Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions’ 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season on Thursday, Dec. 4 at Ford Field.
WR Ammon-Ra St. Brown
Until 90 minutes before kickoff, it was uncertain whether the Lions’ All-Pro receiver would play. He did not practice this week after spraining his ankle in the first quarter of a Thanksgiving loss to Green Bay. But on the Lions’ first play from scrimmage, St. Brown caught a 7-yard pass from quarterback Jared Goff. The catch was the first of four for St. Brown in the first half, the most important of which was a 26-yard reception that set up the Lions’ first touchdown.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) warms up before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field in Detroit, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.
St. Brown took a slant route through the defensive face and sprinted inside the 10-yard line. He later outmaneuvered rookie cornerback Shavon Revere Jr. on the sideline in the final minute and helped set up a key pass interference penalty. The violation pushed Detroit further into Dallas territory, and Jake Bates’ 47-yard field goal two plays later gave the Lions a 20-9 halftime lead.
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In the fourth quarter, St. Brown’s 37-yard catch helped seal the victory. Dallas’ defense faltered before throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jahmyr Gibbs on the next play. St. Brown finished with six catches for 92 yards.
LB Jack Campbell
The Lions defense has taken a step back in recent weeks. It gets dark during rush hour. Takeaways are down. The Lions have just two sacks and forced just one turnover in their past three games.
On Thursday, the Lions’ third-year middle linebacker Campbell helped lead a defensive renaissance against one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses. In the first quarter, he rushed through the A-gap on an 11-yard loss to the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. At first, it appeared that Campbell caused a safety incident. But replays showed Prescott pulled the ball over the goal line. Still, Campbell’s sack paid dividends, forcing a punt from the 1-yard line and flipping the field in Detroit’s favor. The Lions then began their drive inside the Dallas 42-yard line. Six plays later, Gibbs scored.
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Campbell stole the ball from tight end Jack Ferguson near midfield for the Lions’ second touchdown. Safety Brian Branch fumbled the ball and David Montgomery’s 35-yard touchdown run broke the Dallas defense less than two minutes later. Campbell had a team-high 12 tackles.
RB David Montgomery and Jameer Gibbs
The Lions’ rushing attack landscape has changed this year as they expanded the role of Gibbs, one of the NFL’s top emerging playmakers. While Montgomery hasn’t phased out of the offense, his workload has decreased.
But on Thursday, the Lions — perhaps more than in any game this season — found a way to effectively use both players and play to their strengths. Coach Dan Campbell (now the play caller) designed plays for Gibbs to attack the Cowboys in space. Gibbs had the most impressive performance as a receiver, catching seven passes for 77 yards.
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Meanwhile, Montgomery was doing his best in the tackle. In the second quarter, he fought back, got rid of Revell’s tackle, and ran 35 yards for a touchdown. Gibbs and Montgomery — the dynamic duo known as Sonic and Knuckles — took turns leading the Lions’ rushing attack for the first time in a long time and finished with 193 yards of offense and four touchdowns.
Lions vs Cowboys Losers
Aidan Hutchinson
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) warms up before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.
On Oct. 29, Hutchinson was paid like an elite pass rusher. But since signing a four-year, $180 million contract extension, he hasn’t been playing like he used to. On Thursday, he again posted disappointing numbers. Hutchinson had zero sacks despite the absence of the Cowboys’ top offensive tackle, Tyler Guyton. He has just 2.5 points in six games since signing.
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Hutchinson was outplayed by teammate Al-Quadin Muhammad, who took down Prescott three times behind the line of scrimmage and had four quarterback hits. The Lions need to get more out of Hutchinson.
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Regardless of the outcome, it was a tough night for the secondary. Prescott broke through the defense multiple times, completing 31 of 47 pass attempts for 376 yards. Until the last interception, DJ Reed, the top free agent cornerback the team acquired in the offseason, was injured multiple times. The same goes for cornerback Amik Robertson across from him.
That depleted area was further diminished when safety Thomas Harper suffered a head injury on the Cowboys’ second play from scrimmage and was subsequently ruled out of the game.
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Then, in the fourth quarter, Brian Branch injured his right ankle and was carted off the field. As the game came to a close, Daniel Thomas and Avonte Maddox both manned the back line as the last line of defense. This is far from ideal.
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Please contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. follow him @RainerSabin on X.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Lions Winner/Losers: Amon-Ra St. Brown gutty, Aidan Hutchinson Hush
