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Five reasons the Lions romped over the Cowboys, 47-9; Aidan Hutchinson update

When does a dominating win by the Detroit Lions feel a little like a loss? When Aidan Hutchinson, the heart of the defense, goes down in the third quarter with a broken tibia.

Still the Lions kept punishing the Cowboys and high-tailed it out of Dallas with a 47-9 win on Sunday.

“I thought we played the most complete game we’ve played here in a long time, if not the most since we’ve been here,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “I thought all phases stepped up particularly offensively and defensively, we applied pressure, we finally got a multiple take away game. They come in bunches.’’

Campbell said Hutchinson underwent immediate surgery and was staying in a Dallas hospital overnight. He said they’ll know more Monday, but obviously he’ll be down for a while.

“These are hard moments, that’s hard for everybody,’’ Campbell told reporters afterward. The team surrounded Hutchinson on the field after he went down before he was hauled away on a cart

Still the team stayed strong without Hutchinson.

The Lions are now 4-1 and face the division rival undefeated Vikings (5-0) next week at Minnesota. Detroit has now started at least 4-1 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1970-71.

With a bye week coming up, the Cowboys (3-3), who were coming off two straight wins, will look to heal their wounds and regroup. They have lost all three home games so far this season.

It was total domination from the get-go for the Lions who were rested and ready after their bye week.

“I expected us to come in and play well. It’s the tightest I felt about our crew and we answered,’’ Campbell said.

Five of the main reasons the Lions won:

ONE: Quarterback Jared Goff was well Jared Goff, finding guys downfield for chunk plays – a 42-yard pass to Tim Patrick, a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams, a 52-yard flea-flicker TD pass to Sam LaPorta and a 38-yard pass to Kalif Raymond. Goff completed 18 of 25 attempts for 315 yards and threw three touchdowns. He is one of only three QBs in Lions’ history who have thrown three 50-yard plus passes within the first five games of a season. He’s right there with Greg Landry and Earl Morral.

TWO: The Cowboys’ defense had no clue about how to stop the Lions on the ground. The Lions rushed for 184 yards. David Montgomery, who is like a freight train pushing down the field, finished with a pair of touchdowns and 80 rushing yards. Jahmyr Gibbs found success too with a dozen runs for 63 yards. The offensive line gave Goff plenty of time to throw and the running backs room to run.

THREE: The Cowboys could not get much going offensively thanks to Detroit’s stingy defense. Dak Prescott, the NFL’s highest paid player, just didn’t look like it. He completed 17 of 33 passes for 178 yards and threw two picks. The Cowboys had just 3 points on their first six possessions. They never scored a touchdown even with Hutchinson out of the game. It didn’t help that they turned the ball over five times – three interceptions (a late one by Cooper Rush) and two fumbles lost. Entering the game, the Cowboys owned the NFL’s second-best passing offense. That makes the Lions’ effort look even more amazing.

FOUR: Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson went deep into his playbook with a flea-flicker touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta, a pass to left tackle Taylor Decker in the end zone that wasn’t complete and a trick TD play to right tackle Penei Sewell that was negated by a penalty. He made offensive lineman Dan Skipper eligible on the first play, a nod to the whole mess at the end of the game last December which the Lions lost.

FIVE: Dan Campbell had his bunch ready to play. The game plan was solid. It looked like the best game for the offense and defense this season. A big nod also to defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn who is playing without a few key injured players. Campbell didn’t make much of it during the week to the media, but he grew up in Texas and played three seasons for the Cowboys. At practice Friday one of the tunes blaring from the speakers was from the Texan band, Whiskey Myers. It was called “Bury My Bones” and seemed to fit in with the theme of the week.

BONUS: Brian Branch came up with two interceptions of Prescott and was stopped just short of a touchdown on the return of the second one early in the fourth quarter. On the next play Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown in the end zone for a score to give Detroit a 47-9 lead. Branch is the second player in franchise history to record two interceptions and a forced fumble in a single game, joining DB Drè Bly.

BONUS TOO: Kerby Joseph intercepted Cooper Rush, who was in for Prescott, in the end zone in the fourth quarter. It was Joseph’s fourth interception this year and all four have been in Detroit’s end zone. He is the Lions’ first safety to produce an INT in four of the team’s first five games since 1981.

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.

Lions Dan Campbell — fueled with ‘pure octane’ — ready to move past debacle at Dallas

ALLEN PARK — Dan Campbell is over it.

Talk about the referee’s error late in the 20-19 loss at the Cowboys late Saturday is still lingering on television, social media and among fans, but the Detroit Lions coach has moved on. He doesn’t want to talk about it.

Campbell said he is fueled by “pure octane” now. On Monday, he looked more like his typically controlled self, possibly well-caffeinated.

“I’m good, I woke up yesterday, I’m ready. I’ve got controlled fury, I’m ready to go,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “I’m absolutely ready to go, I don’t go the other way and the team won’t either.’’

He said they’re on a mission and he won’t let the players wallow in the muck. The Lions, winners of the NFC North, have locked up the No. 3 seed and have a very slight chance to move up to No. 2.

“We had plays to make, we didn’t make them. It’s a tight game, a good opponent, playoff-type atmosphere and you have to make that one extra play that we didn’t. We will use this as fuel,’’ Campbell added. “I got pure octane right now, I’m ready. ”

Instead of feeling sorry, they will use the bad call as motivation starting with Sunday’s game at Ford Field against the Vikings.

When asked, he had a few words for fans who think the NFL is out to get the Lions. “Don’t do that, I know, I get it, but don’t do that. Don’t buy into that, don’t live in that world. That will just pull you down. If it makes you feel better, the NFL is against every team. I’ve been in New Orleans, I know what that feels like,’’ Campbell said.

He was referring to the Saints’ 2018 conference title loss to the Rams (and Jared Goff) which involved a missed pass interference call.

“We walked away, even in that game we had chances to win. That ended and that was it. … We packed our bags,’’ Campbell said.

So life goes on, the loss at Dallas was meaningful as far as playoff seeding, but it wasn’t do or die.

“I think it’s a blessing, I will tell fans, don’t do it, don’t believe that. We’re just getting started,’’ Campbell said.

The players had Monday off and will get back to work on Tuesday. Campbell fully expects their mindset to be in tune with his.

“We built this roster for a reason, they’ll be just fine,’’ Campbell said.

INJURY UPDATES: Campbell expects DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson will get some snaps on Sunday. He hasn’t played since Week 2 due to a torn pec. … Also he hopes to get DT Alim McNeil and FB Jason Cabinda back into action. McNeil (knee) has missed four games while Cabinda (knee) has not played since Week 3. … WR Jameson Williams tweaked his ankle in Saturday’s game, but Campbell said it’s not significant and called him day to day.

NEXT UP: Minnesota Vikings (7-9) at Lions (11-5), 1 p.m., Sunday on FOX.