Tag: Cowboys

Jahmyr Gibbs scores 3 TDs as Lions run over Cowboys for key win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jahmyr Gibbs scored three rushing touchdowns and the host Detroit Lions won a pivotal NFC game, downing the Dallas Cowboys 44-30 on Thursday.

Gibbs, who also caught seven passes for 77 yards, gained 43 yards on 12 carries. Jared Goff produced 309 yards and a touchdown on 25-of-34 passing for the Lions (8-5) in a matchup of teams fighting for a playoff spot.

Detroit’s David Montgomery rushed six times for 60 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown. Jameson Williams had seven catches for 96 yards, while Amon-Ra St. Brown made six receptions for 92 yards.

Dak Prescott passed for 376 yards and one touchdown but was also intercepted twice for the Cowboys (6-6-1). He completed 31 of 47 passes.

Dallas’ Ryan Flournoy caught nine passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Javonte Williams rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts.

Cowboys star receiver CeeDee Lamb was ruled out of the game during the third quarter after sustaining a concussion. He caught six passes for 121 yards.

Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey kicked five field goals and became the first player in NFL history to have three field goals of 55 yards or more in a single game.

The Lions led 20-9 at halftime and extended the margin early in the second half.

Derrick Barnes picked off a Prescott pass on the first play from scrimmage and Detroit cashed in two plays later on Goff’s 12-yard touchdown toss to Isaac TeSlaa.

The Cowboys clawed back with Williams scoring on a 1-yard run to cap a nine-play, 65-yard drive. After Detroit’s Jake Bates had a 52-yard field-goal attempt blocked, Aubrey blasted a 63-yardrt later in the third to make it 27-19.

Bates made a 46-yard field goal with 11:50 remaining to give the Lions an 11-point advantage.

A busted coverage allowed Flournoy to get wide open on a 42-yard scoring pass from Prescott. Jake Ferguson then caught a two-yard conversion pass to cut the Lions’ lead to 30-27.

Gibbs scored on a 10-yard run with 7:17 left to give Detroit some breathing room. Aubrey’s 29-yard field goal with 3:42 left pulled Dallas within 37-30.

Gibbs’ 13-yard scoring run with 2:19 remaining clinched Detroit’s victory.

–Field Level Media

Week 14 TNF: Cowboys-Lions Preview, Props, Prediction

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There is a playoff atmosphere around Detroit as the Lions prepare to play the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field on Thursday night.

It’s a mixture of excitement and doom surrounding the second consecutive weekday game for teams on the periphery of the NFL playoff picture when kickoff time arrives.

Dallas (6-5-1) remains in a very precarious playoff position despite a three-game winning streak, while injury-riddled Detroit (7-5) is attempting to stop its slide down the NFC standings as the Lions have alternated wins and losses over their past eight games.

ODDS & TRENDS
The Lions are a consensus 3.0-point favorite, essentially due to being at home. With the teams entering this pivotal matchup with a clear difference in momentum of late, the Cowboys have been backed by 64% of the spread-line money at BetRivers.

The favorites have won each of the past eight meetings between these teams, while Detroit has covered the spread in 10 of its past 11 home games following a loss, according to the book. The Lions haven’t suffered back-to-back defeats since October 2022.

The 54.5 total points line has seen the Over draw 87% of the money. Each of Dallas’ past four road games have hit the Over.

PROP PICKS
–Cowboys WR George Pickens Anytime TD (+112 at BetRivers): Pickens enters with eight receiving touchdowns, which is tied for third in the league. He has reached the end zone in four of Dallas’ past five road games with opponents forced to pick their poison between Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.

–Lions RB David Montgomery Anytime TD (-105 at DraftKings): The physical back has scored at least one touchdown in five of Detroit’s past six games on Thursdays. While that may seem a someone random data point, Montgomery’s nose for the end zone is anything but random. He has six TDs on the season, including one against Green Bay last Thursday.

KEY STAT
The Cowboys have thrown 26 touchdown passes this season, tied for the second most in the NFL. By contrast, the Lions have allowed 25 touchdowns through the air, third-most in the league. That includes getting torched for four TD passes by Green Bay’s Jordan Love just last week in a 31-24 loss.

INSIDE EDGE
Lions linebackers have missed only nine tackles in 158 opportunities. That is the best rate in the NFL this season, according to Inside Edge’s Remarkable engine.

INJURY REPORT
The status of top wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown of Detroit may not be determined until pre-game. Brown suffered an ankle sprain during the first quarter against the Packers when an offensive lineman rolled up on his leg. Brown has a team-leading 75 receptions, 884 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

“I know this. If he can play, he’ll play,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.

Considering the Cowboys’ explosive passing attack, Brown’s availability could be crucial. Making things worse for the Lions is that cornerback Terrion Arnold was placed on injured reserve and ballhawking safety Kerby Joseph (knee) remains sidelined.

Starting offensive tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, who are dealing with shoulder injuries, were among the Lions who didn’t practice on Tuesday. Offensive tackle Tyler Guyton (ankle) and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (hamstring) missed the Cowboys’ practice on Tuesday. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Clowney’s game-day status will come down to whether he can fully stretch out without discomfort in pre-game Thursday. He had two sacks against Kansas City.

THE NEWS
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is on a proverbial heater, throwing eight touchdown passes and averaging 314 passing yards during the team’s current three-game winning streak. The tandem of Lamb and Pickens is presenting major headaches for defensive coordinators.

They combined for 13 receptions, 200 yards and a touchdown in Dallas’ 31-28 Thanksgiving Day win over Kansas City. And no team is giving quarterbacks more time to throw than the Lions (2.99 seconds), according to Next Gen Stats.

Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has been double- and triple-teamed of late, leaving Detroit defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to mix up his pass-rush plans.

“When your name is called, if you draw a one-on-one, you have to win in this league if you want to be around,” Sheppard said. “And it’s just simple as that.”

In the past two games, opposing quarterbacks have seven touchdown passes and 600 total passing yards.

“I don’t think we’ve affected the quarterback to play any style,” Sheppard said.

The Lions embarrassed the Cowboys, 47-9, on Dallas’ home field last season, adding another element to Thursday’s contest. Lamb had 13 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown against the Lions in 2023.

“We got the better of them and they got the best end of us last year, and that was not a pretty game,” Prescott said of the recent rivalry. “I’m definitely looking forward to just getting back out there, going to Detroit, having the group that we have and having to communicate in such a tough environment. But understanding we got to play physical. It’s going to be a four-quarter fight.”

With some upgrades at the trade deadline, the Cowboys defense has also shown improvement during the streak. Dallas still has plenty of work to do to stay in the postseason race, but sees only one team — the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) — with a winning record the rest of the regular season.

“It’s going to be physical, it’s going to be long, it’s going to be hard,” Lamb said. “It’s a playoff game essentially. You’ve got the atmosphere, we’re playing away, I don’t think it gets any better especially with everyone in the whole world understanding the situation as far as us all wanting to be in the playoffs. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a good one.”

PLAYOFF PICTURE
Dallas is 3-4-1 in conference games and the Lions are 4-4, making Thursday even more important because of the tiebreaker rules. A head-to-head tiebreaker could become a factor in determining wild-card entries in the NFC. Dallas already lost to the Panthers (7-6) and Bears (9-3), while Detroit beat the Buccaneers (7-5) and lost to the Eagles and split two games against Green Bay.

The Lions have alternated wins and losses since Week 5. Detroit still has regular-season games against Chicago and the Los Angeles Rams (9-3), the teams currently vying for the top seed in the NFC.

THEY SAID IT
–“It’s a lot of good momentum, but it don’t mean nothing if we don’t go out and handle business. We gotta wash all that away, what we did. It’s week-to-week, and we got to just keep on proving ourselves, and getting ourselves out of the hole.” –Defensive lineman Kenny Clark of the Cowboys’ second-half push.

–“You can’t worry about the other teams that are out there, the other teams that are in front of you or what it looks like in the NFC. Just can’t. And it doesn’t matter. And shoot you win out, you might not get in. You don’t know. Maybe it only takes 11 (wins) to get in. I don’t know. But I know this: we’ve got to win this one.” — Campbell

PREDICTION
The reinforcements the Cowboys received on defense via the trade deadline and players returning from injuries have been key in upsets of Philadelphia and Kansas City the past two games. With Dallas’ scorching passing game going up against a soft pass rush and a beleaguered secondary, Dallas keeps its momentum building with a fourth consecutive victory. — Cowboys 34, Lions 27

–Field Level Media

Chiefs-Cowboys most-watched regular-season game in NFL history

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The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and host Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day drew in an NFL regular-season record audience of 57.23 million viewers on CBS, the network announced on Wednesday.

Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a stirring 31-28 victory over the Patrick Mahomes, who passed for four scores, and the Chiefs in a star-studded showdown.

The average of 57.23 million viewers shattered the previous record audience for a Thanksgiving Day game of 42.1 million, set in 2022 between Dallas and the New York Giants.

Viewership of the Chiefs-Cowboys game peaked at 61.357 million from 7:45-8 p.m. ET.

As for that 2022 record, it also was broken earlier in the day on Thursday.

Fox Sports reported that its Thanksgiving Day game between the Green Bay Packers and host Detroit Lions drew 47.7 million. The Packers recorded a 31-24 victory over the Lions, with viewership peaking at 57.957 million from 4-4:15 p.m. ET.

–Field Level Media

Dak Prescott, streaking Cowboys outduel Chiefs

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Dak Prescott passed for 320 yards and two touchdowns and the resurgent Dallas Cowboys won their third consecutive game by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 on Thursday in Arlington, Texas.

Prescott completed 27 of 39 passes and prevailed against Patrick Mahomes in a battle of the NFL’s top two passing offenses as the Cowboys (6-5-1) beat the reigning AFC champion Chiefs (6-6) four days after they downed the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 24-21.

Mahomes completed 23 of 34 passes for 261 yards with four touchdowns — two to Rashee Rice — and no interceptions.

Brandon Aubrey kicked a 36-yard field goal for the only points of the third quarter, extending the Cowboys’ 17-14 halftime lead to six points.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Rice on fourth down for the Chiefs’ first points since the first quarter, giving them a 21-20 lead.

Prescott answered with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Javonte Williams and a two-point conversion pass to George Pickens to give Dallas a 28-21 lead with 11:15 remaining.

Aubrey’s 26-yard field goal extended the lead to 10 points before Mahomes’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Hollywood Brown trimmed the lead to 31-28 with 3:27 left. Kansas City never got the ball back.

Jaylen Watson intercepted Prescott on the third play of the game and returned the ball to the Dallas 37. Two plays later, Mahomes threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Rice.

Prescott responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb, who finished with seven catches for 112 yards, tying the score at 7-7.

On fourth-and-goal, Mahomes threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, giving Kansas City a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Aubrey’s 49-yard field goal trimmed the lead to 14-10 early in the second quarter.

After the Chiefs had the first punt of the game, the Cowboys drove 85 yards, the last 43 of which came on a touchdown run by Malik Davis that put Dallas up 17-14.

–Field Level Media

Critical holiday pairing matches climbing Cowboys, Chiefs

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Patrick Mahomes was a rookie backup the last time the Kansas City Chiefs carried five losses into Thanksgiving.

But Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid are adamant it’s not too late for the Chiefs (6-5) to get something cooking in the crowded AFC playoff picture as they venture into Dallas to tackle the climbing Cowboys (5-5-1) on Thursday afternoon.

Dak Prescott guided the Cowboys to a 28-17 win over the Chiefs in Mahomes’ rookie year in 2017, when Kansas City closed out the year with four consecutive wins. Now the quarterbacks are front and center for the holiday headliner for teams grasping for traction to nudge into a playoff picture that wouldn’t include them at present.

“Obviously you grow up watching Thanksgiving games no matter who you are a fan of,” Mahomes said as he makes his return to Cowboys Stadium for the first time since his freshman season at Texas Tech. “That kid in me wants to be able to go out there and play on Thanksgiving and find a way to win. More than anything, we just want to win.”

Mahomes said he has more than 50 friends and family attending the game in a suite, but he’s leaving ticket denials — “there are none left” — to his wife while locking in short-week prep for the Cowboys. He is playing the team in Dallas for the first time as a pro, but watched a ton of Cowboys games because they were his father’s favorite team.

This week he’s watching the team closely to learn their personnel.

“They’ve added players, they’re playing at a higher level than they were at the beginning of the year,” Mahomes said. “They’re kind of in the same situation as us: it’s all on the line, you’ve got to go out there and play your best football.”

Mahomes was listed on the injury report with a groin injury but said there’s no risk of him missing the game. He played almost the entire Week 12 overtime win against the Colts with the discomfort.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who like Prescott attended Mississippi State, had 3.5 sacks the last time the Chiefs saw the Cowboys, a 19-9 Kansas City win in 2021. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo noticed a renewed spark in Jones’ practice performance and business-like approach in recent weeks. He’ll be matched up with rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker in attempting to pressure Prescott.

“We got to win every game at this point. The Philly game doesn’t mean anything right now,” Prescott said of the Cowboys sneaking into second place in the NFC East with a 21-point rally to beat the Eagles last week. “Nothing that has happened up to this point really means anything other than it has put us in position to be in must-win games.”

Keeping Prescott off-balance is a top priority to slow down Dallas. The Cowboys rank first in the NFL in total offense (387.3 yards per game) and fourth in points scored (29.1 per game). Wide receiver George Pickens is one of two receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards (Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba) and delivered another big performance in Dallas’ upset of the Eagles last week. CeeDee Lamb has 632 yards despite missing time with an ankle injury.

“I think the biggest challenge is getting the guys fresh and ready (on a short week),” Spagnuolo said. “We’re going to have to mix it up. The reason they’re so good (at wide receiver) is you can’t take both of them away. Both of them, when they catch the football, there’s a lot of yards after the catch. They’re got a lot of weapons.”

Mahomes might be forced to try to get comfortable without right guard Trey Smith (ankle), who missed the second half last week. Prescott could be operating without left tackle Tyler Guyton (ankle).

If there is a decided edge for either side, it could be the ground game of the Cowboys and running back Javonte Williams. He has 896 yards and eight touchdowns with an average of 5.0 yards per carry. Kareem Hunt leads the Chiefs with 457 rushing yards and is coming off a 30-carry effort last week, when Kansas City ran more than 90 plays.

“He’s no spring chicken back there,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy joked Tuesday.

Mahomes has run more this season but the groin injury might bring pause to that approach. He has 36 more passing yards than Prescott — 2,977 to 2,941 — this season and the Cowboys and Chiefs are ranked first and second in the league in net passing yards.

Lamb is locked in after being plagued by drops for the second time this season against the Eagles last week.

“He’s got that look in his eye that (he) means business. He’s ready to play. There will be plenty of balls going to 88 Thursday afternoon,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said.

Dallas has won three consecutive games on Thanksgiving Day and is 34-22-1 all-time on the November holiday.

The Chiefs are 1-4 on the road this season.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Oklahoma State hiring North Texas coach Eric Morris

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Oklahoma State plans to make North Texas’ Eric Morris its next head football coach, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

Oklahoma State parted with Mike Gundy in September, three games into his 21st season at the helm of the program. The Cowboys were 1-2 following a loss to Tulsa and have dropped to 1-10 since Doug Meacham took over as interim coach.

Morris will stay with North Texas through the remainder of the season and any postseason games the Mean Green make. A win this Friday against Temple would clinch North Texas’ spot in the American Conference championship game, and though currently unranked, the Mean Green have a shot at reaching the College Football Playoff if they finish as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion.

Morris, 40, is a Texas native who played wide receiver at Texas Tech and served in coaching capacities at Houston, Washington State and Texas Tech. He was the head coach of Incarnate Word from 2018-21 and went 24-18 in that span, coaching the Cardinals to two FCS playoff appearances.

After spending 2022 as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington State, he took over at North Texas, where he has gone 21-15 to date.

–Field Level Media

Jerry Jones: Cowboys angling to keep ‘better than anticipated’ WR George Pickens

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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reached the point where he doesn’t want to envision George Pickens putting on another jersey.

The contract-year wide receiver leads the Cowboys with 67 receptions for 1,054 yards and eight touchdowns along with a team-best 15.7 average per reception. He’s taking attention away from CeeDee Lamb, and quarterback Dak Prescott is on pace for 36 touchdown passes and more than 4,500 passing yards.

“We’ve got two No. 1 receivers,” Jones told 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday. “And that’s just exceptional right at this time. Guess what? Our quarterback is probably the best that he’s ever been. There’s more there.”

Pickens, 24, was available in a trade from the Steelers in part because he was labeled as immature and abrasive in Pittsburgh. The current season is the final year of his rookie contract.

“He’s an outstanding, let me emphasize this again, outstanding teammate,” Jones said. “He brings energy to the team even when he’s not making some of those great receptions. Bottom line, it’s working, and it’s precious to have it here right at this time with what we’re trying to do with Dak and how we’re trying to maximize having him.”

Dallas signed Lamb to a four-year, $136 million deal just before the 2024 regular season began. Based on the current market and Pickens’ production, he could be in the same neighborhood — or above — as Lamb on a long-term deal.

“There’s nothing that we can do. I know it’s fun, but there’s nothing that we can gain from speculating and conjecture,” Jones said of potentially paying Pickens more than Lamb. “The bottom line is that we’re in good shape. We built the trade so that we could have potentially our options, and of course, frankly, he’s lived and is playing better than we could’ve even anticipated.”

Pickens turns 25 on March 4, which comes after the NFL franchise tag deadline.

Last week he said he wasn’t sure how he would accept the Cowboys opting for the tag if the sides can’t reach a long-term agreement by March. The one-year value of the franchise tag is projected to be around $25.5 million in 2026.

Lamb said he gets the sense the Cowboys are not going to let Pickens out the door. They acquired Pickens after signing running back Javonte Williams in free agency for $3.5 million.

With cap available in the offseason, Dallas is also expected to address newly acquired defensive tackle Quinnen Williams’ contract and look for additional help on defense.

Lamb knows where he would spend the Cowboys’ cash.

“I have the most confidence that we’re going to keep him, and I’m sure that he wants to be here with how much fun he’s having and everything he’s accomplishing on the field,” he said last week. “So for us as his teammates, I feel like it’s pretty clear: We want GP back.”

–Field Level Media

Report: Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco aims to return Thursday

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco aims to return for Thursday’s game against the host Dallas Cowboys, ESPN reported.

Pacheco has missed three games for the Chiefs (6-5) since sustaining a sprained MCL in his right knee during a 28-7 win against the Washington Commanders on Oct. 27.

Pacheco, 26, has rushed for 329 yards with one touchdown in eight games this season. He also has 11 catches for 43 yards and a score.

Pacheco was limited to seven games last season after he fractured the fibula in his right leg in a Week 2 meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals.

A seventh-round draft pick in 2022, Pacheco has accumulated 2,900 yards and 17 touchdowns from scrimmage in 46 games (38 starts) with the Chiefs.

With Pacheco sidelined, veteran Kareem Hunt has started the past three games and rushed for 212 yards and three touchdowns.

The Chiefs are 1-4 away from home this season heading into the Thanksgiving showdown with the Cowboys (5-5-1) in Arlington, Texas.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton (ankle) likely out vs. Chiefs

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Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton could miss multiple games with an ankle injury that forced him out of Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, according to multiple media reports.

Dallas is scheduled for only two walkthrough practices this week before playing the Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) on Thursday afternoon.

Guyton was replaced by Nate Thomas, who started for Dallas against the New York Jets in Week 5 with Guyton in concussion protocol.

Thomas, 24, was a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft out of Louisiana. He also received extended reps before the Week 1 game against the Eagles, when Guyton was dealing with a knee injury.

Guyton, 24, was a first-round pick in 2024. He has started 21 games and played in 25 in his first two seasons.

–Field Level Media

Cowboys claw back from 14-point deficit to down Eagles

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Brandon Aubrey converted a 42-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Dallas Cowboys to a come-from-behind 24-21 win over the visiting Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Aubrey’s kick, the second game-winner of his career, capped a nine-play, 49-yard drive in the final 1:35. The big play was Dak Prescott’s 24-yard completion to George Pickens that got Dallas (5-5-1) to the Philadelphia 22.

Prescott hit on 23 of 36 passes for 354 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. His 8-yard scramble, complete with a somersault into the end zone, tied the game at 21 with 11:40 left.

Jalen Hurts completed 27 of 39 throws for 289 yards and a touchdown while also running for two scores. It wasn’t enough to keep the Eagles from dropping to 8-3.

A.J. Brown hauled in a season-best eight receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Saquon Barkley was held to a season-low 22 yards on 10 carries.

Philadelphia dominated most of the first half, roaring out to a 21-0 second-quarter lead behind a textbook display of complementary football and key Dallas mistakes.

After Prescott misfired on a fourth-down pass from midfield, Hurts cashed in the short field by hitting Brown for a 16-yard touchdown at the 8:41 mark.

A roughing the punter call extended the Eagles’ next drive and they turned that into a 14-0 advantage when Hurts scored on a 7-yard run with 57 seconds left in the quarter.

Philadelphia made it 21-0 with 11:32 remaining in the half on Hurts’ 1-yard tush-push touchdown. That came six plays after Zack Baun recovered KaVontae Turpin’s fumble at the Eagles’ 34 to scuttle a promising drive.

The Cowboys got on the board with 21 seconds on the clock via Prescott’s 1-yard scoring strike to Pickens, capping a 72-yard drive that enabled them to draw within 21-7 at halftime.

Aubrey missed a 51-yard field goal attempt wide left in the third quarter, but the Cowboys made up for it on the next drive when Prescott connected with Brevyn Spann-Ford for a 4-yard touchdown, the backup tight end’s first career score.

–Field Level Media