Week 17 Cowboys vs. Lions: Implications for the NFL Playoff Race from Dallas’ Win and Detroit’s Loss
Taylor Decker: was she qualified?
One of the great mysteries of life will always remain unexplained, along with the reasons for the enormous stone heads scattered throughout Easter Island, the identity of the person who killed Roger Rabbit, and the fact why, even in 2023, cereal cannot remain crunchy when submerged in milk.
However, Decker’s contentious two-point convert, which was nullified by a penalty, gave the Dallas Cowboys a one-point victory on Saturday night and significantly altered the NFC playoff landscape.
The game is over, whether you agree with the decision or not (I don’t think it was a good call, but after the five-yard penalty, Lions head coach Dan Campbell should have played for OT, so I’m not really sympathetic). They are both 11-5 and in the postseason. And that means the postseason brackets for this year are only one step closer to being known.
Now that we’ve all calmed down (particularly Dan Campbell), let’s assess the implications of this game for the Lions and Cowboys as well as the state of the playoffs ahead of what promises to be an exciting Sunday slate.
The Detroit Lions’ defeat on Saturday felt like a kick to the belly. The Lions managed to halt the Cowboys’ home winning run and maintain their hopes of being the NFC’s top seed when offensive lineman Taylor Decker grabbed a two-point conversion. The Lions also drove the field for a late touchdown that might have knotted the game.
However, Decker failed to disclose and was reported for improper touching. Head coach of the Lions Dan Campbell decided to try for two again after Cowboys edge-rusher Micah Parsons was called offside, instead of kicking an extra point and sending the game into overtime.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem like the third time will be lucky, and the Lions will now have to hope that their NFC third-seed is. That’s where the NFC North champs will be going into the postseason, barring some major craziness this week and next.
In a word, the game summarised the Lions’ season, for better or ill. One of the top offensive lines in the league was way behind Detroit when they ran the ball. While Jared Goff threw two poor interceptions, he was erratic throughout the game and excelled on the last drive. For Detroit, Campbell’s aggression was a plus and a minus.
If you’re searching for a bright spot in the Honolulu Blue, Detroit’s defense gave up just 20 points to a Dallas offense that has been unstoppable at home, even if they gave Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb a career day.
And how well Detroit’s occasionally unreliable defense holds up will determine how far they can go in the postseason.
To be clear, there is little chance that the Dallas Cowboys will win the NFC East and get to host a postseason game. Dallas has to win the following week and hope that the Philadelphia Eagles lose to the New York Giants or the Arizona Cardinals (probably neither).
However, it’s huge to at least keep the chance alive because Dallas is a whole different squad at AT&T Stadium.
In actuality, the Detroit Lions are deserving of a lot of praise. The Lions limited the Dallas attack as well as anybody has this season, excepting CeeDee Lamb’s insane performance. On Saturday, Dallas scored almost half as many points as it often does at home.
However, the Cowboys have achieved the third unbeaten home season in the team’s history by narrowly defeating Detroit. This year, Dallas is 3-5 away from home. In a far greater number of categories than not, there exist splits. Dak Prescott, for instance, has a passer rating significantly higher than 110 when he is at home. In the car, it’s not quite ninety.
The harsh reality is that the Cowboys will be traveling during the postseason. It appears that this will be 2022 all over again. In the Wild Card Round, Dallas will travel and defeat an overwhelming favorite to win the NFC South. The Cowboys will then play in Philadelphia or San Francisco and lose.
Things remain the same more often than they change.
Sorry, Nation of Cowboys.
