On Deck will be here all season to provide you with everything you need to know (and a few things you don't) about every Cowboys game during the 2013 season.
The Opponent: The Lions enter the game losing two of their last three, including a heartbreaker at home last week in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, in which they couldn't contain Cincy quarterback Andy Dalton. That's got to be a positive sign for Tony Romo, who is every bit as good as Dalton, if not better. The Lions did see the return of stud wideout Calvin Johnson, who missed the Lions' win two weeks ago over Cleveland but came back against the Bengals to catch nine balls for 155 yards and two scores.
Past Meeting: Back in 2011, the Lions handed the Cowboys a crushing 34-30 defeat that could be pinned almost solely on Romo after a second-half collapse that left Dallas 2-2 instead of 3-1.
Key Matchup: DET WR Calvin Johnson vs. DAL WR Dez Bryant: OK, so this isn't a "matchup" in the traditional sense, but it's too juicy to overlook. Bryant has already gone on record saying he can do anything Megatron can do, and so far this year he's shown a pretty good case for that claim. These two are quite possibly the two most dominant pass-catchers in the NFL and they'll get a chance to go head-to-head this weekend.
Who's Hot: Terrance Williams scored in his third straight game and has become, without question, the Cowboys' No. 2 receiver behind Bryant. He caught six balls for 71 yards to go with Bryan's 110 yards on eight grabs. That Cowboys makeshift defensive line continued to impress as well, holding the NFL's leading rusher, LeSean McCoy, to 55 yards on 18 carries.
Despite losing last week's game against the Bengals, it wasn't because of the Lions' offense. Matthew Stafford tossed three touchdown passes with no interceptions while throwing for 357 yards.
Who's Not: Miles Austin was again held without a catch and appears to have been supplanted not only as the No. 2 receiver but also as the slot receiver by Cole Beasley. Tony Romo threw two interceptions though one was clearly not his fault.
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The Lions' running game was not too great last week. Make no mistake, the Lions live and die with Stafford and Megatron, but a nice running game is certainly a good complement to that duo. Reggie Bush carried the ball 20 times last week but only gained 50 yards, and the Cowboys' run defense has been pretty great in recent weeks.
