Dallas Cowboys: Midseason predictions and playoff cautionary tales
By Richard Ball
Week 11 – Cowboys at Lions
The Cowboys will travel north in Week Eleven to play another NFC Central opponent when they take on the Detroit Lions. This Dallas defense will be the key to the game.
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The Lions offense has not had many issues moving the ball this year. Their unit ranks eleventh with almost 380 yards per game with most coming from their fifth-ranked passing offense.
Quarterback Matt Stafford has shown no favorites with five receivers netting more than 200 yards so far this season. For comparison, the Cowboys have four receivers with more than 200 receiving yards.
However, the Lions offensive line has been more effective run blocking than pass blocking so far this season presenting another opportunity for the Cowboys defensive line to get pressure on the Detroit quarterback. If Dallas can find ways to pressure with four rushers, they should neutralize the Detroit offense.
Where the Cowboys have the advantage is their offense versus the Lions defense. No matter which measure you reference, the Lions are near the bottom of the pile.
The Cowboys will win this game if they stick to the balanced attack with pre-snap movement that features play-action passes that was hugely successful in the first three weeks of the season. With several tougher opponents remaining on the schedule, Dallas needs this game to stay in the NFC East driver seat.