Game Highlight: Dallas Cowboys Wins Detroit Lions, 24-6.
As quarterback Dak Prescott made his comeback after missing the previous five games due to a fractured thumb on his throwing hand, all eyes were focused behind center.
Did he have any rust on him? Could the Dallas Cowboys offense ratchet up the tempo? Would they be able to defeat the failing Detroit Lions team?
Saying the game was a work of art might be overstating the case because Prescott and the Cowboys did have some trouble getting into a rhythm early on. However, Dallas eventually defeated the Lions 24-6, which is always satisfying to see.
Prescott wasn’t terrible, by any means. His remarkable 113.2 passer rating came from completing 76 percent of his passes for 207 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. The squad’s main catchers were Noah Brown and Dalton Schultz, who are both still dealing with knee injuries. CeeDee Lamb led the team with 75 receiving yards.
Tony Pollard gained 83 rushing yards on 12 carries, and Ezekiel Elliott added 57 yards and two touchdowns, marking his first game with two or more scores this year. Dallas generated 330 yards of offense in total.
However, with the defense playing as it was, Prescott and company didn’t have to worry about doing the labor-intensive work. For the third game this year, the Cowboys did not allow a touchdown while giving up 10 or fewer points. Five takeaways were produced by the unit on the day, including two interceptions and three recovered fumbles, all of which occurred in the second half.
First Quarter
Dallas’ offense took a while to get going, going three-and-out on its first two drives with Prescott at the controls for the first time since December 22, 2019, and the Lions quickly seized a 3-0 lead. The opposition was able to advance 49 yards in 10 plays on their second possession of the contest thanks to quarterback Jared Goff, who completed 4 of 5 passes for a total of 34 yards. At the Cowboys’ 21-yard line, Detroit would delay and settle for a 40-yard field goal.
Second Quarter
Prescott and his troops started to move as the second frame of the clock approached. With beautiful 24-yard completions to Lamb in between, the quarterback connected with Schultz on passes of 15 and 11 yards each. The Cowboys were able to get to the Detroit 3-yard line and contemplated going for it on fourth-and-2, but instead they called a timeout and settled for the chip-shot from goal from 22 yards away.
The Lions were once more successful in moving the ball into field-goal range despite standout wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown missing the game due to a concussion. Naturally, they benefited from Micah Parsons’ disputed roughing-the-passer penalty, which added 15 yards to Goff’s already 9-yard completion. However, the Dallas defense was able to apply the breaks, and Detroit was able to retake the lead this time with a 53-yard field goal from Michael Badgley.
Just before the break, the Cowboys moved from their own 24-yard line to the Lions’ 20 in an attempt to score again. However, the wide receiver was complete upended and fumbled the ball as he somersaulted to the ground after Brown caught a 14-yard pass at the 6. At the 3-yard line, Detroit recovered the object, eliminating the danger.
Elliott took a nasty hit on his right knee, looking to hyperextend it, but everyone maintained their collective breadth throughout the drive. He did, however, return for the second half.
Third Quarter
Which is fortunate that he did. The Cowboys needed just seven plays to get to the end zone after Trevon Diggs secured his third interception of the year, giving Dallas possession at its own 18-yard line. Elliott ran nifty 18 yards while dodging a defender, and Pollard then sprinted 28 yards up the middle. However, Elliott ultimately took home the victory after diving in from one yard out to give Dallas a 10-6 lead it would never give up.
Fourth Quarter
Discuss how they were given a break just when they needed it. When the Lions ran 79 yards to the Dallas 1-yard line, where they had first and goal, the Cowboys were facing an uphill battle. However, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence swatted the ball away from running back Jamaal Williams on the very next snap, and linebacker Anthony Barr fumbled it, giving the Cowboys possession.
Shortly later, the Dallas defense forced another error. After that goal-line recovery, the Cowboy offense was forced to punt, but they immediately gained possession when cornerback Jourdan Lewis dove in front of a Goff pass intended to give his team possession at their own 46-yard line. Lewis needed assistance getting off the field after getting hurt during the play. He never came back.
But this time, the Cowboys were able to benefit from the error. Prescott gained 54 yards in 11 plays and 5:39 by connecting with Lamb for 15 yards, Brown twice for a total of 25 yards, and Schultz once more for 7 more yards to go to the 2-yard line. Elliott was back in the end zone two plays later.
Any dreams of a comeback were swiftly dashed as rookie defensive end Sam Williams sacked Goff on the Lions’ second play of their subsequent series, knocked the ball loose, and recovered it for the trifecta. The final touchdown was scored on a 2-yard toss from Prescott to tight end Peyton Hendershot, the rookie’s first career touchdown, after Pollard dashed up the middle for 25 yards.
On the Lions’ following series, Parsons again stripped Goff, with Dorance Armstrong recovering the fumble. At that point, the Cowboys had no choice but to go into victory shape.
