Detroit vs. Everybody: 82 Percent of Experts Pick Lions to Lose
The Detroit Lions are 5.5-point betting underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 at AT&T Stadium.
According to NFL Pickwatch, 82 percent of NFL analysts are predicting the Lions to suffer their fifth defeat of the season Saturday night against the 10-5 Cowboys.
A key factor in defeating the Cowboys will be containing quarterback Dak Prescott, who has played a high level this season.
The veteran has been particularly good at home, throwing for 2,125 yards and 20 touchdowns, against just two interceptions, in seven games at AT&T Stadium this season.
“He’s very difficult. That’s part of, there’s a number of things he does well. He’s a complete quarterback, he does everything well," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. "He can -- it’s hard to disguise against him. He can see it, he can see it early, he can adjust the protections. He knows where to go with the football. He’s very calm and composed with pressure on him, and then he’s got that escapability."
In addition to his abilities as a passer, the Lions will have to account for the threat Prescott poses as a runner. His mobility allows him to extend plays, a skill that has given the Lions fits at times this season.
"He can escape in the pocket to make a throw, but he can also use his legs to get downfield. And, every once in a while, they’ll throw out one of these read-run RPO’s, where he takes off and he can kill you," Campbell continued. "So, you know, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and he’s playing at a high level and we know that. We’ve got to do our best to try to make it, as much as we can make him one dimensional, we have to do that.”
