Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys didn’t have what it takes to beat the Detroit Lions on Thursday, ending their three-game winning streak and considerably reducing their playoff chances. The team fell into their usual hole, but unlike their previous two games, they were unable to play themselves out of that mess and put on a late surge to escape with the win.
There are many reasons why this game didn’t work out for the Cowboys, but one factor was that some of the pleasant surprises we’ve seen recently in games just weren’t there this time. The team has received positive contributions from some unsuspecting characters, but some players we’ve come to depend on weren’t so sharp against the Lions. Here are a few players who had themselves a down game, making things a lot more challenging for the Cowboys on Thursday.
The Cowboys’ offensive line has been great for most of the season, despite several players missing time. It seems like whoever fills in for them ends up doing an admirable job at holding down the fort. Lately, that sound reserve has been second-year tackle Nate Thomas, who has started at left tackle the last two games while Tyler Guyton recovers from an ankle injury.
On Thursday, Thomas wasn’t at his best as the Lions’ edge rushers came at him. The coaches tried to mitigate the issue by giving him help, as Javonte Williams or one of the tight ends would regularly chip the pass rushers, but Thomas still had problems. Defenders maneuvered around him with relative ease, and sometimes the young swing tackle was just lost. He completely forgot to block the edge rusher on a third-down play that resulted in a sack and killed a Cowboys’ drive early in the second quarter. He also got flagged for holding in the third quarter, when Aiden Hutchinson beat him to the inside. It was a constant battle for Thomas, and the more the Cowboys fell behind, the harder it got.
While the Lions brought the heat to the Cowboys’ offense, they also exposed the Cowboys’ defense. Rookie corner Shavon Revel Jr. was one of the recipients as they came after him several times. The team’s 2025 third-round pick had his struggles as he failed to drag down Lions’ running back David Montgomery, who scampered off for a big touchdown run. He got flagged for pass interference later in the game, and then fell down on the very next play. Fortunately, Jared Goff’s pass was too far to the outside, and the Lions missed an easy touchdown. And then later in the game, he got caught looking at the quarterback, allowing the Lions’ receiver to sneak past him in the end zone for the touchdown.
It’s only the fourth game, and the second start for the Cowboys’ young corner. Up until this game, he’s been surprisingly reliable despite being thrown into the fire, but this game was difficult for him. He’s still...
