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The Detroit Lions overwhelmed the Dallas Cowboys by the score of 47-9 in a game that if anything, was more one-sided than the score indicated. The Lions rolled up 493 yards against a Cowboy’s defense that frequently seemed to have the consistency of Swiss cheese.
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys’ QB was consistently running for his life. Prescott was 17-33, good for 178 and no TDs. He was also picked off two times. The Cowboys had five turnovers in all. The Cowboy’s running game was inept, picking up only 53 yards.
So, what’s the deal?
Yes, the Cowboys are dealing with injuries. Micah Parsons‘ being the most notable. And yes, the Lions are a very good football team, but the Cowboys’ woes go far beyond that. One word used to describe them is “soft.” In general, the consensus seems to be the Cowboys just aren’t tough enough. I’m not sure how the Cowboys take care of that midseason. While a lack of toughness may be a problem there are others.
Dak Prescott may very well be a better person than NFL QB. Through six games, Prescott has thrown for eight TDs while having six passes picked off. For someone who recently signed a contract with the largest guaranteed money in NFL history we’ll say that’s an issue.
But Prescott isn’t the only problem
The Cowboys running game really is an issue. They are averaging on 3.5 yards per carry. Ezekiel Elliott is averaging only 3.0 per rush. Rookie, Rico Dowdle has done a bit better, average 4.2 yards per attempt, but his longest run is only 13 yards.
While the Cowboys do have one star WR in CeeDee Lamb, pickings beyond him are slim. That’s especially true with Brandin Cooks being on the IR. TE, Jake Ferguson is okay at but isn’t a game changer. Ferguson has caught 25 passes but hasn’t found the end zone. It would be nice if he was more of a red zone threat.
It’s hard to see how the Cowboys get better fast.
For the Lions, it may have been a pyrrhic victory
While the Lions hit the Cowboys with everything but the kitchen sink in their win, it did come at a cost. The Lions lost their best defensive player, and probably their best player period in Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson broke his leg in the third quarter while sacking Prescott.
Hutchison was having a banner season, leading the NFL in sacks (6.5), QB hits (14) and QB pressures (40). How the Lions will replace that production remains to be seen. And there is one other question to consider about the Lions. How good are they?
While the Lions looked great Sunday, how much of that was the Cowboys being bad? While the Lions are sitting at 5-1, their schedule has been relatively soft. When the NFC North teams start going head-to-head, we’ll get a real feel for the strength of each team.
