Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Here is all of the information you need on how to watch this week’s Dallas Cowboys game. The Dallas Cowboys will host the Detroit Lions in Week 6 at AT&T Stadium. This was the site of last year’s game between the two teams that was embroiled in controversy over a substitution penalty on a two-point conversion. The Cowboys eventually won that game 20-19, setting up a ‘revenge’ game for the Lions. Dallas is still beat up along its defensive line, and this week Eric Kendricks, the Cowboys middle linebacker, will also miss the game. The Lions have a very effective running game with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, putting immense pressure on the Cowboys young linebackers. Dak Prescott will need a clean game to keep pace with a strong Lions offense, and CeeDee Lamb will probably be the key ingredient in their attack. The Lions have struggled to contain the passing game on defense. Here is the info for the game. Cowboys vs Lions game info Important links: Cowboys depth chart | Roster Date: Oct 13, 2024 Game time: 4:25 PM EST Location: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX TV channel: FOX Coverage Map: 506 Sports Radio: 105.3 The Fan | SXM Streaming: FOX Sports, Sling Cowboys record: (3-2) Lions record: (3-1) Odds: Dallas +3, courtesy of FanDuel Prediction: Lions 33 – Cowboys 27 Enemy blog: Pride of Detroit Twitter: @BloggingTheBoys Facebook: Please Like us!

Madden is predicting the Dallas Cowboys to lose to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Dallas Cowboys have one game left before heading to the bye and giving us an opportunity to catch a breath. That they were able to steal last week’s contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers feels like it alleviated the pressure to win this one a little bit, but obviously you want to win each and every game that you play. Sunday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions does not project to be a good one for the Cowboys as they are legitimate underdogs. That this is the case at home suggests that Detroit could win rather easily. But that is why we play the games. As far as predicting what could happen, we need to play a different type of game for that to be the case. Every week we run a simulation of the upcoming Cowboys game in Madden to see what it is envisioning. You can watch this week’s simulation below. Dallas lost 38-31 and it was a rather high-scoring affair for the Cowboys and Lions which doesn’t feel impossible by any stretch. Detroit boasts one of the best and most consistent offenses in the league so the Cowboys stopping it is going to be a tall task. It was a close game into the third quarter until the Cowboys settled for a field goal to make things 28-24. At that point things broke open and the Lions were able to shift into a higher gear that Dallas was chasing, which again feels like it could be representative of what we wind up seeing. Madden has made it a rather large habit to predict the Cowboys to lose. It predicted, correctly, Dallas to win at Pittsburgh last week, but other than that it has been nothing but projected losses. Week 1 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Cleveland Browns, 18-17 Week 1 In Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Cleveland Browns, 33-17 Week 2 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 36-29 Week 2 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to New Orleans Saints, 44-10 Week 3 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 21-14 Week 3 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens, 28-25 Week 4 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys lose to New York Giants, 28-21 Week 4 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat New York Giants, 20-15 Week 5 Madden Prediction: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-14 Week 5 in Actuality: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-17 Obviously Madden was incorrect in predicting the Cowboys to lose to both the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. Hopefully it winds up being wrong here as well.

Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Lions are going to provide a difficult test for the Cowboys defense. The Dallas Cowboys have a history of drafting and developing impact players at the traditional linebacker position. Sean Lee, Bradie James, Dexter Coakley, Ken Norton Jr., Leighton Vander Esch, and Jaylon Smith, although in a small sample size, had their time in the spotlight, each making a Pro Bowl. After selecting Vander Esch in the first round back in 2018, the front office has selected six linebackers in the following drafts. Jabril Cox (4th round) and Devin Harper (7th round) are no longer on the team and Micah Parsons has transitioned from being a traditional linebacker in college to an All-Pro defensive end. That leaves just Damone Clark, DeMarvion Overshown, and Marist Liufau—all three players could be in line to start against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. On Friday’s injury report, it was announced that veteran middle linebacker Eric Kendricks would be out of Sunday’s matchup with a shoulder injury. A backup linebacker, Nick Vigil. who signed with Dallas in August, is also questionable for Sunday after not practicing this week. If both veteran players can’t go, the focus shifts to the Cowboys young linebackers. Overshown flashed in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, and after a few tough games against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, the former third-round pick seemed to regain confidence in Weeks 4 and 5. Overshown is second on the team in tackles with 37 and is coming off a week against the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he played 100 percent of the snaps on defense for the first time all season. After making his first tackle on the night, Demarvion Overshown got some love from the SNF broadcast “He is one of the more exciting young Dallas Cowboys players out here”#HookEm | #Texas pic.twitter.com/EeUb93SQdG — Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) October 7, 2024 This offseason, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has praised Liufau for his work ethic and how quickly he picked up the defense. As a result, it has earned him more time on the field, probably way more than fans may have expected to start his rookie campaign. Clark had a standout performance in training camp and seemed to be turning the corner in his career, but has not been on defense for more than five snaps in two weeks. If Vigil is out for Sunday, that could open the door for Clark to show he deserves to be a part of the main rotation. The Lions aren’t a team anyone in the NFL should feel confident going against if their linebacker corps is filled with inexperience, especially Detroit’s ability to run the football. The Lions rush for an average of 151.3 yards per game (7th) led by David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. They also have a team rushing success rate of 50.4 percent (fourth best), which means Detroit’s offense generates positive EPA on half of its attempts on the ground. For context, the Cowboys’ success rate running the football is 39.7 percent. The Cowboys should know how good the tandem of Gibbs and Montgomery can be after playing the Lions at the end of last season when they combined for 108 yards and a touchdown. Gibbs and Montgomery are in the Top 20 rushing leaders this season and are averaging 5.3 and 4.3 yards per carry, respectively. Dallas started the season struggling to stop the run, but in back-to-back weeks, it found a way to slow the bleeding and allowed just 92 rushing yards to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ run-heavy approach, which was sixth best for Week 5. Overshown commented on this new-found ability to contain the run. “Practice-wise, being more sound and disciplined with all our techniques and all our play calls, not just seeing something, not fitting it right and skipping over. Actually paying attention to the detail, everybody doing their one-eleventh… I feel like it’s just been coming to life these last two weeks.” There is no doubt the Cowboys have a daunting task ahead of them when they face the Lions’ rushing attack. Making sure everyone pays attention to the small details, as Overshown put it, could be the difference in winning the matchup. If the core of Overshown, Liufau, and Clark are able to cage the Lions on offense, then the front office could feel confident they have added to their history of success at drafting linebackers, and the future at the position looks a lot brighter.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The upcoming home games for the Cowboys are going to be difficult to say the least. Protecting your home field is paramount in the game of football. The Dallas Cowboys had been a dominant home team since their season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. From that point until the end of last season, the Cowboys won 15 consecutive games at AT&T Stadium. This set up a clear path to the NFC Championship Game when they established themselves as the second seed in the playoffs. However, their old postseason nemesis, the Green Bay Packers, steamrolled them and put up 48 points in the process. After their win against the Cleveland Browns to start the 2024 campaign, the Cowboys had two straight home games against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. Needless to say, it was a disaster in both contests. The Saints put up 35 points in the first half by using a strong run game and Derek Carr’s arm en route to a 44-19 victory. When the Ravens came to town, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry spearheaded an effort of 274 rushing yards, and they held on to a 28-25 win and completely destroyed whatever mystique the Cowboys had at home. This Sunday, the Cowboys take on the Detroit Lions at home. From the Lions perspective, this is a revenge game considering they feel they should have won in Dallas a season ago (loss 20-19), and they’re looking to end a six-game losing streak to the Cowboys. With one of the league’s best offensive lines and a two-headed monster at running back with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, they are a tough out. It doesn’t get any easier in November as the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans will come to town. All three of these teams rank in the top 10 offensively, which will test a Cowboys defense that has shown some very positive signs as of late, and the Texans are also ranked fourth in total defense. The New York Giants will visit on Thanksgiving, and although they aren’t a good offensive team, their defense ranks 10th at the moment. Dallas is depleted when it comes to edge rushers after the injury the rookie Marshawn Kneeland, and that will hurt going up against quarterbacks such as Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, and CJ Stroud. Also, the Cowboys are still trying to establish an identity in their run game despite a good performance against the Giants. It will be difficult, but if they want any shot at making the playoffs, Dallas needs to find a way to get through this upcoming gauntlet of home games.

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Lions fans are feeling confident this week. The Honolulu Blueprint: 4 keys to a Lions victory over the Cowboys – Erik Schlitt, PrideofDetroit.com Establishing their run game will likely be a focus for Detroit. The Detroit Lions (3-1) are on the road in Week 6, traveling to Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys (3-2), hoping for back-to-back wins over teams who have previously had their number. The last time the Lions were in Dallas the ending of the game was drenched in controversy, and while that can be a motivating factor, coach Dan Campbell is confident his team will be able to control their emotions. If the Lions want to continue their revenge tour, they’ll need to follow the keys to victory laid out in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint. Key 1: Run the ball early and often “We believe that we are an extremely physical, detailed, and explosive unit,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said of the offense. “That’s what we want to bring to the table each and every week, we want our physicality to show up. Obviously, the easiest way to do that is in the run game.” By most metrics, the Lions have one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL. They have the fifth-best PFF team rushing grade, an average of 151.3 rushing yards per game, which is seventh-best, an average of 1.8 rushing touchdowns per game a third-best mark, and create an average of 1.62 yards before contact (meaning how many yards a running back gains before being touched by a defender) which is ninth best in the NFL. Key 3: Make the Cowboys’ offense one-dimensional While the Lions are expected to put points on the board, the Cowboys have the offensive firepower to stay with them. If the Lions can stunt the Cowboys’ rushing attack, they can make the Cowboys one-dimensional. Now, that may seem counterintuitive, considering how efficient the Cowboys passing attack is, but there are advantages to be gained. If the Lions can indeed take away the run game early, they’ll be able to counter Prescott’s sped-up offense by focusing more on pass rushing, allowing them to pin their ears back on their pass rush. Jake Bates Showing ‘Steady Improvement’ – John Maakaron, Sports Illustrated Dallas has already found a kicker, but Detroit may have also found one of their own. The Detroit Lions invested in UFL standout Jake Bates to be the team’s kicker for what they are hoping to be the 2024 season and beyond. To this point, Bates has provided strong returns with a perfect 5-for-5 mark on field goal attempts. He did miss one extra point against Arizona and a couple of near-misses, but has shown continued improvement in the eyes of special teams coordinator Dave Fipp. “For Bates, I think honestly the biggest thing for him is he really had – it’s well documented he wasn’t the kicker in college and all that. I mean, he kicked, but he wasn’t the guy all the time. He just didn’t have a lot of reps,” said Fipp. “So, you have a young player who doesn’t have a ton of reps, has a tremendous skillset and talent and upside.” The key for the Lions has been allowing him to continue to bank plenty of high-intensity reps. When Michael Badgley went down with a season-ending injury, the team elected to not add another kicker to the roster. As a result, Bates was the beneficiary of all training camp reps from that point forward. Veteran Greg Joseph was briefly added to the practice squad, but he was eventually signed to the New York Giants’ active roster. With a plethora of reps available to him and getting some game experience, the Lions are hoping they can continue to develop the talented kicker. Bates clearly has one of the biggest legs in the league, and has proceeded nicely in his development. Lions’ David Montgomery reveals new nickname for Detroit backfield he shares with Jahmyr Gibbs – Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports A solid 1-2 punch in the backfield provides plenty of opportunity for nicknames. The Detroit Lions boast a top-10 rushing offense entering Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season, and the beauty of their ground attack is that’s it two-pronged, with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs both ranking among the league’s top 20 rushers. The Lions’ ball-carriers embrace the setup, too, with Montgomery revealing to CBS Sports HQ this week that he and Gibbs have their own nicknames for each other. “We got a new name going around, Sonic and Knuckles, and I happen to be Knuckles,” Montgomery said. “I like that one.” The nickname is a reference to the video-game characters Sonic the Hedgehog, who has supersonic speed; and Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic’s rival-turned-friend who possesses brute strength. “But me and Jahmyr, we go hand in hand,” Montgomery explained. “And I think a lot of people kinda see it in one light. Like, Jahmyr is a guy who can just do this kind of skill and I’m a guy that does just this kind of skill. But anybody who really watches the tape, they can see I can move a lot better than people think I can. … And Jahmyr, he’s fast, he’s shifty, but he’s strong, too. … You mesh those two things together … I think the sky’s the limit for us.” Here are the final injury reports for both the Lions and Cowboys. #Cowboys injury report vs. Lions (Friday): Eric Kendricks has been ruled OUT, along with Micah Parsons (expected). DaRon Bland is questionable, but trending toward his possible return vs. Lions. Nick Vigil is questionable. Full report: pic.twitter.com/3bdkSkKpvV — Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) October 11, 2024 Lions injury report vs. #Cowboys (Friday): Frank Ragnow is back. pic.twitter.com/bAO1drnUyo — Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) October 11, 2024

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Which rookie class do you think is playing better, Dallas’ or Detroit’s? Previously we broke down both team’s offense and defense for the upcoming game between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. Now we dive back into the position battleground, this time looking at how some of each team’s rookie class stack up against each other(Grades for each player are the overall offensive of defensive grade handed out by PFF.com) Dallas Cowboys Tyler Guyton First RoundGuyton left the game early last week and was seen with his knee wrapped up. He’s participating in practice after Mike McCarthy called him day-to-day. All indications are that he will play. Although Guyton is having his struggles this year he’s having to learn on the job and do it as quickly as possible. Grade: 49.7 Marshawn Kneeland Second RoundKneeland is done for the next few weeks with a knee injury that requires surgery. He’s heading to injured reserve but the expectation is he will return in a four to six weeks and be able to play. That’s at least some good news on the disaster that currently resides at the defensive end position for Dallas.Grade: 54.7 Cooper Beebe Third RoundBeebe allowed two pressures last week but hasn’t allowed a sack since the Baltimore game. He’s playing solidly at the moment and his run blocking last week took a significant leap. He is looking more like the mauler that was seen on tape in college. He will get a significant test this week against a very able and effective Detroit defensive line that can crash the inside and defend the run efficiently.Grade: 58.4 Marist Liufau Third RoundLiufau is showing he has some way to go as a general defender at the linebacker position. But his coverage skills have been on display and last week he was exceptionally good. He made one pass breakup last week and his lateral speed looked on top form. How much he’ll get used is dependent on how much Mike Zimmer trusts Liufau in defending this offense that has two very effective running backs.Grade: 53.0 Caelen Carson Fifth RoundCarson has missed the last two weeks with injury. With DaRon Bland possibly coming back into the lineup, that would put Carson down the pecking order. He would play as the fourth cornerback which leaves him room to develop. He is questionable this week.Grade: 57.9 Ryan Flournoy Sixth Round Flournoy came off the practice squad last week and played a handful of snaps on offense. Mike McCarthy had Flournoy in mostly on running plays but he did get chance to run a couple of routes. He got no targets last week and this week he will likely get elevated again to help fill the wide receiver position. The Lions defense is struggling to defend the pass at the moment so if Flournoy gets his chances this week he can demonstrate that athleticism fans have seen in training camp.Grade: 55.0 Brevyn Spann-Ford UDFAFord has his most significant game in his NFL career last week. He played 15 snaps with nine of those snaps played as a run blocker. But he was targeted three times last week and made two receptions, one of which he made a major play to help secure a first down. Grade: 54.8 Scott Galvin-Imagn Images Detroit Lions Terrion Arnold First RoundArnold is a high IQ corner who possesses the awareness and instincts necessary to be effective at defending the run. He can make swift decisions and quickly move downhill to support the run and that’s been seen this year. At times, he plays aggressively, particularly in coverage. He often jumps into his breaks, which results in a slower ability to change direction. That has led to him so far this season to allow a 64% completion rate and a touchdown. He also gets grabby and has now got eight penalties against him this year.Grade: 47.6 Ennis Rakestraw Jr Second RoundRakestraw was a bit of a secret weapon in this year’s draft. He’s an agile corner with impressive footwork for quick transitions and fluid hip movement for turning and sprinting. Exhibits excellent lateral agility to match receivers at the line of scrimmage, along with the speed to keep up with the majority of them. His issue is size, he’s a slim-built athlete. Due to his size he lacks the necessary functional strength. When he’s had to contend with larger receivers at the catch point and when dealing with blockers in open space he loses that battle nearly every time. He hasn’t played much this year and featured in a couple of snaps in Week 1 and Week 4.Grade: 63.2 Giovanni Manu Fourth RoundInactiveGrade: N/A Sione Vaki Fourth RoundVaki has played eight snaps this year and in those eight snaps he’s been targeted once to make one reception for 17 yards. His bread and butter on the roster at the moment comes on special teams and this will likely be his key contribution this week against Dallas.Grade: 74.4 Mekhi Wingo Sixth RoundThe LSU defensive tackle has played 74 snaps this year for Detroit. Wingo shows remarkable quickness off the line and excellent lateral movement, allowing for effective penetration into gaps and disruption of plays. He demonstrates a high motor and an unwavering drive to chase the ball, playing with great intensity in every part of the game. The issue for Wingo is he struggles with maintaining consistency and finishing plays, especially when it comes to applying pressure and securing sacks. This can be mitigated by stronger guards and double teams, highlighting the necessity for enhanced strength and leverage. Mostly this is due to his size functional strength issues.Grade: 65.1 Christian Mahogany Sixth RoundInactiveGrade: N/A Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images