The Dallas Cowboys' three-game winning streak came to an end against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. No, their season is not over, but their playoff odds plummeted to 9 percent with the loss. They will need to win out and receive some help along the way.
It was an off night for an offense that had been riding a tidal wave of momentum after back-to-back wins over the Chiefs and Eagles. Coaches and players alike need to look themselves in the mirror, but Jake Ferguson has to do the most soul-searching after his nightmarish first half, which proved to be a massive difference.
The score was 10-6 in the second quarter when Ferguson needlessly lost a fumble following a four-yard catch on 3rd-and-21. The play was dead, and while Ferguson commendably tried to fight for more yards, he did not protect the football.
Gifted with a short field, the Lions scored a touchdown four plays later to open up a 17-6 lead. It was Ferguson's seventh fumble in his last 25 games, per Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan.
Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson has a serious fumbling issue
Jake Ferguson didn't have a fumble in his first 35 career games. That's his 7th fumble in his last 25 games.
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) December 5, 2025
It's bad enough to give up a possession in what is essentially a playoff game, but Ferguson potentially took six points off the board a couple sequences later.
George Pickens drew a defensive pass interference penalty on Lions cornerback D.J. Reed that would've positioned Dallas with a 1st-and-goal from the two-yard line. However, Ferguson was flagged for illegal hands to the face on Aidan Hutchinson. The penalties were offset, so the down got replayed.
You have to think the Cowboys would've punched that one in for six. All of a sudden, we'd be talking about a 17-10 game. The offense rebounded, but only enough to kick another field goal, making it a four-point penalty.
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That just can't happen from your big-money tight end, and it's not the first time this season that he's had a nightmarish game after signing a four-year, $50 million contract extension worth $20.6 million guaranteed.
Ferguson is having a good season if you go strictly by the numbers. He entered Week 14 ranked 10th among all pass-catchers with 70 receptions and tied for fifth with seven touchdowns, and he added five catches for 58 yards and a two-point conversion.
That’s solid production, and credit to Ferguson for bouncing back after the fumble and penalty, but Cowboys fans would gladly trade some of those stats for fewer fumbles and more week-to-week consistency instead of the current peaks and valleys.
The Cowboys hurt themselves continuously throughout the game, but Ferguson's two mistakes were responsible for 11 points in a game that Dallas lost by 14.