Cowboys vs Lions: A fast facts and stats game preview for Week 17
Sunday should be fun.
Where has the NFL season gone? We are now closing in on the Dallas Cowboys’ last home game of the 2023 season. Seems like yesterday we were arguing about who would make it out of training camp. Now, it’s all about positioning for the playoffs and trying to enter that tournament with momentum, while also staying as healthy as possible.
The final home game for Dallas should be an entertaining one as they welcome the Detroit Lions who are fresh off of winning the NFC North with a current record of 11-4. Both teams have offenses that can light up a scoreboard, but both have defense with vulnerabilities. The Cowboys defense struggles defending the run, while the Lions defense can be had in the passing game.
The Cowboys ability to turn up their game on their home field has led the oddsmakers to install the Cowboys as heavier favorites than you might expect between two of the top level teams in the NFC conference. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Cowboys as 5.5-point favorites versus the Lions.
Another big draw in this game for Cowboys fans is the induction of ex-coach Jimmy Johnson into the Ring of Honor. Johnson famously led the Cowboys dynasty teams of the 90s and finally gets his recognition after an on-again, off-again feud with owner Jerry Jones.
Johnson will join these Cowboys in the Ring of Honor.
Bob Lilly (1975) Don Meredith (1976) Don Perkins (1976) Chuck Howley (1977) Mel Renfro (1981) Roger Staubach (1983) Lee Roy Jordan (1989) Lee Roy Jordan (1989) Tom Landry (1993) Randy White (1994) Tony Dorsett (1994) Bob Hayes (2001) Tex Schramm (2003) Cliff Harris (2004) Rayfield Wright (2004) Emmitt Smith (2005) Troy Aikman (2005) Michael Irvin (2005) Larry Allen (2011) Drew Pearson (2011) Charles Haley (2011) Darren Woodson (2015) Gil Brandt (2018) DeMarcus Ware (2023)
The Cowboys and the Lions have played each other 27 times in the regular season with Dallas winning 16 and Detroit victorious 11 times. They have played three post-season games with the Cowboys winning two of them. They played last year at AT&T Stadium with Dallas winning 24-6. The Cowboys are on a four-game winning streak in the series.
Let’s dive into some facts and figures around the game.
Dallas averages just under 40 points per game (39.9) at home this season which is third highest since the NFL merger. The Cowboys are undefeated at home this year (7-0). if they win on Saturday night they ill join the ‘80 and ‘81 teams as the only ones to go undefeated at home during a season.
At home this year in seven games, the Cowboys have never scored less than 30 points. That’s a record for 30 point games at home in the NFL. The team is only 13 points short of scoring their most points at home in a season which was set in 2021 at 291 points.
Brandon Aubrey now has 141 points scored which has set the record for most kicking points in a single season for the franchise. Emmitt Smith holds the franchise record for total points scored in a season at 150.
On Saturday night, CeeDee Lamb has the opportunity to set a few records for the franchise. Lamb has 109 catches which is tops in the NFL this year. Michael Irvin holds the single-season franchise record with 111 catches, a number Lamb will likely pass against the Lions. Lamb also has 1,424 yards this season. He is approaching Irvin’s franchise record of 1,603 yards. The Cowboys receiver can also record his eighth straight game of scoring a touchdown which no Cowboys receiver has ever done.
Lamb also now has 5,000 scrimmage yards in his career. He is the sixth NFL wide receiver to do that in his first four years (Jerry Rice, Torry Holt, Randy Moss, Michael Thomas, Justin Jefferson).
Team comparison stats:
Scoring Avg. (NFL rank): Dallas - 30.1 (2) Detroit - 27.5 (5)
Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL rank): Dallas - 19.1 (5) Detroit - 23.7 (24)
Total Off. (NFL rank): Dallas - 366.2 (6) Detroit - 394.1 (3)
Rushing Off. (NFL rank): Dallas - 115.2 (12) Detroit - 141.1 (3)
Passing Off. (NFL rank): Dallas - 251.0 (6) Detroit - 253.0 (5)
Total Def. (NFL rank): Dallas - 299.7 (7) Detroit - 325.5 (15)
Rushing Def. (NFL rank): Dallas - 115.7 (19) Detroit - 90.6 (4)
Passing Def. (NFL rank): Dallas - 184.0 (5) Detroit - 234.9 (23)
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