The Dallas Cowboys were hardly perfect in their win over the Lions but secured a much-needed victory. Studs and duds for America’s Team in the triumph.
After taking a tough loss to the Vikings at home in Week 10, the Dallas Cowboys needed a win on Sunday as they traveled to Ford Field to face the Detroit Lions. The matchup seemed quite favorable against an ailing defense and an offense starting Jeff Driskel for an injured Matthew Stafford. However, things got more tricky than anticipated early.
Ezekiel Elliott fumbled on the Cowboys’ first drive of the game, putting Driskel and the Lions in tremendous field position. Then, the Dallas defense came out flat and let Detroit work on them early. The Lions jumped to a quick 7-0 lead and then made it 14-10 midway through the second quarter.
Lucky for the Cowboys, they shored things up on offense, particularly with Dak Prescott in the passing attack, which took advantage of a lacking Detroit secondary, even with Amari Cooper playing clearly at less than 100 percent.
Dallas put up 21 points in the second quarter to take a commanding 24-14 lead into halftime. Though the Cowboys were not able to fully step on the throat of the Lions and let Detroit feign a comeback late in the game, Dallas was ultimately able to secure the 35-27 win on the road, moving to 6-4 on the season.
The win is huge for the Cowboys and their playoff chances. With the Eagles losing to New England, Dallas now has the lead clearly in the NFC East. Of course, they now go on the road for their own matchup with the Patriots, which could give them another loss. Thus, getting this victory was critical for their playoff chances.
Regardless, it was an up-and-down performance for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. But these were the studs and duds from what amounted to a not-as-pretty-as-it-should’ve-been but still crucial win.