Five things to watch as Lions face Cowboys; injury update, prediction

At Dallas on Dec. 30,  Jared Goff engineered a 75-yard touchdown drive late to give Detroit a chance and offensive lineman Dan Skipper became a cult hero. However, the Lions dropped the game, 20-19. It has not been forgotten.

The Lions (3-1) and the Cowboys (3-2) meet again at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday in Dallas. The Lions are coming off a bye week after beating the Seahawks in a Monday night game. The Cowboys (3-2) have won two straight after starting the season 1-2. They have yet to win at home.

“I’m excited for this one. And really, look, it’s the next one in front of us and it’s a conference opponent and they’ve had our number for a while and I grew up down there, so I have a lot of people there,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “I think it’ll be a special game. National television, four o’clock, which, that’s awesome.’’

While the Lions can’t let too much emotion carry them, Campbell understands they have not forgotten the December debacle.

“You’ve got to keep your head about you no matter what it is, and I think each game – look, you can always find something. To me, you always find a nugget, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing. There are reasons behind why you want to win them, and you find what those are and they’re different every week,’’ Campbell said. “But you’ve got to play a clean game, you’ve got to keep your head about you, we’ve got to be disciplined, we’ve got to play fundamental football, we’ve got to have a good gameplan, we’ve got to execute it, take care of the football, we need to get some takeaways, it’s the same song and dance it always is.”

After that loss, the Lions wrapped up the regular season with a win over the Vikings, then beat the Rams in a wild card game and downed the Bucs in divisional playoffs.

Quarterback Jared Goff said they all know what happened at the end in the confusion of whether Dan Skipper or Taylor Decker reported eligible for the 2-point conversion.

“It  was unfortunate the way it worked, but yeah, we’ll be ready this week,’’ Goff said. ”… I think it was just a mistake that the officials made, and it happens. That type of stuff happens, and you move on but no, I don’t think we take it personally.’’

Campbell was asked if Skipper will report eligible on the first play on Sunday. He said the game plan was incomplete at that point.

Five things to watch:

ONE: The Cowboys with Dak Prescott  have the second best NFL passing offense while the Lions are ranked 27th in pass defense. Something’s got to give. Prescott, who has completed 65.4 percent of his passes, has a favorite target in CeeDee Lamb who has 378 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said his corners are ready for it. 

“This quarterback is pretty good now. He’s pretty good, (Lamb’s) pretty good. Listen, I think they’ve done a good job with the personnel that they’ve had, and they’ve lost some guys too,’’ Glenn said. “So, again – and I’m sure they feel the same way I do – no excuses, just go out there and execute. But we know that we have to pay close attention to the tight end, also, (Jake) Ferguson, I think he’s doing a really good job and people don’t really talk about that player. I think he’s physical, I think he’s tough. You watch him on these seam balls, he does a good job of contorting his body and going up and catching the ball. So, this is not going to be an easy out, we know that. Every time we play Dallas it’s going to be a dogfight, and we’re ready for it.”

TWO: Jared Goff, aka Mr. Perfect, definitely found his rhythm in the win over Seattle. He now has 19 straight completions (over last two games) with the NFL record at 25.”He downloads the gameplan and looks to go out there and execute it. I mean, shoot, you can look at that Seattle game and there’s some not-so-great play-calls and we’ve got some guys making things right,’’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “That was my big point to the until last week before we went on break was, we had a couple explosive plays where I wish I had sent the protection a different direction and cleaned the picture up for them, but he was able to buy some time – I think it was the first catch there to (WR) Tim Patrick was not ideal, but they both made it work and it ended up being a 20-something-yard gain. So, when he’s – he knows exactly what we’re looking for, he knows what the bad looks are too.’’

THREE: The Cowboys’ secondary has improved each week and Campbell said that’s what makes them dangerous. “What you’ve seen in the last two weeks – this is a stingy defense and they play hard, they’re gap sound, everybody plays their responsibilities, it’s a run-and-hit defense …’’ Campbell said. “Then this D-line, I know they’ve been hurt but man, these guys over the last two weeks, just watch them play. And they play hard. So, they’re out working people is what they’re doing. That’s what they’ve been doing the last two weeks.”

FOUR:  The Lions must run the ball early and often against the Cowboys’ 24th ranked rushing defense which should not be an issue with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs off to an explosive start to the season. Campbell said Gibbs is primed for a breakaway run and Ben Johnson agrees. “I think we’ve got him up on a safety a couple of times and I know he always is – if he can’t break that tackle. But our guys are doing a great job up front, O-line, tight ends, of covering guys up and I think what you see with our skill group, I’m talking about our receivers, I don’t know if there’s another group in the NFL that blocks like they do down the field,’’ Johnson said. “And so, it’s probably coach’s confidence not in Gibbs and what he can do, but it’s also what our unit’s been putting on tape so far that, yeah, it’s just a matter of time before he breaks some big ones out.”

FIVE: In the win over the Seahawks two weeks ago, the Lions were whistled for a dozen penalties costing them 101 yards. That’s a lot. Over the first four games they amassed 31 penalties for 307 yards while their opponents had 22 for 185. It hasn’t been a big issue for wins and losses but it’s an issue. The defense has been working on avoiding penalties. “I don’t know how other teams practice, but we still do one-on-ones in practice, receivers and DBs, D-line and O-line, linebackers, tight ends and running backs. And when you’re in those situations, and you’re in a tussle match, where are your hands at?’’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “There’s a lot of things that we have to – and a lot of that comes from guys in college, because you’re able to do that when you’re in college, so that’s one of the things that TA (Terrion Arnold) is doing a really good job of, of trying to work on those things.”

LIONS INJURY UPDATE: G Christian Mahogany (illness) is out.

COWBOYS INJURY UPDATE: LB Erick Kendricks (calf/shoulder) and DE Micah Parsons (ankle) are out; CB Daron Bland (foot), CB Caelen Carson (shoulder) and LB Nick Vigil (foot) are questionable.

PREDICTION: Lions 27, Cowboys 24.

The maturation of Lions WR Jameson Willliams

ALLEN PARK — Jameson Williams has matured before our eyes. The Detroit Lions wide receiver, who got off to a slow NFL start, collected his second game ball this season in the win over the Seahawks on Monday night.

It wasn’t just his two catches for 80 yards — one a 70-yard touchdown play – his blocking caught the eye of coach Dan Campbell.

Williams also earned a game ball in the opener, a win over the Rams, in which he had five catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. He carried that ball into the press room after the game, cradled in his arm and said it was his first game ball at any level. He didn’t want to let it go. 

In the first four games he’s racked up 289 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He’s matched his touchdown total from last year when he had 354 receiving yards in a dozen games.

He’s a changed young man.

Campbell first gives credit to Jameson himself for his maturation, but points out that he had a lot of help along the way.

The coach didn’t mention it but the staff was also patient waiting for the 2022 first-round pick, to get his NFL legs under him. They never gave up. Campbell always would say he had seen improvement even when it might be tough to see to the naked eye by others.

“Everything starts with him. He’s done an outstanding job of rehabbing, getting over the injury, he had to deal with what came with the gambling, the time off (four-game NFL suspension), then he got hurt in camp before that happened,’’ Campbell said on Tuesday.

Williams didn’t play until Week 5 in 2023 and in that first game had two catches for 2 yards. He had missed much of training camp and all of the preseason games so it took a bit for him to get in gear.

“He’s been so raw to it, just learning and working his way through it, he’s just matured so much. He’s matured, he’s worked, he’s grinded, he wants the coaching, he wants to get better. That’s a credit to him that he’s open and he’s coachable,’’ the coach added.

It wasn’t just his teammates and the coaching staff, it was the team’s developmental staff that helped steer Williams in the right direction.

“We have so many resources here that help guys develop, not only certainly as players but as men and just trying to do things the right way, being a pro and everything that goes along with it,’’ Campbell said. “It’s been good to be able to do that and it doesn’t work that way everywhere, not every place is set up the way ours is set up.’’

It was the perfect landing spot for Williams.

Jared Goff, offense find rhythm as Lions topple Seahawks, 42-29

DETROIT — Dan Campbell preaches complementary football which he hadn’t seen consistently from his team this season even though they won two of the first three games.

That changed for the Detroit Lions on Monday night. The offense caught fire and the defense came up with a few big plays enabling the Lions to snap their three-game losing streak to the Seattle Seahawks with a 42-39 win at Ford Field.

In the first three games, the defense played well and the offense played just good enough.

On Monday night, Jared Goff played nearly a perfect game and he had plenty of help to bring the Lions record to 3-1.

“We knew this was coming offensively. Everybody did. You can’t worry about this and that, you can’t start panicking, you just work and clean everything up,’’ Campbell said.  “… We worked and it showed. We found our rhythm.’’

Goff was 18 of 18 for 292 yards and two touchdowns. And he caught a touchdown pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Campbell said he knew Goff played well but didn’t realize he was near perfect.

“I gave the game ball to somebody else, I feel awful,’’ Campbell said. “I knew he played really well. You could feel it. He found his rhythm early, I thought he was seeing the field,played with rhythm.”.

He gave game balls to WR Jameson Williams and CB Kerby Joseph.

“Everybody on that offense stepped and found a rhythm today,’’ Campbell said.

Five reasons the Lions won:

ONE:  Goff earned a quarterback rating just shy of perfect. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to attempt 10 passes in a game without throwing an incompletion.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done it. I know I did it in the first half last week. I was aware of it then. I was kind of aware of it today about middle of the third quarter. I couldn’t think of one. Then I threw the one out of bounds that ended up being offensive pass interference. I was like does that count? (It didn’t.) It was a good day,’’ Goff said.

The Seahawks had entered the game with a 3-0 record.

“That defense had done a good job up to this point and we were able to get after them,’’ Goff said.

TWO: Another first for Goff was a touchdown catch.  “I think that’s my first one ever all the way back to 7 years old,’’ he said.

The play, that’s been around for a couple years, is called Alcatraz and Goff has no idea why.

On a second-and-goal from Seattle’s 7-yard line, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown passed the ball to Goff in the end zone. 

“We’ve never gotten into the right situation to get it called,’’ Goff said. “I think we have called it but if it’s not the right look I get out of it. But that was the right look.’’ It put the Lions up by 14 points.

THREE: Wide receiver Jameson Williams had just two catches but one was for 70 yards and a touchdown. His speed just was too much for Seattle’s secondary and he high-stepped into the end zone. As a tribute to Calvin Johnson, to celebrate Williams dunked the ball over the goal post.

“He’s a one-play touchdown guy, I know he strikes fear in every team we play. They’re going to see that and start getting more fear,’’ Goff said. “He’s a stud.’’

He received a game ball not just for his two catches but Campbell said they noticed his key blocks throughout the game.

FOUR: Running backs David Montgomery and Jaymyr Gibbs combined for three rushing touchdowns. Montgomery’s longest play came on a short pass — his only catch in the game –  that he turned into a 40-yard gain by spinning and breaking tackles along the way. 

“This guy, unbelievable, he is. I would never not block for that guy ever, because the play is never over with him,’’ Campbell said. “He’s tough, he’s relentless, he’s resilient, everything you’d want in a back.’’

Montgomery finished with a dozen carries for 40 yards and a rushing touchdown. 

Gibbs had 14 carries for 78 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. His 20-yard scamper in the first quarter set up the Lions first touchdown.

FIVE: The Seahawks ran 78 offensive plays and by late in the game the defense might have been dragging a bit. But late in the fourth quarter they came up with a huge goal-line stand. Seattle had the ball, first-and-goal, at Detroit’ 3-yard line and they were stopped four times and turned the ball over on downs. And then with a minute left Kerby Joseph intercepted Geno Smith in the end zone to put the game away. The Seahawks finished with 516 yards and Smith passed for 395. But with the game on the line, the defense came up big.

BONUS: A dozen penalties is too many. Campbell knows that but he was not pulling out his hair.

“I have to watch tape but I can tell you just about everyone that I saw Carlton (Davis) is battling, that’s a good receiver he’s on, that guy is a physical receiver and Carlton is physical. We played ball,’’ Campbell said. “I’m not discouraged about that one bit. I’m just not. There’s things we have to clean up. … We can’t survive 12 penalties every game but we needed to be physical.’’

UP NEXT: The Lions have a bye week which will give them time to heal a bit. It’s a banged-up group. “We played some physical opponents these first four weeks. So I do think it’s coming at a good time,’’ Campbell said. “And it’s good to get to 3-1 with this bye, we rest up, heal up and then we make a big push.’’ They play at the Cowboys on Oct. 13.