Haven't the Cowboys been down this road before? A Monday Night Football game with a 13-point margin being snapped in the closing minutes? Well, the Cowboys came out on the winning side this time around after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 21-20 on Monday, and will attempt to carry that momentum over into Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions (4-5) at Texas Stadium. And just as the Cowboys' Roy Williams left Lincoln Financial Field as the game's hero, the Lions' Roy Williams left Sunday's game against Arizona in similar fashion after a three-touchdown performance.
What's Up?
- Lions quarterback Joey Harrington silenced a few of his critics with a three-touchdown performance in Detroit's 29-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but head coach Steve Mariucci remains noncommittal regarding on his team's long-term starting quarterback. Harrington has started a pair of games in place of Jeff Garcia, who replaced Harrington in the starting lineup on Oct. 23.
- The Lions' victory over Arizona snapped a two-game losing streak. Three of Detroit's four victories have come at home, the Lions just 1-3 on road this season. Detroit lost last year's meeting against the Cowboys, 31-21, at Texas Stadium.
Statistical View
- Harrington's best game of the season came on Sunday, completing 67.7 percent of his passes for 231 yards and three scores. Harrington's previous season best came on opening day when he tossed two touchdowns and threw for 167 yards.
- Running back Kevin Jones, who has rushed for only four touchdowns and a 3.6-yard average this season, also had one of his better performances against Arizona. Jones carried 14 times for 81 yards (5.8 average) in the victory.
- And not to be outdone by his offensive counterparts, receiver Roy Williams, who has missed three games because of injury, also recorded season highs in receptions (seven), yards (117) and touchdowns (three).
- The Lions have had a few unlucky breaks in the kick return game, allowing one punt and one kickoff returned for a score against them this season. The Lions have also had two defensive touchdowns scored on them.
Chalk Talk
- Part of the Lions' sub-.500 record can be explained by their inability to consistently score points, four of their five losses occurring in games they have scored no more than 14 points. Detroit's offense is ranked in the bottom 10 in both passing and rushing categories, and the Lions' 17.8 points per game also ranks in the bottom 10.
- When fully loaded, Detroit's offense has the potential to be explosive. Kevin Jones ran well as a rookie, and the Lions' top three receivers are all 6-foot-3 or taller. But receiver Charles Rogers' suspension and Jones' ineffectiveness aside, the Lions have been hamstrung by the quarterback position all season. Jeff Garcia did not throw a single touchdown pass in two starts, and Harrington has thrown more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (eight), while completing only 56.3 percent of his passes.
Connections
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Miscellaneous
Detroit has yet to win back-to-back games this season. This problem goes back to last season, when the only time they won consecutive games came in Weeks 1 and 2 . . . Three of Detroit's five losses have been by no more than six points . . . Detroit is actually winning the time-of-possession battle against opponents this season, controlling the ball an average of 31:15 per game . . . Detroit's defense is allowing an average of 5.1 yards per play, compared to the 4.3 yards the Lions' offense averages.
