Less than a week ago, the vibes were at an all-time high in Detroit. Frank Ragnow was set to return, the Detroit Lions had a chance to get even with the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving, and it was finally time to re-join the playoff picture.
What a difference a week makes.
This week, we had the pleasure of connecting with David Halprin, Deputy Manager for Blogging the Boys, to give us some insight into Jerry’s world. We learned about how this team has responded in the face of tragedy, why Dak Prescott is the main reason this Dallas Cowboys’ offense is humming, and how their defense has turned things around since the trade deadline.
The loss of Marshawn Kneeland was a tragedy. How have you seen this Cowboys team respond to such a devastating loss?
I can only say what I’ve observed from the outside. I’m sure much more important stuff happened internally. Since the team was on a bye when it happened, the players had some time to properly grieve instead of having to immediately prepare for the next game. This allowed them to have remembrance ceremonies, and create things to honor Kneeland, they still carry a flag every game with his name/number on it. Coach Brian Schottenheiemr also deserves a lot of credit with guiding the organization through that time. He has really connected with his players, and the players have connected with each other as they are brought together by the tragedy. This team seems to have some of the best chemistry that I’ve seen in a while, and part of that is coming together to honor the memory of Kneeland.
On offense, it feels like a big ol’ culmination of bounce-back performances. Dak Prescott is in the midst of a productive and effective season, the receiving threats are dynamic and productive, especially with the boost George Pickens has supplied this passing attack–and the run game has looked reinvigorated with Javonte Williams, a true candidate for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.
What’s been the secret to this entire offense (9th in DVOA) having as much success as they’ve had this season, and do you feel there’s room for them to reach their ceiling? Which player should the Lions defense be spending extra time to gameplan for this Thursday?
I know Dak Prescott gets short-changed sometimes because of his lack of success in the playoffs, but don’t get it twisted, he is the main reason this offense operates as well as it does. Prescott can sling it with the best of them, and his experience allows him to read defenses, make changes at the line, and to know where to go with the ball. He is also very adept at avoiding the pass rush while keeping his eyes downfield to make a play. He is playing at an extremely high level right now, just like in 2023 when he was second in the MVP voting.
Of course he has had some help. Javonte Williams is a very hard-nosed runner who never fails to fall forward on his run. His pass pro is also amazing. The Cowboys offensive line is getting better by the week after some injury issues earlier in the year. CeeDee Lamb and Jake Feguson are also weapons. As for the guy who you need to spend extra time game-planning to stop, it is George Pickens. He is on a tear, and he’s catching everything from contested passes where he is double-teamed 40 yards downfield, to five-yard slants that he is turning into explosive plays. His catch radius is ridiculous and right now no one is playing better. You have to try and slow him down in any way possible.
Detroit’s passing offense is heavily reliant on yards after the catch (59.4% of Jared Goff’s passing yards are YAC, 3rd in the NFL), and the Cowboys defense has allowed the fifth-most YAC (1,611) in the NFL this season according to NFL Pro.
What parts of the Cowboys’ defense are most responsible for giving up so many extra yards after the catch?
The thing with the Cowboys defense is you have to separate it into two versions. There was the version before their bye week that was atrocious. The linebackers were not getting it done, they had injuries at safety and corner that had them playing a lot of backups, and the defensive line was struggling to find any kind of rhythm. It was a dumpster fire. So basically everyone was at fault.
Everything changed during the bye week. They traded for Quinnen Williams and that has made such a big difference. He unlocked the defensive line’s potential. They got linebacker DeMarvion Overshown back, and he is a star in the making if he can just avoid knee injuries which have robbed him of so much time so far. They also traded for experienced linebacker Logan Wilson. Add in a secondary that got much healthier, and it’s a different team. Linebacker is probably still their vulnerability, but even that group is much improved.
Trading Micah Parsons was the biggest news story on the eve of the NFL regular season, but the Cowboys weren’t complacent with that move alone, trading for interior defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to pair with Kenny Clark.
How have those two players in particular helped re-shape this defensive line in Dallas, where do you see them being their most productive, and where are they still figuring things out?
Kenny Clark did not have a transformative effect on the defense when he arrived. He was definitely a good player, but the Cowboys defense still struggled, even against the run. Once they got Quinnen Williams into the fold, everything changed. Williams is a wrecking ball who can stuff the run and rush the passer. He’s opened up the game for the other lineman because you have to make sure to get Williams blocked first.
The Cowboys have also been using a five-man line on occasion with Williams and two more defensive tackles in the middle (Kenny Clark, Osa Odighizuwa). That’s hard to run against. Williams has also allowed the team to really rush the passer as their pressure on quarterbacks has gone way up. Clark is a good player, but Williams is a star. Combine all that with the team finally getting healthy, and they now have a defense that looks like it belongs on an NFL field.
The Cowboys are currently 3-point underdogs ahead of this “Thursday Night Football” matchup to the Lions. Do you think Dallas pulls off the upset in this pivotal game for playoff positioning?
I’m going to back the Cowboys for the win, but I am in no way overly-confident in that. The Cowboys could come out and play more like they did in the earlier part of the season, that is always a worry. And being on the road while playing a guy like Jahmyr Gibbs is always a scary prospect. But the Lions are going to be missing a couple of their big offensive weapons, and you need to score points to keep up with a potent Cowboys offense. It will probably be something like 28-24 Cowboys.
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