The Dallas Cowboys traveled to the Motor City to not only see their hopes of a wild playoff push potentially evaporating on Thursday night, but they also saw their season in microcosm at Ford Field.
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The Lions scored 44 points and the Cowboys scored 30 points.
Of course, they had a chance against a team that was almost as desperate as they were. Has great resilience. Dallas (6-6-1) fought back early in the fourth quarter to make it a three-goal game — even without CeeDee Lamb, who left the game with a concussion and abruptly ended his six-catch, 121-yard rush.
And a lot of Brandon Aubrey. generally. The Cowboys’ MVP special teams player made five field goals, becoming the first player in NFL history to make three three-pointers of at least 55 yards in a game. marvelous. Where would this team be without him?
More: Detroit Lions eat into Dallas Cowboys’ playoff hopes, winners and losers
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But in the end, it turned out to be a big drama. That’s the way it is in Dallas. The Cowboys have won three straight, including a win over Super Bowl 59 participants, putting them over .500 for the first time all season. Then poof.
According to NextGen Stats, the Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs are down to 9%. In other words, they may have just finished the playoffs – now they’re screwed.
There’s so much Amon-la-Saint-Brown. Too much Jameer Gibbs. Dak Prescott received so much criticism that he bravely threw for 376 yards but was sacked five times and threw two picks.
One night when the Cowboys needed George Pickens to step up and Lamb was out, the “other” No. 1 receiver was missing.
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St. Brown, on the other hand, is out all week (at least publicly) due to an ankle injury. Never mind practicing. The gritty Detroit receiver showed up and finished the game on the stat sheet with six catches and 92 yards, punctuated by clutch catches and plenty of inspiration.
If any player represents the soul of the Lions (8-5), it’s St. Brown, who entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2021 and now has two first-team All-Pro selections on his resume. This time, he’s coming off an ankle injury suffered in a Thanksgiving loss to Green Bay — just like his team.
The Lions had just won an NFL-record 15th consecutive game after a loss.
Now that’s some kind of identity. They can take a hit and bounce back.
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Meanwhile, the Cowboys just had a game that reflected this roller coaster season. Despite the promise under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, the big problem that slumped them to a 3-5-1 record a month ago — a questionable defense — resurfaced with little room for error.
There is no doubt that the improved but unfinished unit was put into some terrible positions. After halftime, Prescott’s first pass was intercepted as it bounced off Pickens, setting up a rushing touchdown for the Lions. Before that, tight end Jake Ferguson fumbled the ball away, giving Detroit a short touchdown opportunity.
On a night when the Cowboys needed supplemental football to protect the defense (1 sack, 0 takeaways), they shattered the equation. Then, towards the end, the defense was weakened by the physical Lions and couldn’t get the key blocks it might have had…
Okay, it doesn’t matter.
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Instead of succeeding, the Cowboys are likely to be knocked out of a playoff spot.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow @JarrettBell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys’ playoff chances fade as problems with Lions resurface
