Will Lions Save 2025 Season, End Miserable Week With Cowboys Victory?

The Detroit Lions will battle the Dallas Cowboys in a virtual must-win contest Thursday night at Ford Field. Kickoff for the primetime showdown is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. (EST).

At 7-5, yet stuck in third place in the NFC North, Detroit faces very little room for error as the playoff picture tightens. Dallas, sitting at 6-5-1, is in a similar position. Both teams enter the week on the outside looking in for the postseason.

Detroit is coming off consecutive lackluster defensive performances, including a Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers in which Jordan Love was barely pressured and rarely disrupted.

Over the past two weeks, the Lions have surrendered over 350 total yards each time, highlighted by a staggering 517 yards given up to Jameis Winston and the Giants in Week 12.

Detroit defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit, in this same time period, has slipped from opportunistic to overwhelmed.

That becomes a big-time concern against a Cowboys offense currently operating at full throttle.

Dak Prescott has experienced a career resurgence, and currently leads the league in passing yards and QBR.

Meanwhile, Dallas wide receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb have created matchup problems for defensive backs all season long. The dynamic pass-catching tandem has recorded 124 receptions, 1,886 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025.

With the Cowboys averaging nearly 30 points per game and ranking among the top three offenses in the league, this is the worst possible week for Detroit to possess an inefficient pass-rush.

The Lions have produced just one sack over their last two games, and only four in the last four weeks combined.

Pro Bowl EDGE Aidan Hutchinson’s slow November, during which he recorded just 1.5 sacks, underscores the larger issue: Detroit isn’t disrupting quarterbacks on a consistent enough basis.

Giving Prescott, one of the league’s most efficient and accurate passers, time to survey the field is a recipe for failure.

Compounding the challenge, Detroit’s offense will not be at full strength.

Tight end Sam LaPorta is done for the season, having been placed on injured reserve with a back injury. And even more concerning is the uncertain status of Amon-Ra St. Brown, who missed practices Monday and Tuesday with an ankle injury.

Without St. Brown, quarterback Jared Goff’s biggest security blanket, the Lions are not nearly as potent of an offensive attack.

Detroit remains competitive at home, and still possesses the ability to control games when its offensive line sets the tone.

Yet, Thursday requires more than grit; it requires a defensive rebound and an efficient offensive effort against a Dallas team carrying confidence after back-to-back wins over the reigning AFC champion Chiefs and the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles.

At this present juncture, this matchup feels like a coin flip. I'm willing to give the Lions just a 51 percent chance to capture the Week 14 victory.

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