ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The Dallas Cowboys welcomed the Detroit Lions to AT&T Stadium, defeating the NFC contenders 20-19 in front of their home crowd, solidifying their undefeated home record in the regular season.
After allowing the game-winning goal against Miami a week ago, Dallas' defense tenaciously defended Detroit's late two-point conversion attempt and escaped their home stadium with their 11th win of the season.
There was a lot to take away from Jimmie Johnson's win that night in Week 17.here it is 5 Takes, Provided by Take 5 Oil Changes.
- The win gave Dallas the confidence it needed in January.After losing consecutive games on the road, returning home and defeating the NFC favorites was a huge confidence booster for a team that needs a big win to right the ship ahead of its third consecutive playoff appearance. This win not only secures an undefeated home record for the regular season, but it will also give the Cowboys the confidence they need as they head into the playoffs in a win-or-go-home situation next month. Needless to say, the way they secured their victory will also be a major point of confidence.
- CeeDee Lamb is having the best season in franchise history by a receiver.It's no exaggeration to say that CeeDee Lamb, who broke Michael Irvin's franchise records for single-season receptions and receiving yards on Saturday night, is having the best season by a receiver in Dallas Cowboys history. Saturday night's record-setting performance not only could claim to be the best game of his career, but also the biggest play, as he had a career-high 13 receptions for 227 yards. It helped strengthen an offense that needed Maker's multiple sparks.
- Tony Pollard's inefficiency prevented the attack from getting back on track.A second down in the third quarter should have led to a big gain, but the epitome of that night was for Tony Pollard, as Rico Doodle didn't compliment him in the running game, and Pollard never stepped up. He couldn't get his foot in the door and collected 49 yards on 16 yards. carries (3.1 yards per carry). His first season as lead back has not lived up to expectations, with one game left in the regular season. That's because his big performance in the playoffs could be the only confidence point he has going into the offseason, when he becomes a top player, starting in 2023. Free agent.
- It was rum night and Brandin Cooks was available when we needed it.Early in the season, Brandin Cooks struggled to find much production after an offseason in which he arrived expected to be a solid second option for Dak Prescott. However, after the bye week, Cooks picked up his game and Prescott tried to get him more involved. Since then, Cooks has been a major contributor to multiple wins and now has big touchdown grabs in the second half of back-to-back games. His score Saturday night came after a drive in which he put a defender on his back and used an over-the-shoulder grab to move the chains on third down. Oh, and it helped give Dallas the lead for good.
- DeMarcus Lawrence continues to prove that he is the best run defender on the team.After allowing 266 yards on the ground against Buffalo two weeks ago, Dallas' defense settled down and limited one of the NFL's best rushing attacks twice against Miami and Detroit. A big contributor is DeMarcus Lawrence. The Dallas defensive line veteran has been blocking the edge by not allowing weapons in the backfield to be contained, and he had one of his few tackles for a loss in the run game on Saturday. His continued play in the run game has been a huge contributor to Dallas' defense making strides over the past two weeks.
