We’re in the thick of it now, December football. The next five games for the Detroit Lions will be huge as their playoff hopes took a hit after losing to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving. Winning out would be massive for them, but their schedule isn’t favorable. The team also hasn’t won back-to-back games since September, as they continue to alternate between winning and losing.
The five-game journey starts at home on Thursday night against another team clinging to low playoff hopes in the Dallas Cowboys. Unlike the Lions, the Cowboys are coming in hot, on a three-game winning streak and still alive in their divisional race. They’re hitting their stride at the right time of the year, with a dangerous offense that is carrying the team as far as it can go.
Let’s take a look at the Cowboys in my Week 14 scouting report.
Dallas Cowboys
2025 season thus far (6-5-1)
Week 1: Lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20
Week 2: Defeated the New York Giants 40-37 (OT)
Week 3: Lost to the Chicago Bears 31-14
Week 4: Tied the Green Bay Packers 40-40
Week 5: Defeated the New York Jets 37-22
Week 6: Lost to the Carolina Panthers 30-27
Week 7: Defeated the Washington Commanders 44-22
Week 8: Lost to the Denver Broncos 44-24
Week 9: Lost to the Arizona Cardinals 27-17
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 33-16
Week 12: Defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21
Week 13: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28
Stats:
- 2nd in points scored, 31st in points allowed
- 15th in DVOA
- 8th in offensive DVOA (8th in pass DVOA, 16th in run DVOA)
- 31st in defensive DVOA (29th pass DVOA, 27th in run DVOA)
- 13th in special teams DVOA
No team has garnered more media attention for being a non-playoff team this year than the Cowboys. It started before the season began when they traded EDGE Micah Parsons to the Packers for picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Owner Jerry Jones was active at the trade deadline and got his defense the help they desperately needed after getting rid of Parsons, trading for linebacker Logan Wilson and defensive lineman Qunnien Williams. The Cowboys were struggling before those trades, being 3-5-1 at their bye week, but now they’re on a three-game winning streak, led by the offense.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is having a solid season, with a chance for this year to be a career season for him. He’s thrown for 3,261 yards (second in NFL), 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He has a completion percentage of 69.3, second-highest of his career. He’s made smart decisions and has led the team to three fourth-quarter comebacks with two game-winning drives.
One thing helping him is the ground game, as running back Javonte Williams has been a solid contributor, getting 995 yards (sixth highest in the NFL) and eight touchdowns. The biggest help for Prescott has been his receivers, as Jones traded for George Pickens in May, and he’s been explosive and having a career season with 78 catches, 1,142 yards, and eight touchdowns. His presence has helped fellow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb not be doubled as often, as he’s got 51 catches for 744 yards and three touchdowns. You also can’t ignore the tight end Jake Ferguson, who’s right behind Pickens in catches with 70 for 496 yards and seven touchdowns.
Despite making those trades after losing Parsons, the Cowboys’ defense is still the weakest part of the team. Former Lion EDGE James Houston is leading the team in sacks with 4.5, with fellow EDGE Jadeveon Clowney behind him with 4.0. Safety Donovan Wilson leads the team in interceptions with two, and cornerback DaRon Bland has been making plays, getting a pick-six on his only touchdown, and he leads the team in pass deflections with five.
The defense has been a liability for Dallas this season. Despite the upgrades made, it’s hurting how strong the offense has been for them. They’ve undoubtedly improved since the trade deadline—holding the Raiders to 16 points and Eagles to 21—but those are two struggling offenses.
After the Lions game, the Cowboys have a favorable schedule to try and sneak into the playoffs. They still have to play the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants. If the Cowboys can upset the Lions on Thursday night, they have a strong chance to make it in as the seven seed, but if they can’t overcome Detroit, they’ll need a lot of help.
Injury notes
Key players ruled out: RB Miles Sanders (IR), S Juanyeh Thomas (NFI), LB Jack Sanborn (IR)
Key players to monitor: CB Trevon Diggs (IR), LT Tyler Guyton (ankle), CB Caelen Carson (hamstring), EDGE Jadeveon Clowney (hamstring)
This time of year, having a lightened injury report is a good thing to have. The Cowboys aren’t dealing with too many injuries to key players, and they have a chance for some to return from IR as well. They are without running back Miles Sanders for the year, and safety Juanyeh Thomas was put on NFI earlier in November, so he isn’t eligible to return yet.
On Sunday, Dallas announced they would start the practice window for cornerback Trevon Diggs to return. While normally Diggs wouldn’t be expected to play on a short week, owner Jerry Jones said they are expecting him to play vs. the Lions, giving them a big boost in the secondary.
Starting left tackle Tyler Guyton was injured back in Week 12 and missed last week due to the short week. Now with a full week between games, he has a chance to return. Starting cornerback Caelen Carson missed last week due to a hamstring injury but was limited in practice and had a questionable designation. If he can turn those practices into full participation, he could play on Thursday night. Clowney popped up in the injury report Monday with a hamstring injury and didn’t practice, so his status for Thursday is uncertain.
Biggest strength: Passing attack
When looking at the Cowboys, you can’t ignore how strong they are at throwing the football. Prescott is having a strong season. He’s been explosive with the football, throwing 10 passes over 40+ yards, second-most in the NFL , and a big part of that has been the addition of Pickens to the offense.
Pickens is second in the NFL in receiving yards and he’s got 18 catches over 20 yards, also second in the league. The Cowboys haven’t had a one-two punch at wide receiver since 2021 when the team had Lamb with Amari Cooper. The good thing for Dallas is even if you can slow down Lamb and Pickens, that leaves Ferguson open and he’s been one of Prescott’s favorite targets this season. While he isn’t leading tight ends in yards, he’s tied for second for the most touchdowns by a tight end with seven.
The Cowboys passing offense is ranked third per PFF with an 87.2 grade as only the Packers and Los Angeles Rams are higher. Dallas has some depth behind those top three options discussed too, as wide receivers KaVontae Turpin, Ryan Flournoy, and Jalen Tolbert have 53 catches for 666 yards and four touchdowns. While their depth isn’t as eruptive, it helps to have some options in case your main playmakers aren’t hitting their stride.
Biggest weakness: Defense
If the Cowboys had just an average defense compared to what they have currently, they’d be one of the most dangerous teams in football. The Cowboys have allowed the third-most passing yards (251.5 YPG) , and the most passing touchdowns at 28. If you want an explosive play through the air, play Dallas because they’re tied with the Commanders at allowing the most 40+ yard passing plays at 11. According to PFF, they have the fifth-worst secondary with a coverage grade of 46.3.
The run defense is an upgrade for the unit, but still not helpful for the team. While PFF has them tied as the second-worst run defense at 46.2, it’s not as bad as that. They are 2oth in rushing yards allowed per game (124.7) and 27th in yards per carry (4.7). They also allow a relatively high amount big plays on them. Dallas has ceded nine runs over 20 yards (t-seventh most) and twice have allowed a run of 40 yards (t-eighth most).
Despite the run defense doing all it can to try and limit opponents, it doesn’t help the unit overall as PFF has them as the fourth-worst defense in the NFL with a 55.9 grade. Diggs being out in the secondary has been a big blow to them, but you can’t ignore what not having Parsons has done to this team. The secondary is forced to cover for a longer duration, and they don’t have the skill at the position to do that. This defense must step up for Dallas soon, or else their season will be over.
Key matchup: Lions’ defense vs. Cowboys’ offense
The Lions’ defense has struggled lately, despite several players returning from injury. The pass rush has been nonexistent, as EDGE Aidan Hutchinson has only gotten a 1.5 sacks in the past four games. Cornerback Amik Robertson has been burned in coverage two weeks in a row, and facing a great duo in Pickens and Lamb, things are only getting harder for him.
The Cowboys offense will have to rely on the passing game, with the Lions’ run defense being the third-best per PFF (81.1). With the recent woes of Detroit’s secondary and the skill players Dallas has, they’d be crazy not to air it out, especially with the lack of pass rush Detroit’s generated recently.
With both teams’ playoff hopes on the line Thursday, can the Lions’ defense show up as they have in previous weeks, or will the Cowboys’ offense be too much to handle?
Vegas line for Sunday: Lions favored by 3
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