Blogging The Boys
It’s not often a regular-season matchup carries as much weight as Thursday’s contest between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions will. This is truly a “loser leaves town” game, as the losing team’s playoff hopes will go down the drain.
Before the two teams square off in this pivotal matchup, here are three bold predictions for the game.
1) CeeDee Lamb feasts on a depleted Lions’ secondary, recording a season-high 120 receiving yards
The secondary has been an issue for the Detroit Lions all season long. Injuries and poor performance by some of the players on their backend have caused opposing receivers to have some pretty productive days when facing the Lions’ secondary.
Two weeks ago, the Lions allowed Giants’ wideout Wan’Dale Robinson to go for 9 catches with 156 yards and a touchdown. Last week on Thanksgiving Day, they allowed Packers wideout Dontayvion Wicks to catch six passes for a game-high 94 receiving yards to go with two touchdowns.
To make matters worse for Detroit’s struggling secondary, they will likely be without both Terrion Arnold (placed on IR this week) and Kerby Joseph (not expected to play) in this week’s matchup against Dallas’ superstar wide receiver duo. Last Thursday against the Chiefs, All-Pro CeeDee Lamb bounced back in a big way, assuming the role of Dallas’ top offensive threat. Lamb recorded a game-high 112 receiving yards to go with a touchdown.
Lamb has a chance to feast again on Thursday night against Detroit’s depleted secondary. The 26-year-old wideout will do just that, recording a season-high 120 receiving yards once again leading Dallas’ offensive attack.
2) Cowboys’ defense gets consistent pressure on Jared Goff, recording an impressive five sacks
Last week against the Packers, the Lions’ offensive line struggled to slow down their talented pass rush. Green Bay recorded 15 total pressures, seven QB hurries, and four sacks, three coming from former Cowboy Micah Parsons.
The Lions’ offensive line has struggled at times this season in pass protection, and the unit ranks 23rd in the NFL in pass-blocking grade, via Pro Football Focus. This main weak point on Detroit’s line has been their play on the interior, and this week that unit will be tested big time by Dallas’ talented defensive tackle trio.
Kenny Clark, Osawaru Odighizuwa, and Quinnen Williams should be able to generate some consistent push against the interior of the Lions’ offensive line, creating an opportunity for the Cowboys to register multiple sacks.
Led by the interior push from the talented trio, Dallas puts consistent pressure on Jared Goff, recording an impressive five sacks.
3) Cowboys get revenge for last year’s beatdown, recording a blowout victory
Revenge is a dish best served cold. That thought will be on the mind of the Cowboys this week, as they look to get some payback for last season’s 47-9 thumping the Lions dropped on them back in mid-October.
These two teams look a whole lot different now than they did when they faced off over a year ago, and that...
