Handing out the game ball and naming the unsung hero from the Lions’ complete game against the Cowboys
The Detroit Lions came out of the bye week with a vengeance in their 47-9 road win against the Dallas Cowboys. They showed up to Jerry Jones’ birthday party, blew out his candles, ate his cake, and took all his presents. It was the worst home loss for the Cowboys since Jones took over as owner. With the emphatic victory, the Lions vanquished all demons of the Week 17 2023 “reported eligible” loss.
There were more worthy candidates for game ball and unsung hero than any game this season, so I got a little generous by handing out two well-deserved game balls in the bittersweet victory.
Game Balls – Brian Branch and Ben Johnson
I fully understand the offense was firing on all cylinders, and we’ll get to showering praise their way, but the first game ball goes to Brian Branch.
Going into the game, there was a lot of optimism that the Lions offense would be able to run the ball down the Cowboys’ throats and be able to put up points. However, the Lions defense provided the more surprising—and arguably more dominant—performance in Week 6. In fact, the Lions defense’s -0.56 EPA/Play allowed was the second-best of any team in any individual game this season. It was also the first game that the Lions didn’t allow a touchdown since Week 6 of last season.
At the forefront of the dominance was safety Branch. After getting concussed in Week 3, and then missing Week 4 with an illness, he emphatically bounced back and had one of the most impressive performances by any Lions safety in recent memory.
Branch was everywhere, fully playing out the coaching staff’s vision when they moved him to safety in order to maximize his impact on the game. Branch evenly spent 51% of his snaps back at free safety and 49% of his snaps in the slot or the box, and he was commanding in both spots.
Branch started off his playmaking with a leaping opportune end zone interception to shut the door on the Cowboys’ second drive. The interception, on a pass to what appeared to be an open CeeDee Lamb near the corner of the end zone, came with the Lions up only 7-3 at the time. It was the last drive that the Cowboys’ offense was a threat for the remainder of the game. Branch now has yet to allow a completion on 13 coverage snaps inside the red zone this season, recording three passes defended on three red zone targets (per NFL Pro).
In years past, Dak Prescott finds Lamb in the corner of the end zone, the Cowboys go up 10-7, and Lions fans prepare for an uncomfortable, butt-clenching barn burner that ends on the last possession. Not this Lions team. This version is more resilient and advantageous than even last year.
Branch made another impact play when the defense needed him most in the second half. After holding the Cowboys offense to a field goal on the drive that Aidan Hutchinson was devastatingly injured, the Cowboys were driving again and going up-tempo. Branch took matters into his own hands (or fist) and “Peanut Punched” the ball out of receiver Ryan Flournoy’s hands along the sidelines to get the defense off the field.
Branch would add a second interception to end the very next drive. It was an overthrow by Prescott with Alim McNeill in his face, and it would be his last throw of the ball game.
In total, Branch ended the day with six total tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hit. It was a performance worthy of NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Branch was targeted on only three of 30 coverage snaps and allowed as many completions (two) as interceptions (two). In man coverage, he now has five passes defended, including a league-high three interceptions, on only seven targets faced (71.4% ballhawk rate). It was also a performance that in light of Aidan Hutchinson’s injury, signified a passing of the torch. Branch is now the Lions’ best defensive player and they’ll need him to continue to play like it.
For the second game ball, we know the Seahawks game was the offense’s breakout game. This week was their kick-in-the-door game.
The Lions didn’t punt and almost hung a 50-burger in the biggest statement revenge game that I can recall. The Lions came out of the bye week and dropped 47 points on the road on the Dallas Cowboys. If I could, I would love to give a game ball to everyone on the offense. Jared Goff, David Montgomery, Jameson Williams, the offensive line, everyone brought their A-Game.
But the game ball on the offense goes to their general, Ben Johnson. They ambushed the Cowboys in what was truly a share-the-wealth game for the offense. It was also a game where they clearly played with a chip on their shoulder and were out for blood.
The Lions rushed for a combined 184 yards (5.1 yards/carry) and two touchdowns without breaking off an explosive run—just consistent, face-mashing, 5-15-yard pulverizing attacks. Goff also threw for 315 yards, three touchdowns, 12.6 yards/attempt, and a 153.8 passer rating. Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, Tim Patrick, and Sam LaPorta all had at least 50 receiving yards.
Johnson called a reverse flea flicker. The Lions threw to Taylor Decker in the end zone. They dialed up a hook-and-ladder to Penei Sewell. Dan Skipper lined up at wide receiver. They even started and ended the game by reporting Skipper as eligible. They wanted it to be demoralizing.
Twelve drives resulted in 27 first downs on only 66 plays. They managed 7.5 yards per play, which was the second time in as many games that the offense registered a top-10 yards per play mark among all teams for the entire season. The Lions also had as many scoring drives (nine) as the Cowboys had points scored.
Ben Johnson was in his absolute bag again, and it fueled his players to a blowout victory.
Unsung Hero – Josh Paschal
Paschal brought his consistent, violent level of play against the Cowboys in his first start of the season. Paschal has now stacked two consecutive decent games. With the grim, season-ending injury to Hutchinson, the Lions will need Paschal now more than ever.
Paschal made his presence felt early by blowing past left tackle Tyler Smith to corral Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield for a loss in the red zone. Then, early in the second quarter, Paschal went screeching into the backfield unblocked on a read option to again plant Elliott in the backfield right after he got the ball. Paschal is one of the Lions’ most under-appreciated run defenders, and his technically sound physicality helped to limit the Cowboys to 53 yards on the ground on 17 carries (3.1 yards/carry).
Paschal, who often rushes the passer from the opposite end of Hutchinson, was steady in his bull rush efforts to consistently shrink the pocket available for Prescott, making life easier on the other pass rushers. Paschal also made the athletic heads-up play on an early second-quarter bootleg pressuring Prescott into an incompletion, leading to the Cowboys’ first punt of the game. He was also used on a handful of defensive line twists with one such play resulting in a walloping of Prescott.
In total, Paschal logged two tackles, with both of them being for loss or no gain, and two total quarterback pressures (with one being a quarterback hit).
Paschal will always deliver blows to his opposing blocker, stand them up in the run game, and turn them into blocking sleds in pass protection. What the Lions will need next is for him to go from making assignment-sound plays to making impactful, game-changing plays as his usage increases.
