Semantics are only so important, but Thursday night’s showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions at Ford Field wasn’t so much “must win” for each team as it was “can’t lose.”
When all was said and done, it was the home team that remained standing, the Lions emerging with a 44-30 victory. It didn’t elevate Detroit, which sits third in the NFC North, into the conference’s projected playoff field just yet but, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the Lions (8-5) now have a 54% chance of qualifying for the postseason for a third straight year.
Meanwhile, Dallas (6-6-1), which truly couldn’t afford to lose, now has just an 7% shot of making it to Week 19.
As we know, the scoreboard reveals the primary plot line, but there are winners and losers beyond it. Thursday night’s are as follows:
WINNERS
Jahmyr Gibbs
Are we prepared to crown him the Lions’ best player? Maybe that’s just a belated and obvious statement to many? But the multi-talented running back had another impactful night, scoring a trio of touchdowns – giving him 47 in his career and at a time when the offense is missing injured TE Sam LaPorta and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was at less than 100%. Gibbs, now tied with Lions legend and Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, needs one more TD to have the most by a player in his first three NFL seasons.
Dan Campbell
His Lions haven’t been nearly as dominant this season while battling key injuries – DB Brian Branch may be the next one – and trying to adapt to a largely overhauled coaching staff. Yet Campbell won’t let this team fall into a rut, the Lions continuing to avoid their first regular-season losing streak since 2022. Detroit has now tied a league record with 15 consecutive victories following a defeat.
Philadelphia Eagles
As spotty and battered as they’ve been in recent weeks, Dallas’ loss gives the reigning Super Bowl champs a full two-game lead in the NFC East with five to play in the regular season.
Brandon Aubrey
He became the first kicker since at least 1991 to drill three field goals of at least 55 yards in a single game. Dallas’ amazing long-range sniper hit from 57, 55 and 63 yards Thursday and threw in a 42- and 29-yarder for good measure. He’s the first player ever to rack up 100 field goals in his first three NFL seasons and the only player to connect from at least 60 yards six times.
Cowboys run game lineage
He’s not Tony Dorsett or Emmitt Smith, but RB Javonte Williams, in his first year with Dallas, hit 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the first time in his five-year career Thursday night. Williams joins Rico Dowdle, Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott as the fourth different Cowboys to reach the benchmark in the past five seasons.
Thursday
Fascinating aside from the NFL’s research wing. The Lions’ 46 wins on Thursdays are the most in league history. The Cowboys have 44. Those, naturally, are functions of the teams’ decades-long presence on Thanksgiving. Yet given both clubs traditionally host on Turkey Day, they’d actually never met on a Thursday. Until now.
CeeDee Lamb
The Cowboys’ Pro Bowl wideout had six catches for a season-high 121 yards, the Lions basically unable to cover him.
LOSERS
CeeDee Lamb
While selling out in a bid to catch a pass in the end zone early in the third quarter, Lamb’s head hit the turf hard. He appeared to immediately show signs of a head injury and was soon ruled out of the game with a concussion, though he was able to walk to the locker room. Tough way to end what was shaping up as a great performance.
Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers
They’ll meet at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon with first place in the NFC North on the line. And while the winner will take outright possession of it, the loser will be in danger of falling into Detroit’s clutches. The Pack haver already swept Detroit, but the Lions shellacked Chicago 52-21 in Week 2 and will see the Bears again in Week 18.
George Pickens
Lamb’s wingman had a quiet night (5 catches, 37 yards) when his team really needed a loud performance. Pickens’ lack of impact occurred on an evening when he and Dak Prescott didn’t seem to be on the same page based on some animated interactions on the Dallas sideline. Per former Pro Bowl cornerback and current Prime Video analyst Richard Sherman, Pickens “looked uninterested.” Yep.
Jerry Jones
The Cowboys owner doesn’t appear on the injury report, but consider him week to week – and, in this case, it could be a long 10 days between games, Dallas’ next one at home on Dec. 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. In the interim, the guys Jones notably traded for this year, Pickens and DT Quinnen Williams, were virtually invisible in the biggest game of the season for America’s Team. Meanwhile, the dude who’s gone – former Dallas DE Micah Parsons – continues thriving for the Packers … and sure would have been a welcome asset Thursday when Lions QB Jared Goff was rarely pressured while efficiently running Detroit’s offense. Jones’ team technically remains on playoff life support, but he knows it will be read plenty of last rites in North Texas and across the country over the next week and a half while he catches much of the blame.