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A week after Thanksgiving, the two NFL teams that are perennial holiday hosts gathered on another Thursday with so much on the line.
The Detroit Lions got a much-needed win on Thursday night over the Cowboys, 44-30 at Ford Field. This was a high-leverage game, one that would leave the loser with only a long shot at making the playoffs. And it didn’t disappoint, with a back-and-forth slugfest worth staying up for.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Lions show they’re not going away
It’s Detroit, it’s a primetime TV game, so what better to remind America that Motown hasn’t gone away than to bring out The Temptations at halftime?
The Lions’ message in a must-win game, both before and after the halftime show, was easily understood: Get ready, ‘cause here we come.
Had the Lions lost to the Cowboys, their playoff chances would have dwindled to just 12% according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator. That’s not quite eliminated, but it leaves no margin for error and would mean they need a lot of help to sneak into the playoffs.
Instead, after an impressive win over the Cowboys, they’re up at 45% and back to threatening the Bears and Packers at the top of the NFC North standings. Detroit is 8-5, which means it’ll be within a game of Sunday’s Bears-Packers loser for second place, where they could be a dangerous wild-card team.
The Lions offense, which averaged 16.5 points in recent losses to the Eagles and Packers, was back on track, with Jared Goff avoiding mistakes and finding open receivers downfield. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery remain one of the league’s best 1-2 combos, with three touchdowns and nearly 200 yards between them Thursday.
This was very much a loser-goes-home type elimination game, which is rare for Week 14. The Lions came into this season with such higher expectations than the Cowboys, so it’s fitting that they’re the ones that keep their playoff hopes alive into the final four weeks of the season.
2. Dallas needs fewer amazing field goals, more touchdowns
As amazingly good as Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey is from long distance, you really don’t want to see him as much as Cowboys fans did Sunday.
Dallas moved the ball well in the first half,, unless they were trying to get in the end zone. Aubrey had field goals of 57 and 55 yards – those are punting situations for some teams – and another drive stalled in the red zone for a shorter kick. He added a 63-yarder in the second half and is now 9-for-11 on kicks of 50 yards and longer this season.
Detroit got touchdowns, Dallas got field goals, and that’s why the Cowboys trailed 20-9 at the half. The wild thing is, they’re a better red-zone offense this year than last – they ranked 31st in the red zone last year, and they’re up to 13th in 2025. The Cowboys haven’t had problems scoring this year, but you keep up with a potent offense like Detroit’s with sevens, not threes.
Even in the final minutes, down 10 and facing a fourth-and-3 from the 11 with 3:45 left, Dallas took the easy kick to get within one score. Five field goals, five missed opportunities.
3. Gibbs is vastly underrated
He doesn’t get the same national love as the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor or the Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, but Gibbs is incredibly underappreciated as an elite do-it-all back.
Gibbs already had more than 1,000 rushing yards before Thursday’s game, and his average of 5.8 yards per carry is the best of all the top backs. He was all over the field Thursday, getting catches of 19 and 26 yards on the opening drive, scoring later on a one-yard run. Then, when the Cowboys rallied to get within a field goal late, it was Gibbs who burst through the middle for a 10-yard score and a much-needed cushion. Then, with 2:19 left in the fourth quarter, Gibbs added a third touchdown to make it a 14-point game.
Gibbs finished the game with 12 carries for 43 yards and the three touchdowns along with his seven catches for 77 yards.
If Gibbs can sustain that rushing average, it’ll be one of the 10 best rushing seasons in the Super Bowl era in terms of average with that many carries. Especially if the Lions make a push and make the playoffs, he should be a Pro Bowl selection.
This season, Jahmyr Gibbs has further cemented himself as one of the NFL’s best running backs. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
4. Two Jake Ferguson miscues set the Cowboys back
It’s hard to point a finger at any one person, but Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson had two costly mistakes in a first half where Dallas struggled to find points. The first was a fumble on a third-and-21 play that saw Ferguson lose the ball as he fought for yards while nowhere near the line to gain. That gave Detroit a short field and set up a touchdown for a 17-6 Lions lead.
Just as costly was a penalty with 2:32 left in the half. The Cowboys, throwing from midfield, had what would have been a 49-yard defensive pass interference penalty that George Pickens drew at the 2-yard line, but Ferguson was flagged for illegal hands to the face, so the penalties offset, and the Cowboys were left to settle for another field goal.
It’s only Ferguson’s second lost fumble and his fourth penalty of the season, but he’s at a position where you really shouldn’t have many of either.
Jake Ferguson’s fumble in the first half was a key play. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
4 ½. What’s next?
The Lions can celebrate a big home win against the Cowboys and know it keeps them alive with real playoff hopes, but they’ll quickly shift their focus to a huge obstacle ahead: playing at the Rams in 11 days on FOX on Dec. 14.
Can Detroit lose there and still make the playoffs? Sure, but the path is so much easier if the Lions can knock off the Rams. Win there, their playoff probability leaps from 45% to 67%, according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator. Lose, and it’s back down to 35% and almost needing to win out in their final three games.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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