Texas’s Arlington For Detroit Coach Dan Campbell, things have significantly improved since the Lions last traveled to his home state.
The Texas native has guided the Lions to their first division crown in thirty years, and going into tonight’s visit to the Dallas Cowboys, the NFC North champions are still in the running for the top seed in the NFC.
The Lions dropped to 1-5 last season and 4-18-1 since Campbell took over as coach after losing to Dallas, where he played tight end for three of his ten NFL seasons.
Since then, Detroit has gone 19-7 and is making its fourth trip to the playoffs in 24 seasons. The NFC’s best record is shared by the Lions (11-4) with San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Campbell is more concerned about finishing in second place than he is about winning first place and earning a bye.
Dallas (10-5) is coming off its first consecutive loss since 2021, despite owning the greatest home winning streak in the club’s history—15 games—in 42 years.
The Cowboys may still catch up to the Eagles in the NFC East, but they will require assistance. While the New York Giants stunned Philadelphia in the regular-season finale, winning is the most obvious course of action.
The Cowboys want to concentrate on preparing for the postseason and the possibility of playing on the road once more for the time being. The previous season, they went to Tampa Bay to win a wild-card game before falling to the Niners.
Coach Mike McCarthy stated, “I’d like to think that we’ve been focused that way all year.” “We’ve been discussing reaching 11 victories,
DYNAMIC TWO
Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have combined for at least eight rushing touchdowns in a single season for the first time in Detroit history.
Quarterback Jared Goff remarked, “They’re both starting backs in this league for really any team.” “We are dangerous because they both play on the same squad and can compliment each other so effectively.
QB VIEW
Within the top five in throwing yards and touchdowns are Prescott and Goff. With 3,892 yards and a league-high 30 touchdown throws, Prescott is ranked fifth. Goff, who is aiming for his second season with at least 30 scoring passes, is in third place with 3,984 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Prescott was selected as a somewhat-forgotten 135th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, whereas Goff was selected by the Los Angeles Rams at No. 1 overall. That came after Dallas lost to Denver in their attempt to move into the first round in order to get Paxton Lynch.
Reaching the summit
Amon-Ra St. Brown, a wide receiver for the Lions, is the fourth player in NFL history to reach 300 receptions in just three seasons. After three years, a strong finish would offer him a shot for the most receptions ever. His current number is 302. Justin Jefferson of Minnesota is first with 324.
St. Brown became the fourth Lions wide receiver to record eight games with 100 yards or more in a season with his 106 yards versus the Vikings. He ranks fifth in team history with 14 during his career.
RETURNING TO WORK
In terms of quarterback hurries this season, Micah Parsons of the Cowboys (65) leads Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson (63) by a narrow margin. Hutchinson is ranked second in quarterback hits (18), behind Nick Bosa of San Francisco (19).
Hutchinson secured the NFC North with a victory against the Vikings, securing four quarterback hits and a strong pass defense.
“It was cool, we were all dancing around, but after about 10 minutes it was time to get ready for the playoffs and get ready for this,” said Hutchinson. “… You can win the division and then at the end of the year lose in the playoffs and say ‘at least we won the division’ but that’s not the mentality I want.”
Lions at the Cowboys
THINGS TO Observe The Cowboys face the NFC North champion Lions in their regular-season finale at AT&T Stadium with a 15-game winning run at home. The Cowboys have won 18 straight games at home, their longest winning streak since 1979–81. Dallas hasn’t won eight straight games at home since the 1980 and 1981 campaigns. After falling to Dallas 24-6 last season, the Lions have improved to 19-7. Texas native and Texas A&M player Dan Campbell, the coach of Detroit, played tight end with the Cowboys for three of his ten NFL seasons (2003–05).
NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, Miami Gardens, Florida. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (four) rushes with the football as Miami Dolphins defensive end Zach Sieler (92) pursues. (Image by Michael Laughlin/AP)
On Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Minneapolis, during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery, 5, celebrates after scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. Bruce Kluckhohn/AP Photo
On Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Minneapolis, after an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) celebrates as he leaves the field. 30-24 was the Lions’ victory. (AP Photo by Abbie Parr)
