third quarter
It felt like the Cowboys had to score a touchdown to start the second half. Obviously this is ideal, but it feels necessary Considering everything that happened in the previous game.
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Unfortunately, the worst happened. George Pickens ran his usual slant route, and when the ball came to him, it slanted, which is never a good thing. The Lions were able to intercept it and bring it back a considerable distance. Jared Goff finds Isaac TeSlaa for a touchdown… and from a game clock perspective, the whole thing happened within the first 45 seconds of the second half.
Score: Cowboys 9, Lions 27 (Jared Goff to Isaac Tesla touchdown)
The Cowboys got to work with the new pressure and let things settle down. The offense got serious and before we knew it they were in the red zone.
Unfortunately, CeeDee Lamb got shaken up and was taken to the locker room, which obviously wasn’t ideal. The Cowboys did end the possession with a Javonte Williams touchdown to keep hope alive.
Score: Cowboys 16, Lions 27 (Javonte Williams touchdown)
It looked like the Lions would walk away with some sort of score on their next possession. They kept moving and driving, only to stumble when Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a pass from Jared Goff.
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This is where things get interesting. The Lions attempt a field goal… but it’s blocked!
Sam Williams stepped up to help the Cowboys stay in the game.
The next possession is another very difficult one for the Cowboys. They seem unable to develop any serious positivity. At one point, Dak Prescott found Ryan Flournoy for a huge third-down play, but George Pickens was whistled for pick-and-roll pass interference.
Dallas had to settle for another field goal. This was from 63 yards out. Brandon Aubrey, though.
Scoring: Cowboys 19, Lions 27 (Brandon Aubrey’s 63-yard field goal)
The Lions took an 8-point lead and it was obviously a critical moment in the game. that goes without saying. It was their ball at midfield at the end of the third quarter.
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second quarter
The Cowboys managed to score on their next drive, but it was very difficult and required a huge effort.
The Cowboys seemed to be pulling out all the stops on different rushes and stretches, even for the tiniest bit of yardage. CeeDee Lamb finally got going early in the possession, and KaVontae Turpin even had a handoff.
Still, the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal when Detroit got home on 3rd-and-10.
Score: Cowboys 6, Lions 10 (Brandon Aubrey 42-yard field goal)
Things got weird on the Lions’ next drive. Luckily for Dallas, Detroit fumbled on their first possession on second down, making things difficult for them. They had a catch in the second half, 13 yards to be exact, but on 3rd-and-2 it looked like a couple of Cowboys players were offsides. Jared Goff seems to be aware of this, too, and he’s throwing the kind of passes you’d expect when you believe you have free play, with a low success rate. Surprisingly, no penalty was called and it was a fourth down, so the Lions punted after three and out.
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On their next possession, the Cowboys finally got too close to the sun. Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for a huge gain, so things were feeling positive, but then he had an awkward pass that was ruled a backwards pass, costing him a ton of yardage. Soon, he struck out Jake Ferguson on third down, and Ferguson dropped the ball before all was said and done.
It turned out to be a great moment for the Lions. After a somewhat choppy start, David Montgomery scored another Lions touchdown on the night. It was a 35-yard run that was tough to watch.
Score: Cowboys 6, Lions 17 (David Montgomery touchdown)
Soon, it would be the Cowboys’ last possession before halftime. Given that they delayed the start of the game, it gives them the opportunity for a double-dip.
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George Pickens received a huge pass interference penalty that was about to put the Cowboys within serious distance, but Jake Ferguson was whistled for an illegal hand to the face. Pickens himself was awarded a penalty before the end of the game.
The Cowboys tied it on third-and-15 at midfield with just over a minute left in the half. Detroit obviously wanted to give themselves a chance to score, so they called a timeout before the critical moment.
The aforementioned Jake Ferguson gained 11 yards on third down, and broadcasters thought Brian Schottenheimer would rush on fourth-and-4, but the Cowboys head coach opted to go for the score and carry the battle into the second half. Dak Prescott was seen on the broadcast looking to punt, but Brandon Aubrey’s kick looked easy, so the results somewhat justified the decision.
Score: Cowboys 9, Lions 17 (Brandon Aubrey 55-yard field goal)
The Lions regained possession quickly and fought hard to secure the ball. Before halftime, they were ready to try a 47-yard field goal.
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very good.
Score: Cowboys 9, Lions 20 (Jake Bates 47-yard field goal)
first quarter
The Cowboys won the throw and delayed the game, which allowed them to start their defense.
After speculation over whether Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown would play in this game … he gained 7 yards on his first possession.
The Cowboys held Detroit to a third two plays later, but unfortunately Jameer Gibbs helped them out. In fact, Gibbs was a point of frustration for the defense for most of the first possession, but things got a little tighter once the Lions got to the red zone.
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Detroit was really threatening when Donovan Ezeiruaku broke a tackle on the second play, and then James Houston (former Lions player) tackled Jared Goff and sacked him. The Lions kicked a field goal to start the scoring.
Score: Cowboys 0, Lions 3 (Jake Bates 38-yard field goal)
The Cowboys entered the field with a target and clearly wanted to get on the board themselves. Dak Prescott was able to connect with George Pickens early and connect with Jake Ferguson for an impressive conversion on second-and-15, but unfortunately the Lions defense forced a third-and-10 and was able to run the offense off the field.
Brandon Aubrey attempted a 57-yard field goal with a chance to tie the game, and thankfully we all knew how things were going to go.
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Score: Cowboys 3, Lions 3 (Brandon Aubrey 57-yard field goal)
The Cowboys defense really started to show itself on the next possession. Dallas kept the pressure on Jared Goff, so much so on the second down that he threw an incomplete ball that the officials initially deemed a fumble (it was clearly a forward pass). Ultimately, a third-and-out resulted in a punt, and the Cowboys began their next drive inside their own 5-yard line due to the penalty.
That battlefield location eventually became dangerous. With the Cowboys facing third down, Dak Prescott came under pressure from the Lions defense and was sacked as a safety by officials initially. Nonetheless, the referees reviewed the call and ruled that Prescott was not given two points by Detroit while the sack stood. The Cowboys punted the ball away and the Lions started the game with huge field position.
Detroit’s starting point is the Dallas 42-yard line, and if you give one of the NFL’s best offenses a start like that, they usually find a way. Despite trying to get Dan Skipper back on offense (hands off, Lions), that failed and Detroit saw Amon-Ra St. Brown have a big game that ended with Jameer Gibbs scoring the first touchdown of the game.
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Score: Cowboys 3, Lions 10 (Jamie Gibbs touchdown)
The Cowboys’ offense changed at the end of the first quarter.
