Afrigather The Dallas Cowboys have gained six straight video games towards the Detroit Lions and on Sunday they are going to attempt to make it seven. The Lions are coming off a bye so that they’ll be nicely rested once they stroll into AT&T Stadium. Relaxation couldn’t come quickly sufficient for the Cowboys as this can be a banged up crew and their bye week is simply across the nook. Earlier than that may occur they’ll must get by way of yet one more recreation. Listed below are 5 issues to search for when the Cowboys host the Lions on Sunday.
1. A tricky check forward for the run protection
It’s good to see the Cowboys’ run protection enhance over the past couple of weeks, however the problem they face this week might be powerful. The Lions function a dynamic tandem of runners in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery offers a constant punch and Gibbs will harm you along with his explosiveness. Since becoming a member of the Lions final yr, Montgomery has had the fourth-best dashing success fee whereas Gibbs has had the sixth-best explosive run fee (courtesy of NextGenStats). These two collectively put up nearly 140 yards per recreation on the bottom.
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Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Photos
The Cowboys’ protection must do job clogging the center and be bodily when tackling. If defenders fail to fill voids or miss tackles, this might be an extended day for the protection.
2. Gotta get to Goff
The Lions’ dashing assault is nice. They’re ranked sixth-best within the league in dashing yards per recreation. However their passing assault is equally potent. They rank seventh-best in passing yards per recreation. The Detroit offense would be the most balanced offense the Cowboys have confronted this season. There might be challenges on each play.
The passing assault options good receiving weapons in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta, however their hazard stage will come all the way down to the man throwing them the ball. Jared Goff is coming off a recreation the place he didn’t throw a single incomplete move (18/18 towards the Seahawks in Week 4). He had it simple. When Goff isn’t pressured he has a passer ranking of 113.2 since 2023 which is second within the NFL. Nonetheless, when he’s pressured that drops to 64.0 (ranked twenty third). The Cowboys can’t afford to let him get snug within the pocket.
This might be troubling for a crew that retains shedding its best-pressure guys. With a depleted line of defense (together with one of many league’s high strain guys in Micah Parsons), the Cowboys should discover a option to get to Goff. Search for Mike Zimmer to get artistic with some added rushers coming from the again seven.
3. Decelerate St. Brown
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been an issue since coming into the league. He’s tremendous slippery in his routes and he all the time finds a option to get the ball. He’s coming off two straight Professional Bowl seasons, together with a 119-catch, 1,515-yard season a yr in the past.
Regardless of his expertise, groups have had success towards him this yr. He’s had two video games underneath 50 yards receiving which matches his whole from all of final yr. And the Cowboys simply so occur to have certainly one of this yr’s high slot corners in Jourdan Lewis.
Lewis is taking part in like a person possessed. He’s bodily, relentless, and so pesky that he makes receivers lose their cool. However extra than simply the on a regular basis ardour he brings, Lewis is getting it finished and has emerged as a troublesome matchup for opposing slot receivers.
4. Dealing to the surface
Dak Prescott has been throwing into tight home windows all season as his 24.1% tight-window throw fee is the second-highest within the NFL. The crew took a pleasant stride in decreasing that quantity with a season-low 11.9% tight-window proportion towards the Steelers final week. That’s promising.
The Lions’ protection likes to congest the center of the sector as they’ve the second-lowest open goal fee between the numbers this yr. This can be a sharp distinction to final yr once they allowed essentially the most yards within the NFL on this space of the sector.
Prescott likes to work the center of the sector with loads of fast photographs to CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson. However the simple stuff may not be really easy on this one. As an alternative, search for Prescott to assault the surface and unfold the protection out. He’s been sharp along with his sideline throws and might want to proceed to take action if the Cowboys offense is predicted to maneuver the ball.
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Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Photos
5. Steele standing
No Cowboys offensive lineman will get as a lot hate as proper sort out Terence Steele. Any unhealthy play he makes turns into engrained in individuals’s reminiscence and of their protection, he had loads of them final yr. However whether or not it’s noticeable or not, Steele has improved. Time from damage has allowed him to carry out higher and he at the moment ranks thirteenth in pressures for all proper tackles this yr. That’s higher than common and it’s higher than one would possibly count on when he’s squared off towards T.J. Watt, Brian Burns, Kyle Van Noy, and Za’Darius Smith.
Steele has one other powerful problem in Aidan Hutchinson. The Lion’s edge rusher leads the league in sacks with 6.5 this yr. For Dak to deal, he wants some Steele. The Cowboys’ offensive line should maintain up and which means preserving Hutchinson from wrecking issues up.
What is going to you be watching on Sunday?
