Every week during the season, we’ll scout out the Cowboys next opponent. This week, that opponent is the Detroit Lions.
The Opponent: The Detroit Lions, aka Sad Trombone. Wah wahhhhhhhh
Record: 2-7. Hey, that’s the same record as Dallas! Fun!
The Line: Cowboys by 6.5. It’s the first time Dallas has been favored since the Jacksonville game. And that game ended so well.
Last Game: A depressing 14-12 loss to Buffalo that marked the Bills’ first win of the season. There was so much to like about Detroit going into this year. Matt Stafford was healthy. The team had two exciting rookies in Jahvid Best and Ndamukong Suh. But, like seemingly every Lions season, things have fallen apart completely. Stafford is probably done for the year. Best has underwhelmed after a fast start. And while Suh has been a monster, the rest of the defense has been as appalling as ever. The Lions have looked an awful lot like the Lions lately.
The Coach: Jim Schwartz. I have no clue if Jim Schwartz is a bad coach, or if being in Detroit simply makes any coach look bad. He certainly looks good while yelling.
The Offense: The Lions aren’t particularly good at running the ball, but they can certainly put up gaudy passing numbers when they feel like it, even with Shaun Hill in charge. Expect Hill to loft up two dozen passes for Calvin Johnson in hopes that he comes down with the ball. Because he usually does. And watch out for Best coming out of the backfield.
The Defense: This defense just allowed Fred Jackson to have a career game, so expect plenty of Felix Jones. Suh has been a terror in his rookie year, but the Lions have an atrocious secondary that can’t cover if Suh can’t reach the quarterback.
Key Matchup: Megatron versus Mike Jenkins. Jenkins has been so terrible this year. It’s like someone stole the original Mike Jenkins and secretly replaced him with Wasswa Serwanga. Jenkins fared somewhat better against New York, but if he dogs it against Calvin Johnson, this team will go right back into Tankville.
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