You have to figure that the Detroit Lions immediately circled their Week 6 game when the schedule was released on May 15th.
They return to what they consider the scene of an unforgivable crime. And they’ll be looking for payback.
The Lions feel they scored the game-winning two-point conversion when the teams last met back in December.
The Cowboys edged Detroit 20-19 when Taylor Decker was ruled to have been an ineligible receiver when he caught what should have been the game-winner.
Frankly, Detroit got too cute and it cost them the win. That and head coach Dan Campbell’s stubborn refusal after two incomplete passes to settle for the tie and overtime.
He went for two for a third time and rolled snake eyes instead.
The way the Lions were playing, sending the game into overtime might have led to a Lions’ win.
Regardless, Detroit will come back to Dallas with revenge on their minds.
Against The Lions
Historically, the Cowboys have generally fared well against the Lions. Dallas holds a 19-12 advantage in the previous 31 meetings between the two teams.
Detroit won the first-ever meeting 23-14 in Detroit to end the 1960 season.
The Cowboys then won the next six contests – three played at the Cotton Bowl, two at Texas Stadium and one at the Pontiac Silverdome.
But over the next 21 seasons the Lions turned the tables. Detroit would win eight of the next 10 matchups.
Only one of those games was played at Texas Stadium – a 20-17 Lions win in overtime in 1994. The other nine resulted in just two Cowboys wins at the Silverdome – a 31-7 win in 1986 and a 37-3 win in 1992.
Since then, Dallas is 11-3 against Detroit.
The Cowboys are 13-3 at home against the Lions. But Detroit is 9-6 at home against Dallas.
The Cowboys hold a 2-1 advantage in playoff meetings.
In the 1970 Divisional game at the Cotton Bowl, Dallas slogged out a 5-0 win over the Lions. Detroit clobbered Dallas 38-6 at the Silverdome in the 1991 playoffs.
In a 2014 Wild Card game, the Cowboys erased a 20-7 deficit for a 24-20 victory at AT&T Stadium.
Week 6 History
Dallas comes into this game with a 32-25 record in Week 6 contests. In addition to the missed 1982 game due to the strike, the Cowboys have had six byes fall on Week 6.
The 1996, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2015, and 2017 seasons saw Dallas enjoying a week off.
The Cowboys are 19-9 at home and just 13-16 on the road in Week 6 games. This will be the first time they play Detroit in Week 6 of a season.
The Giants have played Dallas the most during Week 6, with the Cowboys holding a 4-3 advantage.
The Eagles and Cardinals are tied for second with six games each. Dallas is 4-2 against Philadelphia but a dismal 1-5 against Arizona.
This game will be the first home game in Week 6 for Dallas since 2020.
That season, Dallas was routed 38-10 by the Cardinals with Andy Dalton starting his first game following Dak Prescott’s ankle injury the week before.
The Cowboys have played the last three Week 6 games away from Texas. They defeated New England in 2021, lost to the Eagles in 2022, and downed the Chargers last year.
The Cowboys have had a pair of five-year winning streaks in Week 6.
The first came in between 1967-1971. With the second run coming between 1991-1995.
The Cowboys longest losing skid ran from 2007 through 2012 – a five-loss run interrupted only by the 2009 bye week.
The Cowboys last home win in Week 6 was against Jacksonville in 2018.
My Prediction
(based on rosters as of today)
The Lions are younger, and they are a better team than last year. They also are motivated.
The Cowboys are going to have to overcome that and I don’t see the current roster as it is today being able to do that.
The Lions will leave Texas with the win this time around.
Predicted season record: 2-4.