The Lions entered the season as legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but their playoff hopes now hang in the balance. A loss in Thursday’s showdown at Ford Field against the Cowboys could put their postseason hopes in serious jeopardy.
At 7–5, Detroit has slipped behind in the NFC North, where the surprising Bears (9–3) and Packers (8–3–1) are setting the pace. That makes Thursday’s matchup a must‑win, especially against the red‑hot Cowboys (6–5–1), who are riding momentum from back‑to‑back victories over the Eagles and Chiefs.
Here are five things to know about the Cowboys’ Week 14 opponent, the Detroit Lions:
Struggling season
Cowboys
The Lions risk backsliding after their franchise-best 2024 campaign, and it’s no coincidence this downturn follows the partial dismantling of their coaching staff. Detroit lost its offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson (to the Bears), and its defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn (to the Jets), along with several key assistants. That brain drain disrupted continuity and made it harder for head coach Dan Campbell to keep the team sharp. Johnson’s move to Chicago only added insult to injury, as his Bears now sit atop the division that Detroit had controlled the past two seasons. Campbell, now in his fifth year at the helm, has avoided losing records since his 3–13 debut season. Still, he hasn’t shied away from acknowledging the team’s struggles in 2025, calling the campaign “frustrating.” After the Thanksgiving loss to the Packers, he admitted: “We’ve dug ourselves a little bit of a hole, that’s the bottom line.” With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Lions have no choice but to start climbing out of that hole, beginning with a must-win showdown against the Cowboys.
Campbell’s new recipe
After the Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Dan Campbell decided to change the ingredients. He stripped offensive coordinator John Morton of play-calling duties and assumed them himself. Since then, Detroit has gone 2–2. Campbell made it clear: “This is a permanent move … this is my show now.” Campbell’s aim was to stir toughness and rhythm back into the offense. One key tweak has been featuring wide receiver Jameson Williams more prominently while reviving the play‑action formula that fueled past success. Campbell has leaned into aggressive play‑calling, especially on fourth downs and in the red zone, moving away from conservative tendencies. The results are starting to simmer. Since Campbell took over, Williams has averaged 89 yards per game. Against the Packers, he served up his best performance of the season with seven catches, 144 yards, and a touchdown.
Goff under pressure
It’s been a long year for Jared Goff. The Lions’ quarterback has been sacked 26 times (11th‑most in the league), a number fueled largely by injuries along the offensive line. To counter the constant pressure, head coach Dan Campbell simplified passing routes to help Goff get the ball out more quickly, while relying more heavily on the ground game with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The offense has shifted toward grinding, methodical drives rather than explosive passing. Gibbs has emerged as the star of the backfield, piling up 1,019 yards on 175 carries with 10 touchdowns, averaging 85 yards per game. Montgomery has added steady support with 543 yards on 123 carries and six scores, averaging 45 yards per game. Even under duress, Goff has delivered. He enters the Cowboys matchup with 3,025 passing yards (sixth in the NFL), completing 264 of 378 passes for a 69.8% rate. He’s thrown 25 touchdowns (tied for second with Dak Prescott) against just five interceptions, with only Rams QB Matthew Stafford posting fewer picks (4).
Sharper defense
Aaron Glenn’s departure to become head coach of the New York Jets opened the door for Kelvin Sheppard to step up as Detroit’s defensive coordinator. A member of the Lions’ staff since 2021, Sheppard brought with him a philosophy built on relentless effort and unity: “I want nasty, tenacious, finishing, scratching, clawing, fighting for every blade of grass out there.” Under his leadership, the defense has shown improvement. Detroit is allowing an average of 316 total yards per game (14th in the NFL), down from 350 yards per game last season under Glenn. At the heart of this unit is Aidan Hutchinson, the face of the defense and its most disruptive force. He has recorded 8.5 sacks (10th in the league), cementing his role as a cornerstone of Detroit’s pass rush.
Odds and series history
The Lions enter Week 14 as 3‑point favorites, with the over/under set at 54.5 points. Historically, the Cowboys have controlled the rivalry, winning 19 of 32 matchups (including playoffs). Detroit, however, flipped the script in their most recent meeting, delivering a 47–9 blowout in 2024. Dallas arrives riding a three‑game winning streak, while Detroit looks to bounce back from a Thanksgiving loss to Green Bay. According to 10,000 simulations by Dimers’ NFL model, the Lions are projected to beat the Cowboys by a score of 36–26, with Detroit holding a 60%–72% chance of victory.
Fantasy spotlight: Jahmyr Gibbs logged 20 carries for 68 yards and caught three of four targets for 18 yards in the Lions’ 31–24 Week 13 loss to the Packers. His production has been a rollercoaster, averaging 3.4 yards per carry or less in three of his last six games, but exploding for 8 yards per carry in the other three. Even amid Detroit’s offensive inconsistency, Gibbs continues to flash elite burst and versatility, keeping him firmly in the mix as an explosive option for fantasy managers.
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