Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) stands back to pass as Dallas Cowboys defender Micah Parsons (11) is pushed back by offensive tackle Kendall Lamm (70), on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Rebecca Blackwell/AP PhotoAP
ARLINGTON, TEXAS (AP) — The Detroit Lions (11-4) have another chance to cement their status as prime-time darlings in Week 17 when they face the Dallas Cowboys (10-5) from AT&T Stadium.
In this post, we’ll answer three burning questions ahead of Saturday night’s game.
Micah Parsons, Cowboys EDGE, how big of an issue is he?
Micah Parsons has established himself as one of the NFL’s most versatile and destructive pass rushers in just his third season. Parsons is faced with multiple blocks and attention on nearly every snap (33% double-team rate), but he still leads the league with 97 pressures and a 38% pass-rush victory rate.
The offensive line has served as the Lions’ basis. Offensive tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell are more than capable of handling this chore. But that doesn’t mean Parsons won’t find ways to make a statement and get his production.
“Oh yeah, he’s a game-wrecker for sure,” said offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. “I was just talking to the guys upstairs, and they move him around so much, whether it’s right side, left side, over either guard, over the center, he’s almost in a different location every snap, so it’s hard to get a beat a little bit to account for where he’s at.” And then, OK, now that you know where he is, there are so many other exciting guys up front who are ready to go and fresh.
“I mean, I think that’s what (defensive coordinator) coach (Dan) Quinn does so well, is keeping those guys going nonstop and relentlessly.” Today is our third-down day, and if you watch their third-down footage, you’ll see that it’s basically a party at the quarterback for third-and-5-plus. It’s pretty amazing what they can do with their pass rush.”
Can Lions quarterback Jared Goff avoid turnovers in Dallas?
Last season, Jared Goff had a memorable game against this Cowboys team. Goff threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles as the Lions lost 24-6, unable to score a touchdown. One of the forced fumbles was caused by Parsons. And it’s worth recalling that this was an unusual game, with Amon-Ra St. Brown being knocked out early and Jamaal Williams fumbling near the goal line.
Goff has been much better since that game in Arlington. And he’s repeatedly shown to be the franchise’s quarterback solution. However, with Parsons and pick-six specialist DaRon Bland patrolling the secondary, this is a difficult defense to play.
“Yeah, late in the year is always good.” “You get teams — I mean, Minnesota, Denver, those teams are potentially playoff bound, and Dallas obviously as well,” Goff said when asked about the test. “You get teams like that where you can kind of stack up against each other and see where you stand.”
“And these are the good ones, man. Another good team, at their place, can’t draw it up much better late in the year. It’ll be entertaining. It’ll be a pleasant vibe. They’ll be ready, and we’ll be ready. It’ll be an exciting game.”
Will the Lions come out swinging after scoring a goal?
Dan Campbell set the tone for the week by declaring that his team’s greatest opponent moving forward is “satisfaction and complacency.” The Lions won their first NFC North title, as well as their first division title in 30 years, and for such a young club, it’s critical to keep their sights on the target.
That is the difficulty that the third-year head coach and his staff face as they prepare for a tough opponent in Texas.
“That is what we’re going to fight from here on out and they’re going to know that,” Campbell told reporters. “We’ll have a meeting here in a little bit, and we have smart guys, they understand that because all these questions, no different than — and I understand why you’d ask it and why it’s a big story, because it’s been 30 years, but if we continue to talk about it, answer them, and live in that moment, we’re not moving on.”
“And it’s not much different than what happens in the playoffs.” When you win a huge game in the playoffs, you don’t have time to savor it. You have to prepare for the next one, and that’s where we are, so it’s a good thing. I wish we had more time to savor it, but we don’t, so we’re off to the next one, and we have to want more, keep hungry, or we won’t be able to obtain the next one.”
