pass that

It’s Thursday night in Detroit and the clock is ticking down towards kickoff for a pivotal NFC clash between the Cowboys and Lions. Both teams desperately need a win tonight, and both teams are dealing with injuries. Now that we’ve got the inactives report, we have a better idea of who will be out there. […] It’s Thursday night in Detroit and the clock is ticking down towards kickoff for a pivotal NFC clash between the Cowboys and Lions. Both teams desperately need a win tonight, and both teams are dealing with injuries. Now that we’ve got the inactives report, we have a better idea of who will be out there. For the Cowboys, Jadeveon Clowney and Tyler Guyton are both inactive. Guyton didn’t practice all week, while Clowney made it back in time for Wednesday’s practice in a limited capacity, but the pass rusher won’t be able to play. In other news, Trevon Diggs had his practice window activated to return from the injured reserve, but after initial optimism he may suit up for this game, Diggs is going to have to wait another week. Malik Hooker was the only other player listed as questionable heading into tonight, but he is active and good to go. That means Clowney and Guyton are joined on the inactives list by Jalen Tolbert, Jaydon Blue, Jay Toia, and Perrion Winfrey. As for the Lions, their biggest question heading into this one was star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Many believed he’d be unable to play in this game after suffering an injury last Thursday, but St. Brown is active and ready to play. Notably, tight end Brock Wright – pushed into a starting role after Sam LaPorta’s season-ending injury – was moved to the injured reserve earlier today. See More: Dallas Cowboys Injuries

The Dallas Cowboys travel to play the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. We asked five questions about the Lions and got five answers from our friends over at Pride of Detroit. Blogging The Boys: With the Lions struggling over the last few weeks, what are the main things that have been going wrong? Is […] The Dallas Cowboys travel to play the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. We asked five questions about the Lions and got five answers from our friends over at Pride of Detroit. Blogging The Boys: With the Lions struggling over the last few weeks, what are the main things that have been going wrong? Is it a serious issue, or just a bad run of games? Pride of Detroit: In an effort to respect the time of your readers, let me keep this brief: a lot has gone wrong this season for this football team. On offense, the Lions hired John Morton to be the team’s offensive coordinator. It was a rocky start to the season, but there were signs of growth through the first half of the season. Detroit had big offensive performances against Chicago (52 points), Baltimore (38), Cleveland (34), and Cincinnati (37). But after that, the Lions offense really struggled with getting drives off the ground, there were a lot of three-and-outs. When Detroit’s defense forced a turnover or put the offense into good field position, the offense failed to be opportunistic, sometimes failing to turn plus-field position into any sort of points. Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties in Week 10 and the Lions put up 44 points against the Washington Commander. But then they managed just nine points against the Philadelphia Eagles the week after, failing to convert on all five of their fourth-down attempts. Then it happened again against the Green Bay Packers last week, 0-for on fourth down attempts. For the defense, the disconnect between the pass rush and the coverage on the backend has created a disjointed and susceptible group. Despite holding up well in run defense over the course of the season (7th in rush defense DVOA), a team that runs as much man coverage as the Lions has not been able to hold up long enough in coverage with the pass rush providing the slowest time to pressure (2.92) in the NFL. BTB: Jahmyr Gibbs is the truth. Tell us about him and how the Lions like to use him. POD: Weeks ago, I described Jahmyr Gibbs as “Barry-esque” and it isn’t hyperbole. The beginning of my Lions fandom started in 1997, albeit at the tail-end of Barry Sanders’ career, but even to a seven-year-old kid, the magic of what Sanders did with the ball in his hands was evident. Even those plays of negative yardage from Barry were appointment television, and funnily enough, Gibbs had a few of those plays on Thanksgiving against the Packers–trying to make defenders miss in the backfield and turn something out of nothing. But Gibbs’ elite trait is that he has the chance to turn any run into six. He doesn’t need to get to the edge, he doesn’t need perfect blocking, he just needs a sliver of daylight and it could be a touchdown before you know it. It’s become commonplace to see offensive linemen throw up their hands and signal a touchdown before Gibbs even reaches the third line of defense. Detroit will use him in a variety of ways: he carries the ball on both zone and gap calls, he catches the ball out of the backfield on screens or used as a checkdown option if Goff bails on a play, and he’ll even line up out wide in certain sets and formations. He’s about as versatile as it gets when it comes to the running back position. BTB: What’s the ideal formula for the Lions when they are playing their best? POD: Running the football effectively to set up third-and-manageable is critical for this offense to be at its best. When this offense falls behind the sticks, it spells disaster–they’ve really struggled to convert on third-and-long. Goff is extremely effective when running play action: fourth in yards per attempt (9.6), fifth in passer rating (124.8), and third in touchdown passes (9). Now, the problem with getting Goff into play action is he’s facing the second-highest pressure rate (24.4% of dropbacks) of his career, second only to his 2021 season in Detroit (24.6%). The defense is so hyper-committed to stopping the run, it’s essential they get opposing offenses into third-and-distance. When the Lions’ defense is at its best, it’s generating pressure that envelops the quarterback while the backend holds up in coverage. That sort of marriage between pass rush and coverage creates the possibility for turnovers, but that’s something that’s been missing over the last couple of months–after forcing nine turnovers in their first five games, Detroit’s forced just four turnovers over their last seven games. If the Lions can limit Javonte Williams’ effectiveness on early downs and actually create pressure that affects Dak Prescott, they’ll have a chance at winning this one. BTB: Give us some players who seem to be on the verge of breaking out that we might not know so well. POD: I’ve been doing this five questions series for three seasons now, and I’ve always had an answer for any question a writer has thrown my way, so today’s a first: I’ve got no one. Maybe Isaac TeSlaa? He’s the Lions’ rookie wide receiver who the team moved up to draft in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He caught both of his targets last week, including a 17-yard touchdown pass after the Lions lost Amon-Ra St. Brown to an injury early in the game. But even with TeSlaa’s uptick in playing time over recent weeks, he hasn’t really been able to stack productive performances in a “on the verge of breaking out” way. BTB: How does the game go on Thursday night and what is the

When the Cowboys take the field Thursday night in Detroit, they won’t be going up against the offensive juggernaut the Lions have become known for, and that’s not just because the Lions will be missing both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. The Lions lost both coordinators in the offseason, with Ben Johnson taking the […] When the Cowboys take the field Thursday night in Detroit, they won’t be going up against the offensive juggernaut the Lions have become known for, and that’s not just because the Lions will be missing both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. The Lions lost both coordinators in the offseason, with Ben Johnson taking the Bears job and Aaron Glenn taking the Jets job. Dallas lost to Johnson and beat Glenn, so this game can serve as the tiebreaker in the Dan Campbell Invitational. But those coaches’ departures spurred plenty of offseason debate over how Detroit could survive without them. On offense, life after Ben Johnson has been a mixed bag. Campbell replaced Johnson with John Morton, a seasoned coaching veteran who had been with the Lions as a senior offensive assistant in Johnson’s first year as coordinator, assisting with the creation of the offense. But Morton hadn’t called plays since 2017, when he did so for a very bad Jets team. Early on, Morton’s tenure with the Lions was going considerably better. Over the first five weeks, Morton’s offense was fifth in EPA/play and third in success rate, and Jared Goff was putting up MVP numbers. For a moment, it looked as if Campbell had aced his most consequential hire since becoming head coach. Then, something changed. A poor showing on the road in Kansas City looked to be a minor setback against an elite defense, but an uneven performance the next week against the Buccaneers left Detroit with questions heading into their bye. A slow start in their next game preceded a loss to the Vikings, their second within the division. Over that four week span, the Lions went from fifth and third to 19th in EPA/play and 24th in success rate. There was no real explanation for why the offense had suddenly fallen off a cliff, but it had. The run game wasn’t eating up yards the way it had been, and Goff was either holding onto the ball far too long or throwing costly interceptions while trying to force something that wasn’t there. So Campbell took matters into his own hands. Against the Commanders, and without any sort of announcement beforehand, the head coach started calling plays himself. It wasn’t the first time he’s done it, of course. Campbell’s first year with the Lions saw him take over play-calling from Anthony Lynn – ironically, now with the Commanders – about halfway through the year. He helped lead them to an improved offense and a few wins down the stretch before handing the reins over to Johnson. Campbell’s first game back in the saddle went very well. The Lions scored 44 points and blew out the Commanders, even while losing LaPorta for the year to an injury. But that was against a Commanders defense that was itself so bad that their head coach, Dan Quinn, took over play-calling recently as well. Since then, Campbell’s offense has been shut down by the Eagles, exploded against the Giants, and came up just short against the Packers. They’re 2-2 since the change but are seventh in EPA/play and eighth in success rate. So things are trending in the right direction, but the wins aren’t coming as a result. Neither Morton or Campbell have implemented any real changes to the scheme. The Lions remain an offense whose identity is wrapped up in the run game and their offensive line: Detroit is second in the league in early down run rate (behind only Glenn’s Jets) and they’re second in yards per carry. The offensive line – which briefly thought it was getting center Frank Ragnow out of retirement this week – has remained sturdy, too; only the Jets have more yards before contact per attempt than the Lions right now. The issue on the ground is a lack of explosives, with only 37 runs of 10+ yards while averaging a meager 3.08 yards after contact per attempt. The bigger problem has been the pass game, though. Since Campbell has taken over play-calling, Goff is holding the ball longer (2.70 seconds to throw) and getting pressured more (39.2% of dropbacks) than he had been before the change. Just as concerning, he’s had six dropped passes in those four games; Lions pass catchers had just seven drops in the previous eight games. Now they’re hosting a Cowboys team that’s getting hot, especially on the defensive side, and they’ll be doing so without their top two pass catchers. LaPorta is on injured reserve, while St. Brown has yet to be ruled out but hasn’t practiced all week. To make matters worse, Khalif Raymond and Brock Wright also have yet to practice this week. Raymond, who was out on Thanksgiving, is the third receiver on the team in production, while Wright has stepped into a starting role in place of LaPorta. The offense is banged up, to say the least, which has made it that much harder to solve their consistency issues. Dallas has made legitimate improvements on defense as of late, holding both the Eagles and Chiefs to consecutive scoreless quarters in their two most recent games. Matt Eberflus is also plenty familiar with this squad, having faced them twice a year as head coach of the Bears. That will add just one more element to this intriguing matchup. See More:

Keys to victory: Cowboys look to keep rolling as they travel to Detroit – Ali Jawad, DLLS What Dallas needs to do to push their winning streak to four games. The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 14 with momentum and an identity that has sharpened over the past month. Winners of three straight, they now face a Detroit […] What Dallas needs to do to push their winning streak to four games. The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 14 with momentum and an identity that has sharpened over the past month. Winners of three straight, they now face a Detroit Lions team built on physicality, heavy man coverage, and a YAC-driven offense that punishes poor tackling. For Dallas, the path to victory will come down to whether they can impose their strengths against a Lions team that is looking to keep its sudden stumbling post season hopes alive. Here are the three defining factors that will shape Thursday night in Detroit. The following numbers were obtained through Next Gen Stats. Winning perimeter matchups vs. Detroit’s Man Coverage The Lions play man coverage at the highest rate in the NFL (44.6%), crowding receivers at the line and forcing quarterbacks to make precise, contested throws. It’s an aggressive approach, and it’s one the Cowboys are uniquely equipped to beat. Dak Prescott leads the league in tight window throw rate, targeting receivers with less than a yard of separation on 19% of his attempts. Not only does he take those shots, but he also completes them at a top five rate. George Pickens has been his most lethal weapon in these moments, leading the NFL in both tight window receiving yards (294) and yards versus man coverage (504). Against press specifically, Pickens has been elite, generating 432 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 3.2 yards per route, second-best in the league. The Cowboys also unlock explosive plays by keeping Pickens and CeeDee Lamb isolated on opposite sides of the formation. When deployed that way, they average 7.8 yards per play, compared to 5.3 when aligned together. Add in Dak’s 78% completion rate on play-action and his elite efficiency versus the blitz, important against a Detroit defense that blitzes at a top 10 rate, and Dallas holds a clear schematic advantage. Also worth noting, that Lamb leads all WR’s in DPI calls with 10, while Pickens is tied for fourth with five. If the Cowboys consistently win on the outside, Detroit’s identity begins to crack. Dallas Cowboys rule out Trevon Diggs, Tyler Guyton vs. Detroit Lions – Dallas Morning News Trevon Diggs won’t play after positive signs, and Tyler Guyton will miss his third game of the season. The return of Trevon Diggs will have to wait for the Dallas Cowboys. Despite anticipation the the former All-Pro cornerback would return to the field Thursday against the Detroit Lions, he was ruled out by the Cowboys on the team’s final injury report Wednesday afternoon. Diggs has missed the last six games with knee soreness/swelling and a concussion. He’s still on injured reserve but is in the early stages of a 21-day practice window. Diggs will now have a full 10 days to continue his rehab before a potential return against Minnesota on Sunday Night Football on Dec. 14. Can the Cowboys do it? Confidence is high, but little room for error in playoff push – Jon Machota, The Athletic Dallas needs to keep tunnel vision as they push for the playoffs. Dak Prescott isn’t one to regularly look at the latest NFL standings. But while the Dallas Cowboys quarterback was watching TV over the weekend, he stopped on a show that happened to be showing the AFC standings. That’s when he decided it was time to see where the Cowboys stacked up in the NFC. With five games remaining, Dallas (6-5-1) is chasing the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) for the final wild-card spot. But the Cowboys are only a game and a half back of the Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) in the NFC East division race. “Nothing really different than what I’ve said,” Prescott said this week. “It’s about us really just controlling what we control, winning the games in front of us. Right now, I don’t think we’re in a position where we can truly count wins and losses from other teams. I think we just win, and handle our business, and we’ll put ourselves in a great spot.” After opening the season 3-5-1, Prescott said a few weeks ago that the playoffs had already started for the Cowboys. “Nothing’s changed,” he said Monday. “We just got to do our absolute best every day and take advantage of it and be good with the results we go out there and put (on display).” The biggest positive for the Cowboys is how well they’ve played over their last three games. Momentum is on their side. In his 10 seasons as Dallas’ franchise quarterback, Prescott has been on a team that has won 13 regular-season games and three others that have won 12. Yet, he’s not sure if he has ever felt more confident going into December. “Just on the simple fact that we didn’t play good ball early,” he said. “Now we’re starting to catch our stride, starting to figure out who we are, not just on offense but defense and as a team. It’s fun, I can tell you that. “I’ve been on other teams where you started off hot, and at this time of the year, you’re trying to figure out what you have to do to get back on the horse. To have the momentum we do right now, the confidence, and not just that, the right guys in the locker room who understand where we are, who understand that this is the most important time of the year, and showing that in their daily prep and throughout the week, it’s fun.” According to The Athletic’s NFL Playoff Simulator, the Cowboys enter Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Lions with a 23 percent chance of making

It was an eventful Thanksgiving, as the Cowboys pulled out a gutsy win over the Chiefs that, at one point, felt like it was doomed for yet another last-second Mahomes victory. Then, a day later, Black Friday yielded a great half-off deal, with the Eagles’ offense collapsing yet again in a loss to the Bears.  […] It was an eventful Thanksgiving, as the Cowboys pulled out a gutsy win over the Chiefs that, at one point, felt like it was doomed for yet another last-second Mahomes victory. Then, a day later, Black Friday yielded a great half-off deal, with the Eagles’ offense collapsing yet again in a loss to the Bears. Suddenly, the Cowboys sit just two games back of the Eagles and, having split that series, and owning a better divisional record. The path to the playoffs looks a lot less murky than it did just before kickoff against the Eagles. Imagine that. So how real is this hope we’re starting to feel? That’s what our own David Howman and Tom Ryle try to tackle. David: Oh it’s real. The Cowboys had just a 10% chance to reach the playoffs after their win over the Raiders. Now? It’s up to 23%, according to the playoff simulator at The Athletic. A win over the Lions would boost that number up to 41%! And would you look at that, the Lions have lost three of their last five and seem likely to be playing this week without top wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. It’s still going to take a lot to get to the playoffs, of course, but a big part of the optimism on my end is just the way this team is playing. The offense is still firing on all cylinders and the defense, while not amazing, is proving perfectly capable of stepping up in big moments. Tom: It’s wild how a team I thought was dead in the water has refused to go away. Now they are above .500 for the first time all season. Staying there is not going to be easy, however. Detroit is still dangerous. But so were Philadelphia and Kansas City. Even though Dallas has to go back on the road after a nice home stand, you can’t just assume the Lions are still the superior team. Even if they stumble, there is only one game after that against a winning team, the Chargers. Nine wins looks very doable. With the tie, that could be enough to squeak in. Beat either Detroit or LAC and the odds really shoot up. David: I’m not sure nine wins gets you into the playoffs, though. Two of the three teams currently on track for a Wild Card spot already have nine wins, and the third has eight wins. I think the only shot is winning the NFC East. However, I think that’s more than feasible right now. The Eagles are in a nosedive, having lost two straight. Their offense has averaged just 15 points a game the last month, and now they go on the road to face a really tough Chargers defense. They’ll also have to play in Buffalo in the last week of December, hardly an ideal scenario. The tie is where things get interesting. If the Cowboys win out and the Eagles drop just two games – odds would be on the Chargers and Bills delivering such outcomes – then Dallas would win the division by virtue of having one less loss. But can they win out? Tom: There, as some fellow once observed, is the rub. If they can go on a run over the final five games they have a really good chance of making the postseason. It seems a big hurdle to clear, but remember who they just beat over the past couple of games. Specifically the last two NFL champions. Clearly the Eagles and Chiefs are having more struggles than they are accustomed to. Still, they are not pushovers. A bit stunningly, the Cowboys now look capable of beating any of the teams left on the schedule. The defensive reset has been gratifyingly successful. The offense seems stoppable only by their own mistakes. All this means is that first they have to beat the Lions in their own house. If they do, this is going to be a very interesting stretch run. See More: Dallas Cowboys discussion

Not to take anything away from the Dallas Cowboys current three-game win streak, but they are pretty fortunate they are not at 1-2 instead. Slow starts against both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs nearly doomed them from the get-go, but somehow they were able to overcome the early deficit with some late […] Not to take anything away from the Dallas Cowboys current three-game win streak, but they are pretty fortunate they are not at 1-2 instead. Slow starts against both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs nearly doomed them from the get-go, but somehow they were able to overcome the early deficit with some late game heroics. A few weeks ago in Week 12 the Eagles jumped out to an early 14-0 lead over the Cowboys in the first quarter. They extended that lead to 21-0 after a KaVontae Turpin fumble early in the second quarter, but Dallas was able to put seven points on the board before halftime. After that, it was all the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were entirely different team in the second half. Defensively they pretty much shut down Jalen Hurts and Company and offensively everything just seemed to click. They ended up scoring 17 unanswered points, securing much-needed victory even after the huge deficit they had to overcome early on. A few days later in the Thanksgiving matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs the Dallas Cowboys once again got off to another slow start. After just a few plays, Dak Prescott threw an unfortunate interception that resulted in a Rashee Rice touchdown. That could’ve been a game altering play, but fortunately it wasn’t. Even though the early interception that turned into a touchdown could have been disastrous for the Cowboys, they were able to get the better of the Chiefs from then on. But again, another slow start in back-to-back games put them at a disadvantage early on and could of been the difference between a win or loss. With the Detroit Lions next on the docket, the Cowboys would be wise to get out to an early start. These two teams have a natural dislike for one another, or maybe hate would be a better description. Whatever the case, this game shapes up to be a tough physical matchup that could be decided by which team has the ball last. The Cowboys had good chance to extend their win streak to four this week against the Lions, but in order to do so they need to avoid making early mistakes like they had against both the Eagles and Chiefs here recently. That means eliminating turnovers and playing his mistake free as possible, which is easier said than done. This Week 14 matchup between the Cowboys and Lions could have significant playoff implications. A victory helps both teams keep their playoff hopes alive, but a loss could be devastating for both organizations. That makes avoiding a slow start for the Cowboys all the more important to help secure the “W” this week. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

With five weeks left in the 2025 regular season, we suddenly have a real race in the NFC East. A three-game win streak for the Cowboys, coupled with a two-game slump for the Philadelphia Eagles, has brought Dallas just two games behind the division leaders. Remember a few weeks ago when all those “the NFC […] With five weeks left in the 2025 regular season, we suddenly have a real race in the NFC East. A three-game win streak for the Cowboys, coupled with a two-game slump for the Philadelphia Eagles, has brought Dallas just two games behind the division leaders. Remember a few weeks ago when all those “the NFC East will have a repeat winner for the first time since 2004” posts were circulating? Cute, right? The streak is fighting for survival as Dallas is coming on strong in a push for the playoffs. While a wild card spot is still available as a path to the postseason, the Cowboys’ ascension has them on a potential collision course with the spiraling Super Bowl champs. Even before the back-to-back losses to Dallas and Chicago, the Eagles’ offense struggled in wins over Green Bay and Detroit. Their defense carried them through those games, but hasn’t been as stalwart in recent weeks. But now that Philly’s cleared a tough stretch of NFC contenders and the disruptive holiday schedule, the big question is if they still have a few more losses in them. Here are the NFC East standings going into Week 14: Philadelphia Eagles 8-4 (2-2 in division, 7-3 vs NFC) Dallas Cowboys 6-5-1 (3-1, 3-4-1) Washington Commanders 3-9 (1-1, 1-6) New York Giants 2-11 (1-3, 1-8) The Eagles’ remaining schedule is as follows: @ Chargers, Raiders, @ Commanders, @ Bills, and Commanders again. Los Angeles and Buffalo are both 8-4 AFC contenders, so there’s some hope there. And with another three weeks until the first Washington game, that gives QB Jayden Daniels more time to potentially return. While the Commanders’ season is over, a Dan Quinn team isn’t likely to just roll over for a division rival. No matter what you think of Philly’s own weaknesses or the strength of their competition, asking for more than two losses is a lot. That’s why the task ahead of Dallas is still so tall, likely needing to win out to take advantage of any continued Eagles lapses. If they do, and Philadelphia suffers at least two more losses (or ties), that would put both the Cowboys and Eagles at 11 wins on the year. If Dallas is 11-5-1 and Philly is 11-6, the Cowboys win the division by having a slightly higher winning percentage. This is a huge week for both teams. The Cowboys have probably the toughest game left on their schedule, traveling to Detroit on Thursday night. It’s not a short week as both teams are coming off their traditional Thanksgiving games. But with both Dallas and Detroit fighting for wild card spots, the Lions currently eighth in the NFC just ahead of us, it is no cliché to call this an early playoff game. If Dallas can clear this hurdle, all eyes turn westward to Monday night’s meeting between the Eagles and Chargers in Los Angeles. Philly will have had a few extra days of rest, having last played on Black Friday, but the Chargers are in their own division race with the Broncos and are at least trying to stay afloat as an AFC wild card team. The Eagles’ offense may have a hard time getting right against the NFL’s third-ranked defense. If it seems like we’ve forgotten that Washington and New York exist, well, that’s their fault. And neither is relevant this week: the Giants are on their bye while the Commanders face the Vikings in a game with zero playoff implications. We’ll check back in with them when they’re playing against the Cowboys, Eagles, or other NFC teams who could affect our future. Again, the odds are still against Dallas coming back and winning the NFC East. But it’s gone from a fantasy to at least a semi-reasonable possibility, thanks mainly to Philly’s sudden rash of failure but also the Cowboys’ surprising swing of fortune. We can only hope that both streak continue in Week 14. See More: