Scouting the Lions

[MapleLeaf]

Stop the damn run! Make Goff win this game on his own.

Defence has to dial up some really creative blitzes. We don't have star pass rushers.

(BTW, this may be a blessing in disguise, but that is for another thread.)

Lions offence has speed. I dont like it. We have to be really smart with coverages. They can beat zones and flood in and out of zones with crossing patterns. It will be a big test for our secondary and LBs to handle the exchange if we sell out to stop the run.

Start the game with fundamentally sound defence and strong tackling. Make the Lions earn every part of the field with a storng bend, but don't break defence.

On offence we need way more of the unsung heroes. Right now the confusion for the Lions is who do you isolate on? Lamb? Last game the Cowboys proved that a bunch of no names could step up to the plate at critical times and make plays. We have to carry this confusion over to the Lions this game.

The key to this game IMO. We have a relatively no-name offence in Dallas that is under-powered in the sense of we have very little weapons beyond Cee Dee. This team will win or lose with Dak's decision making.

He and MM have to rise to the challenge and make him the smartest QB on the field and distribute the ball on this no-name offence.

We got a win I never expected from this team against the Steelers. Can they rise to the occasion and be the gritty under-powered team who plays fundamental football and grind down opponents because they play harder and make less mistakes?

Let's see.

 

[Jarntt]

LaPorta not 100% to play. We shall see

 

[DallasEast]

LaPorta not 100% to play. We shall see

Sam LaPorta is probably good to go. His ankle injury will have been over two weeks old. The bye week hit at the right time for him.

My thing is that he has not exploded his sophomore season thus far like he did as a rookie. His cog within the Lions' offense so far has been so-so. Of course, it would be Dallas' luck that THIS game will be the one where LaPorta goes off and returns to form like last year.

 

[rambo2]

Can’t like this matchup as a Dallas fan. I think they run it down our throats at will which will open up things for Goff.

The offense will need to show up big time, limit the mistakes, and at least try to play keep away and help the defense out.

If nothing else the blue and white colors of opposing fans ought to blend in better than usual.

This years team appears to be the usual….find a way to beat the lower end teams, but anyone who can run the ball, it’s game over.

Running the ball and stopping the same will plague this team all year….who would have ever saw that coming??

The game is a tossup. It would be a huge win if we get it.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

If Dan Campbell doesn't get in their way they might possibly win. We match up with them very well though.

 

[Denim Chicken]

It would be nice to win a big game against a legit contender. I'm not holding my breath, though. Be nice if Micah could go.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

I expect this to be a closer game but we cannot afford to get two scores down because the lions are brutal when nursing a two score lead. If the Cowboys win the toss they should take the ball in an attempt to score first. The Cowboys cannot afford a slow start.

This, FG’s not winning this game either.

 

[speedkilz88]

Sam LaPorta is probably good to go. His ankle injury will have been over two weeks old. The bye week hit at the right time for him.

My thing is that he has not exploded his sophomore season thus far like he did as a rookie. His cog within the Lions' offense so far has been so-so. Of course, it would be Dallas' luck that THIS game will be the one where LaPorta goes off and returns to form like last year.

Overshown says that's not happening.

 

[GORICO]

The Detroit Lions are headed to AT&T this Sunday, and for the first time I can remember (as of this writing) are hitting town as 3 point road favorites. Coincidentally, the last time the Cowboys won a home game was Dec 30th, 2023 when we beat the lions 20-19 in a very close and controversial game.

So here are the strengths and weaknesses for a really good lions team:
STRENGTHS

• Total offense: Ranked 3rd, 397 ypg; team through 4 games averages 26 ppg.
• Rushing offense ranked 6th, 151 ypg. The lions have two good RBs in David Montgomery and Jahmir Gibbs; Gibbs averages 5.3 ypc and with his speed is a legit home run threat at any time.
• Passing offense ranked 7th, 246 ypg. QB Jared Goff is very accurate as evidenced by his last game where he went 18-18.
• They have 3 outstanding receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and TE Sam LaPorta. Brown has become their underneath weapon while Williams is dangerous deep threat, currently averaging 22 yards per reception. LaPorta was an All Pro as a rookie, and this year has battled an ankle injury early but he is still a weapon.
• The lions D is currently 4th in the NFL against the run, only giving up 91 yards per game.
• DE Aidan Hutchinson is an excellent pass rusher and currently leads the league with 6.5 sacks in 4 games. Safety Kerry Joseph has 3 INTs which is currently second in NFL.

WEAKNESSES

• The lions defense is currently ranked 21st in total defense, giving up 345 yards per game. They have a good pass rush but their secondary is not as strong as their DL and LBs.
• The lions pass defense is ranked 27th and average giving up 254 yards per game. Most of those yards have happened because the lions had a two score lead, forcing opponents to pass. But their coverage is not stellar.
• Despite his usual accuracy, QB Jared Goff has thrown 4 INTs in 4 games (they have only played 4 games because of a bye last week) Goff is not particularly mobile and can be pressured more easily than some of our recent opponents.
• The lions average giving up 20 ppg, which is not bad, but they tend to be in more close games than other top teams.

I expect this game to be the best test of the young season so far. The lions are really good on offense but their defense can be vulnerable to good passing games. Despite their offensive strengths, the lions usually play in a lot of close games, so I expect the game Sunday to also be close. Interestingly the Cowboys are 1-5 in games where they are underdogs since 2023, so that trend needs to change.

The Cowboys defense will be tested by the best offense we have faced so far. I expect our offense to be able to move the ball too so this may be a shootout. Should be entertaining.

thank you mr Haze for your consistent and accurate game report.....i believe God gave me a miracle in a beautiful woman that loves me so i am really believing these miracle things

dont count out Silver and Blue i think it will be a first home win since Dec 2023

 

[GORICO]

Dan Campbell might want to consider a career at Applebee's after this beat down
Cowboys roll!

Tangle_Foot-----i love that attitude....Go-Cowboys..."How Bout Dem Cowboys"

 

[Whirlwin]

this!!

Nope, Cowboys offense actually gets on a roll.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Stop the damn run! Make Goff win this game on his own.

Defence has to dial up some really creative blitzes. We don't have star pass rushers.

(BTW, this may be a blessing in disguise, but that is for another thread.)

Lions offence has speed. I dont like it. We have to be really smart with coverages. They can beat zones and flood in and out of zones with crossing patterns. It will be a big test for our secondary and LBs to handle the exchange if we sell out to stop the run.

Start the game with fundamentally sound defence and strong tackling. Make the Lions earn every part of the field with a storng bend, but don't break defence.

On offence we need way more of the unsung heroes. Right now the confusion for the Lions is who do you isolate on? Lamb? Last game the Cowboys proved that a bunch of no names could step up to the plate at critical times and make plays. We have to carry this confusion over to the Lions this game.

The key to this game IMO. We have a relatively no-name offence in Dallas that is under-powered in the sense of we have very little weapons beyond Cee Dee. This team will win or lose with Dak's decision making.

He and MM have to rise to the challenge and make him the smartest QB on the field and distribute the ball on this no-name offence.

We got a win I never expected from this team against the Steelers. Can they rise to the occasion and be the gritty under-powered team who plays fundamental football and grind down opponents because they play harder and make less mistakes?

Let's see.

Goff is really good btw. he went 18-18.
and stopping the run is key to every game. make them one dimentional and then pass rush the heck out of them.

this is shades of another Saints game.

 

[Big D]

I think we blow the lions up and then everyone pivots to how horrible the lions are this season.

 

[plasticman]

I think another intangible strength is the fact that they are coming off a bye after four games in which three of them were at home. They should be very well rested.

They also have a sense of urgency this season. The majority of their main contributors are still on their rookie contracts. They will be making some tough decisions over the next 2-3 postseasons.

They feel this year is the best opportunity to finally win a Super Bowl and they are totally committed.

in addition, they feel they were cheated last season in the game against the Cowboys, although all that happened is they didn't get away with cheating. In any case, they want to beat the Cowboys....badly.

This game could be a carbon copy of the last Cowboys game in that it could go down to the wire.

 

[charron]

Sounds like the Boys need to be aggressive early on offense without becoming reckless. Can probably say this for every game going forward.

 

[Bobhaze]

I think another intangible strength is the fact that they are coming off a bye after four games in which three of them were at home. They should be very well rested.

They also have a sense of urgency this season. The majority of their main contributors are still on their rookie contracts. They will be making some tough decisions over the next 2-3 postseasons.

They feel this year is the best opportunity to finally win a Super Bowl and they are totally committed.

in addition, they feel they were cheated last season in the game against the Cowboys, although all that happened is they didn't get away with cheating. In any case, they want to beat the Cowboys....badly.

This game could be a carbon copy of the last Cowboys game in that it could go down to the wire.

Sounds like the Boys need to be aggressive early on offense without becoming reckless. Can probably say this for every game going forward.

I expect the lions to be highly motivated because of last year’s loss here. And I also expect the Cowboys to be highly motivated to finally win a game at home this year. Has the potential to be a fun, high scoring game.

Like you @charron I expect/hope the Cowboys will come out aggressive. If the Cowboys win the toss, take the ball. The Cowboys haven’t scored first at home since last December 10th when we beat the eagles at home. The last 4 home games - including the win against the lions - last Dec 30th, the visiting team scored first, and we are 1-3 at home in the last 4 home games.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

If Dan Campbell doesn't get in their way they might possibly win. We match up with them very well though.

Not sure we match up well....they run the ball very well and we have gotten destroyed by the two teams that could run the ball.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I think we blow the lions up and then everyone pivots to how horrible the lions are this season.

That's funny and kinda true,,, though you have to admit that the Giants, Browns and Steelers really do suck. QB change in Pittsburgh coming!

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I expect the lions to be highly motivated because of last year’s loss here. And I also expect the Cowboys to be highly motivated to finally win a game at home this year. Has the potential to be a fun, high scoring game.

Like you @charron I expect/hope the Cowboys will come out aggressive. If the Cowboys win the toss, take the ball. The Cowboys haven’t scored first at home since last December 10th when we beat the eagles at home. The last 4 home games - including the win against the lions - last Dec 30th, the visiting team scored first, and we are 1-3 at home in the last 4 home games.

As much as I admire Dan Campbell, and liked him as a player while in Dallas too, I'd dearly love for us to steal this game. The only other game I'd rather steal more is the Niners game... call them 1a and 1b. .

 

[Bobhaze]

Stop the damn run! Make Goff win this game on his own.

Defence has to dial up some really creative blitzes. We don't have star pass rushers.

(BTW, this may be a blessing in disguise, but that is for another thread.)

Lions offence has speed. I dont like it. We have to be really smart with coverages. They can beat zones and flood in and out of zones with crossing patterns. It will be a big test for our secondary and LBs to handle the exchange if we sell out to stop the run.

Start the game with fundamentally sound defence and strong tackling. Make the Lions earn every part of the field with a storng bend, but don't break defence.

On offence we need way more of the unsung heroes. Right now the confusion for the Lions is who do you isolate on? Lamb? Last game the Cowboys proved that a bunch of no names could step up to the plate at critical times and make plays. We have to carry this confusion over to the Lions this game.

The key to this game IMO. We have a relatively no-name offence in Dallas that is under-powered in the sense of we have very little weapons beyond Cee Dee. This team will win or lose with Dak's decision making.

He and MM have to rise to the challenge and make him the smartest QB on the field and distribute the ball on this no-name offence.

We got a win I never expected from this team against the Steelers. Can they rise to the occasion and be the gritty under-powered team who plays fundamental football and grind down opponents because they play harder and make less mistakes?

Let's see.

It’s possible the Cowboys found a running game vs the steelers in the form of Rico Dowdle. If he can give us some consistent 4-5 yards runs to keep us in manageable 3rd downs, we have a chance. Being in 3rd and 3 is way better than 3rd and 9. A decent running game will force the safeties to scoot in to help with the run, which opens the passing options.

On the other hand if we have zero running game, our chances go south quickly. The lions have a really good pass rush led by Aidan Hutchinson. He’s much easier to handle when he doesn’t know if we will run or pass.