Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys are back in action on Sunday afternoon as they return home to face the Detroit Lions. This game could have big-time playoff implication come season’s end, so it’s imperative the Cowboys walk away with a win if they want to put themselves in a good position.

Before the two teams square off in a pivotal matchup, here are three bold predictions for Sunday’s contest.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

1) CeeDee Lamb has his best showing of the season, catching 10 passes and surpassing 125 receiving yards

One thing the Lions’ defense has struggled with this season is slowing down team’s top receiving threats. Cooper Kupp, Chris Godwin, Marvin Harrison Jr., and D.K. Metcalf, all elite or borderline elite receivers, have had big days against the Lions’ secondary.

• Cooper Kupp – 14 catches, 110 yards, 1 TD
• Chris Godwin – 7 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD
• Marvin Harrison Jr. – 5 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD
• D.K. Metcalf – 7 catches, 104 yards

One possible reason for this success is the Lions’ deploying extensive man coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Detroit has played man coverage 37.5% of the time this season, the fifth-most in the NFL.

This should be music to CeeDee Lamb’s ears, as the talented wideout is one of the most productive receivers against man coverage in football. Lamb has nine catches for an impressive 234 yards this season when facing man coverage.

When the two teams faced off back in 2023, Lamb caught 13 passes for a career-high 227 yards and a touchdown. Lamb will once again cause tons of problems for the Lions’ secondary, catching 10 passes and surpassing 125 receiving yards in a game for the first time this season.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

2) Lions’ running back Jahmyr Gibbs causes big-time problems for Dallas’ defense, recording multiple 20+ yard rushes and scoring two touchdowns

If there’s one guy to be worried about on the Lions’ offense, it’s second-year running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The Alabama product by way of Georgia Tech is one of the most explosive runners in all of football, averaging 5.2 Y/A over 236 NFL carries.

This season, Gibbs ranks third among all running backs in total Rush EPA, and is ninth in EPA/Rush. Gibbs’ explosive rush rate of 13% is third-best among all running backs (Min 50 attempts) and is a full percentage higher than his 12% mark in 2023.

The struggle the Cowboys had stopping the run early on this season is well documented. A big reason for their lack of success stopping the run against New Orleans and Baltimore was poor tackling. According to Pro Football Focus, Dallas is a bottom-ten tackling defense. This does not bode well for them facing an extremely elusive back like Gibbs.

The talented running back causes problems for Dallas’ defense all game long, recording multiple explosive runs and scoring two touchdowns.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

3) Both teams score 30+ points, easily surpassing the total of 52

There’s going to be lots of offense in this game. The O/U total of 52 points, via FanDuel Sportsbook, is the highest of any game this week. It’s clear the popular belief is that both offenses are going to be able to move the football consistently and put up points.

The Cowboys scored just 20 points in Pittsburgh last week, but they easily should have had more. Two red zone interceptions and a blocked field goal cost Dallas nine points at a minimum.

This week the Cowboys will take advantage of their red zone opportunities and score touchdowns. Both teams come out firing on all cylinders on offense, making this a high-scoring affair.