Dallas Cowboys Key? Stop Detroit Lions' '2-Headed Monster!' David Montgomery & Jahmyr Gibbs

The Detroit Lions will visit the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. Jason McCourty feels it's the Lions' dynamic rushing attack that should strike fear into Cowboys fans.

After the Buffalo Bills imposed their will on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15, the loss on the record was the least of their worries. James Cook’s career day showed the league the Dallas defense was vulnerable, and an NFC playoff circuit filled with run-happy teams began to salivate.

While the San Francisco 49ers are the team to fear atop the conference, the Detroit Lions still have a chance at the No. 1 seed. They head to Dallas on Saturday in a Week 17 contest with legitimate seeding implications.

On “Good Morning Football,” former NFL defensive back Jason McCourty said that following the Bills lead—and letting stud running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs lead the way—will be the key to taking down the Cowboys.

Left to right: Lions running back David Montgomery, quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and receiver Jameson Williams celebrate the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown by Montgomery vs. the Bears with 29 seconds remaining at Ford Field, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 :: © Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

“They’re at home, they’re undefeated at home, they score 1,000 points when they’re at home. Dak Prescott and the whole crew … What’s going to decide it? I look at the Detroit Lions backfield: David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. If they’re going to win this game it’s going to be on the backs of them.”

Detroit was criticized for taking a running back so early in April’s NFL Draft, but Gibbs has been electric and a wonderful complement to Montgomery’s downhill style. The versatility of the ground game is nearly unmatched.

On the season, Gibbs is leading the league with 5.7 yards per attempt, posting 872 yards and nine scores on 154 attempts. He’s also been useful in the passing game, catching 51 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown.

Montgomery has been the strong, steady hand to keep the offense on schedule between Gibbs’ explosive gains. With 910 yards and 11 touchdowns to his name, he’s having arguably the best season of his career. His ability to punish teams that don’t stack up well against the run could loom large this weekend.

“When you’re attacking Dallas’ defense, we know of Micah Parsons, we know of Demarcus Lawrence and their ability to get after the quarterback,” McCourty said. “The way to defeat them is to run the ball downhill directly at them. We watched Buffalo do it a few weeks ago … we watched James Cook have the game of his life.”

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In that game, the Bills let Cook (who ironically is built more like Gibbs than Montgomery) and let him eat between the trenches, creating a new line of scrimmage after the snap and dominating Dallas’ fast, but not overly strong, defense. Cook ran for 179 yards as Buffalo coasted to a 31-10 win.

While quarterback Jared Goff has found a ton of success throwing to stars like receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta, Detroit is more than happy to run its way to victory and keep the ball out of harm’s way. With what the Cowboys have put on tape in recent weeks, it’s hard to argue with that strategy.

“These two guys, I think it was 134 yards they combined for this past week, 185 the week before that against the Denver Broncos. Gibbs and Montgomery are going to be the two-headed monster to lead Detroit if they are going to win this game.”