ARLINGTON, Texas - The Cowboys fell behind by two touchdowns and it didn't seem like it would be a day the Cowboys would want to remember.
Instead, they buckled down like they've done most of the year and fought to the end. Tony Romo's go-ahead touchdown to Terrance Williams give the Cowboys their first lead of the game at 24-20 with 2:39 to play.
Rookie DeMarcus Lawrence had to recover two fumbles in the final two minutes to secure the win.
Check out the instant reactions from the staff of DallasCowboys.com.
David Helman: Not to pat myself on the back, but I pretty much nailed this game. The Lions were a bad matchup for the way the Cowboys like to play football. They stymied the run game, and they made life miserable for Tony Romo. If not for some great adjustments by Rod Marinelli and the defense, this might have been a blowout before the offense could even get its bearings. Instead, they buckled down and stuck with what they do. It's obvious Detroit was determined not to let Dez Bryant be the reason they went home, so you simply can't give enough credit to Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and Jason Witten for the plays they made in Bryant's stead. You also can't say enough about the way the defense was able to hold Matt Stafford at bay for the better part of 30 minutes while the offense mounted its rally. It was a gutty win by an offense that doesn't panic and a defense that's great at maintaining a short memory – which is basically the story of this entire season.
Bryan Broaddus: I really believed that if the Cowboys were going to win this game it was going to be due to the fact that their offense was able to show balance. If they had trouble running the ball then there were going to be problems. I had a great deal of faith that this offensive line would be able to create lanes for their running backs much like they did in Seattle but to the Lions credit they lived up to their billing in the way they defended the run. The offense was able to chip away better in the 2nd half but were never able to get that chunk run that we had seen throughout the season. It was a lot of dirty yards and without being successful running the ball like I thought they needed to be, they still managed to get the victory.
Nick Eatman: Maybe I didn't nail this prediction the way Helman did, but it was close enough. Mainly, I just thought the Cowboys would figure out a way to win and there's no way I'd pick against them. Early in the game, it seemed like this would be a disastrous day but the Cowboys managed to survive. That's what Jason Garrett has been preaching all year. I thought Murray needed to have his share of "dirty" runs and he did that. I thought Cole Beasley would be a big factor and he was that. I also thought the defense would get some picks off Stafford, but one with a pair of fumbles is good enough. And that's really how you describe this win – good enough. Not great, but you don't need to be. The Cowboys are one of eight teams still playing, and that's great enough.
For the initial gut feeling predictions of the staff writers posted on Saturday, click here
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