Defeating one of the top contenders in the NFC was going to be a tough challenge even when fully healthy. Given the Cowboys were without several key starters on defense made the hill that much steeper to climb.
So the fact that Dallas fell to the Detroit Lions, 47-9, was perhaps no real surprise. The visitors were just too much to overcome, simply dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball in the blowout. The 38-point deficit was the worst home loss for the Cowboys in their history at AT&T Stadium.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff had a field day against the Cowboys' anemic defense. He completed 72 percent of his passing attempts for 315 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions for a nearly perfect 153.8 passer rating.
And if he wasn't picking apart Mike Zimmer's men, the Lions' ground game was motoring around, over and through them. Detroit's one-two running back punch of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 143 rushing yards while the team as a whole averaged 5.1 yards per carry for a total of 184 yards.
If the Cowboys were to have any hope, Dak Prescott and the offense needed to be nearly perfect. They were far from it. Under pressure throughout the day, the Dallas quarterback was sacked four times, threw two interceptions and completed only 51.5 percent of his passes for 178 yards, a passer rating of just 42.2
And the Dallas rushing attack was virtually non-existent. Rico Dowdle topped the club with only 25 yards on five carries, but as a team, the Cowboys totaled 36 rushing yards, averaging a paltry 2.8 yards per carry.
Overall, the Lions outgained Dallas, 492 yards to 251, dominated the time of possession, 34:43 to 25:17, and recorded five takeaways while the Cowboys' couldn't nab one.
First Quarter
Taking the ball after winning the coin toss, the Cowboys promptly marched down and put three points on the board. A nice 15-yard gain by Dowdle off a tipped pass, and a one-handed grab by CeeDee Lamb for 27 more got Dallas across midfield. But while a holding call helped the Cowboys get into the red zone, they eventually had to settle for a 34-yard Brandon Aubrey field goal.
Field goals, though, weren't going to get it done in this game, especially when Detroit came right back and put up seven. A 42-yard bomb to wideout Tim Patrick did most of the damage with Montgomery doing the rest, rushing three times to pick up the other 28 yards during the drive. The last of those runs was a 16-yard rumble off left guard for the touchdown and a lead the Lions would never relinquish.
However, the Cowboys came right back and moved the ball, marching down to the Detroit 7-yard line. But on third down, Prescott tried to find Lamb in the back left corner of the end zone, only to have safety Brian Branch break off his coverage and swoop over to grab a leaping interception.
Second Quarter
Four snaps into the second frame, Detroit had upped its lead to 10-3. After the pick, Goff marched his team 58 yards in 12 plays before the Dallas defense put on the brakes. Kicker Jack Bates then came out and hit a 40-yard field goal for the three points.
The visitors were only getting started.
On their next possession, the Lions ran a flea-flicker with Goff taking the pitch-back and then throwing deep to tight end Sam LaPorta, who raced down the right sideline for the 51-yard touchdown. That was followed by another Bates field goal, this from 48 yards.
When the Cowboys then went for it on fourth-and-2 on their own 38-yard line and failed to convert – Prescott's pass to KaVontae Turpin broken up – Detroit was in perfect position to add to its total before the end of the half. And of course they did, Montgomery powering in from the 1-yard line with 40 seconds left in the quarter for the touchdown.
Turpin thankfully gave the team some life with a 79-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, reaching the Detroit 35-yard line. That allowed Aubrey time to kick a 47-yard field goal and at least give the Cowboys a hint of momentum going into the break.
In their previous three homes games going back to last season's playoff loss, the Cowboys had been outscored in the first half, 83-29. Unfortunately, the trend continued in this one as Dallas would go into halftime down, 27-6.
Third Quarter
If the writing wasn't on the wall already in terms of the outcome, it certainly was soon enough. Detroit needed only five plays to reach the end zone on their first series of the third quarter. The Lions quick-snapped before the Dallas defense was even set, which gave receiver Jameson Williams the opportunity to streak behind the secondary for a 37-yard touchdown.
In a moment that no one on either team likes to see, Detroit's star edge-rusher Aiden Hutchinson suffered a gruesome injury during Dallas' next possession. He was carted off the field with an air-cast on his lower left leg.
With the stadium understandably subdued because of the injury and the score, the Cowboys continued their march, although once again they stalled out before reaching the goal line. Dallas then opted for the field goal and Aubrey did what he does, good from 50 yards.
The Dallas defense did manage to keep Detroit out of the end zone on a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, the Lions having to settle for a 33-yard field goal. But on the Cowboys' next possession, rookie Ryan Flournoy made the first catch of his NFL career, only to have the ball punched out by Branch and the fumble recovered by the Lions.
It was just that kind of day.
Fourth Quarter
The only question now was how bad the final score would be. Coming into this game, the worst defeat for the team in AT&T Stadium had been a 28-point deficit, a 31-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 19, 2020.
That mark was surpassed less than three minutes into the final quarter. Detroit kicked a 33-yard field goal early in fourth, which was followed by another Branch interception. He didn't get the pick-6 but returned the ball to the Dallas 4-yard line. On the next snap, Goff threw a dart to Amon-Ra St. Brown at the right pylon for the touchdown and the 47-9 lead.
With that, Prescott's day was done. New quarterback, same result. Cooper Rush came in and, like the starter, got the Cowboys into the red zone, a first-and-goal at the 6-yard line. But on fourth down, Rush underthrew his intended-target Turpin and had the ball was intercepted by safety Kerby Joseph.
Detroit managed to recover one more fumble, this time linebacker Malcom Rodriguez landing on Turpin's cough-up, but mercifully the flurry of scoring had come to an end.
The Cowboys will now head into their bye week with a 3-3 record, still in the hunt for the NFC East title and with some of their injured players close to returning. But there is no doubt, plenty of work needs to be done.
