Rarely does last year ever matter. But in this case, it appears the Lions are still holding a grudge for being on the wrong side of a 20-19 decision that was deemed controversial. Don't think head coach Dan Campbell, a former Cowboys tight end, has forgotten that.
But aside from extra motivation, the Lions are now 3-1 and coming off a bye week, facing a Cowboys team that has yet to win at home at AT&T Stadium this year.
Here are the 10 big storylines for the week, with five for the Lions and five for the Cowboys.
Lions
- Off to 3-1 start – The Lions made it to the NFC Championship Game last year for the first time since 1991, but despite a disappointing second-half collapse in that game and a missed trip to their first-ever Super Bowl, there has been no hangover in 2024. The Lions are 3-1 and are coming off a bye week, giving them two weeks to prepare for the anticipated battle with the Cowboys.
- Still bitter from last year? – Lions head coach Dan Campbell, a former Cowboys tight end, said he still has the "controlled fury" inside of him that stems from last year's controversial loss to the Cowboys back in December. The Lions lost 20-19 but had a 2-point conversion called back for an illegal procedure penalty due to a player failing to properly report to the officials. The Cowboys ultimately won the game, but the Lions finished as the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and still went to the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 32 years.
- Lions 1-2 rushing attack – Do you think the Lions might run the ball this week? The Cowboys have showed an improved run defense the last two games, but still rank 24th in the NFL, allowing 135 yards per game. But the Lions are sixth in the league in rushing at 151.3 yards per game. And they're the only team in the NFL with two running backs in the Top 20 in rushing in Jahmyr Gibbs (285 yards) and David Montgomery (271).
- Goff the Charts – The Lions quarterback had a memorable game in his last outing, throwing what has been dubbed "a perfect game" by NFL standards. He was a perfect 16-of-16 with 292 yards and two touchdowns and he even caught a TD pass from teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown on a trick play. Goff is the only player in NFL history to throw multiple touchdowns, have a perfect completion percentage and also catch a TD in the same game.
- Hutchinson – Even though the Lions are one of the few teams that have had their bye week, Aiden Hutchinson is still the NFL's leader in sacks with 6.5 this season. The No. 2 overall pick in 2022 had a monster game against the Bucs back in Week 2, recording 4.5 sacks.
Cowboys
- Getting the Bland back together? – For the first time this season, cornerback DaRon Bland could have a shot to play, at least some limited snaps. Bland has missed the first five games due to a stress fracture. He's one of the several key players that have missed time for the Cowboys this year. Despite the injuries, the Cowboys have managed to win two straight games to get to 3-2. Oddly enough, the Cowboys are 3-0 on the road and 0-2 at home, where they face the Lions coming to town on Sunday. It's unlikely they will get Micah Parsons (ankle) back for this game but it's still early in the week.
- Finding RB1? – It looks like the Cowboys might have settled the running back position for now in the form of Rico Dowdle. He had a career-high 87 rushing yards and added a touchdown catch for the second straight game. The Cowboys still have Ezekiel Elliott as the backup, but last week Deuce Vaughn was inactive and Dalvin Cooks remains on the practice squad. Fullback Hunter Luepke continues to have a bigger role in the offense as well.
- Shuffling the O-Line? – The Cowboys lost starting left tackle Tyler Guyton in the middle of the game Sunday in Pittsburgh to a knee injury. It forced them to move Tyler Smith from guard to tackle and replaced by T.J. Bass. The offense actually moved the ball better as the game went on with that scenario. While it appears Guyton has a shot to return to action this week, the Cowboys might be inclined to keep Smith at left tackle and use Bass inside. Guyton has struggled at times this year, leading the team with nine penalties called.
- No END to injuries – Every week, the Cowboys seem to get some kind of bad news regarding the defensive end position. This week, after losing both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence to injuries the game before, the Cowboys see rookie Marshawn Kneeland go down early with a knee injury. He is expected to miss significant time, perhaps as much as six weeks. The Cowboys continue to get hit by injuries here, but managed to generate some pressure in Pittsburgh, using the likes of Carl Lawson, Chauncey Golston and Tyrus Wheat.
- Receiving End – The Cowboys might have found their new No. 2 receiver, at least for now with Brandin Cooks (knee) on IR. But Jalen Tolbert had the game of his life against the Steelers, catching the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds, to go along with his career-highs with seven catches for 87 yards. The Cowboys also got some down-field play from KaVontae Turpin, who will be asked to use his speed to replace Cooks. Another issue at receiver is the second-half disappearance of CeeDee Lamb this year. He has just four catches for 25 yards combined in the second half of five games this year.
