Here we Goooo: Watch for the flags, MPH & more 

Just like Dak Prescott's trademark "Here We Goooo" at the line of scrimmage gets you ready for the next play, this new weekly article should do the same with the upcoming game.

Welcome to "Here We Gooooo," a weekly piece where I'll break down the matchups that will have a key piece in determining the outcome of each Cowboys game.

This week, with the Lions coming to town, there are some interesting stats to keep an eye on, including explosive plays, miles per hour, win rates and penalty frequencies.

Here are three aspects to watch:

1. Detroit's skill players vs. Cowboys tackling - Detroit's offense presents a plethora of skill talent that the Dallas defense will have to account for. At the receiver position, Jameson Williams leads the Lions in receiving yards this season with 289 on just 13 catches. His 12 YAC per reception leads the NFL, and being clocked at 20+ MPH on explosive plays certainly helps his case. In the backfield, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have combined for 275 yards after contact this season. That's nearly half of the 556 yards gained between the two of them. The Cowboys have struggled to get players to the ground at points this season, missing 32 tackles through the first three weeks of the season, but have improved the last two weeks and will certainly need to on Sunday.

2. Jared Goff vs. Cowboys pass rush - When Jared Goff has a clean pocket and protection up front, he can be surgical in his delivery of the football. The perfect example of that was in Detroit's week four game against Seattle where despite being sacked three times, threw a perfect game with 18 completions on 18 attempts, an NFL record. When pressured however, things can be different. From 2021 to 2023, Goff's PFF grade under pressure was 45.2, good for 29^th among 50 qualifying quarterbacks. The Cowboys defense has 11 sacks this season, but will be without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence on Sunday. Through five games the Dallas defense has a 37% pass rush win rate (23^rd in the NFL) and will go against a Lions offensive line that has a 69% pass block win rate (4^th in the NFL). Dallas sacked Goff just one time in last year's contest, but got seven hits on him leading to a 19/34 performance for 271 yards and 2 interceptions. If the Cowboys can get a similar showing a year later, it could bode well for the outcome of the game.

3. Dak Prescott vs. new-look Detroit secondary - Dak Prescott has had another strong start through the air this season as the third leading passer in the NFL through five games with 1,424 yards averaging 284.8 per game. The Detroit secondary has given up 258.3 passing yards per game this season, just 27^th in the league. Prescott had his 3^rd highest passing output against the Lions a year ago with 345 yards, and could have similar success on Sunday against a new look, but young secondary. Detroit is tied for the most defensive pass interference penalties (8) and roughing the passer penalties (3) amongst all NFL teams. Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold has had eight penalties called against him thus far (2^nd in the NFL), with five of them being pass interference (1^st in the NFL). With a veteran quarterback like Prescott, attacking a secondary that has been undisciplined at times this season could help this offense move down the field and get into the endzone, something the Cowboys have emphasized wanting to do to take some weight off on Brandon Aubrey. Additionally, Prescott leads the league in aggressiveness (24.1%) and has always had a knack for fitting throws in to tight spaces. The Lions defense has forced tight window throws on 34.4% of passes in man coverage, compared to 8.5% in zone. If Prescott is in rhythm and more importantly on target, it sets up for another big game through the air.