The Dallas Cowboys' defense was supposed to be much improved after the bye week, as reinforcements came at every level. DeMarvion Overshown returned from injury, and both Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson were making their debuts after being acquired at the trade deadline.
For a few weeks, that sentiment rang true. After giving up 30.8 points per game for the first nine games of the 2025 NFL season, the unit made a complete 180, giving up 21.7 points per game in the first three games following the bye and not allowing their opponents to eclipse 30 points even once.
With a high-octane Detroit Lions offense on the docket for Thursday Night Football in Week 14, Matt Eberflus and his Cowboys defense were facing their biggest challenge yet. Unfortunately, it cannot be underestimated just how much they failed to rise to the occasion.
Richard Sherman called out Cowboys' defense amid brutal showing vs. Lions
In primetime, Dallas watched its playoff hopes largely slip through its fingers in a 44-30 loss against its fellow NFC postseason hopeful. At halftime, with the Cowboys trailing 20-9, former NFL corner and current Thursday Night Football analyst Richard Sherman said it all about the defense's issues.
"And this Dallas defensive line, where have they been? Where's Quinnen Williams? Where's the pressure?" Sherman asked. "You gotta put pressure on Jared Goff if you expect to win this game.”
Well, Dallas didn't exactly answer this call either, and they didn't win the game. After giving up 20 first-half points, they gave up 24 in the second half, including 17 in the fourth quarter. Although Williams had a few more tackles in the second half, the defensive line just didn't get its hands on Jared Goff.
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All told, the Cowboys' defense had just one sack and eight quarterback hits, but they had one sack and seven quarterback hits in the first half. That means the unit got worse as the game went along, which made life easier for Goff and Co. in the second portion of the game.
Goff clearly felt comfortable, as he gashed Dallas' defense by completing 25-of-34 passes for 309 yards, good for 9.1 yards per attempt. The Lions' rushing attack also contributed 109 yards on 22 carries, which is 5.0 yards per rush. Jahmyr Gibbs also had some gaping holes to run through.
After weeks of improvement, this was the Cowboys' worst defensive showing to date. It tied a season-high in points allowed, as they also gave up 44 points against the Denver Broncos in Week 8, but the Dallas defense was littered with injuries at that point and didn't have Williams, Wilson, or a healthy Overshown yet.
Dallas now has an even steeper uphill climb if they want to fight their way into a loaded NFC playoff picture. But perhaps more discouraging was that everyone in the NFL world saw this defense get carved up and look like their old selves again.