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ARLINGTON, Texas — There is never a shortage of fireworks, in some way, shape or form, whenever the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions lock horns. So many of their contests went to the wire in previous seasons, and the 2023 version included a controversial decision by Dan Campbell with the game on the line that led to a penalty to help the Cowboys escape with a one-point win.
This time around, the Lions reloaded in a major way, and the Cowboys were reeling from injuries that sidelined Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Brandin Cooks and Eric Kendricks — four key players that are critical to what the Cowboys try to do on both sides of the ball.
Last week, in Pittsburgh, there were several who stepped up big to land the upset win.
There were several who did all they could to try to and cage the Lions, and while it was not to be — in a blowout loss — kudos to them for leaving it all on the field.
[This list is unranked.]
Jalen Tolbert, WR
There wasn't much to speak of throughout the majority of the contest as it relates to the Cowboys' offense, but Tolbert worked hard to carry over his career day from Week 5 into infusing some energy into a unit that desperately needed it. Targeted only twice throughout the first two quarters, Tolbert reeled in both for a total of 30 yards and that included a 26-yard highlight catch on 2nd-and-2 with the Cowboys down only four points — at the time. Tolbert clearly came out ready to cook. It took the sun, literally, to stop him as the game went on.
Brandon Aubrey, K
A mainstay on this list due to both his lethal ability to set records and his ability to produce when little else is going well for the Cowboys' offense, it was another week with Butter spreading it on thick. He totaled the entirety of Dallas' nine points, and recovered nicely from the blocked field goal suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers one week prior, not that there was any doubt he would — because of course he would.
Damone Clark, LB
In the absence of Kendricks, it was a call placed to Clark to step up and show Mike Zimmer he should be getting more reps going forward after, over the first five games, having not seen much action. The former fourth-round pick did exactly as he was asked, and that was to impact the game in both run defense and in the pass rush (also in coverage with a PBU in the end zone). He worked hard over the course of the game and was rewarded with his first sack (0.5) of the 2024 season, and of his career, in sharing it with Chauncey Golston on 3rd-and-9 to force a field goal with the game still in reach to that point, before it no longer was, also leading the team in tackles.
Chauncey Golston, DL
It's the second week in a row wherein Golston has made my list, fighting to give the Cowboys some semblance of a pass rush with Parsons, Lawrence and Kneeland all sidelined. His combined sack with Clark defined a drive for the needy Cowboys' defense. Golston, like many others on the defense, eventually wore down as Dallas' offense failed to extend plays, but he looked good before he became gassed by the time of possession battle.
KaVontae Turpin, WR
By all accounts, including my own eyes, Turpin is beginning to get a bit of a feature role in the offense and that should help them find pay dirt more often, even if it didn't against the Lions. But while Turpin, who was arguably interfered with on a possible third-down conversion (inside slant), couldn't get going on that side of the ball, he was able to impact the game on special teams. He'd rattle off a 79-yard kick return in the second quarter — kickstarting a drive that again ended without a touchdown.
CeeDee Lamb, WR
The number of miscommunications between Lamb and Dak Prescott continue to be troubling, and could very well be remnants of the training camp holdout, but there were moments of positivity as the All-Pro receiver went on to lead all Cowboys' wideouts in yards gained against the Lions. He had to earn every single one of them, however, and there was nothing pretty about just how hard he had to fight against the current as the boat hit the rapids up a creek whose name rhymes with "splits".
