The Dallas Cowboys look to get back on track after their first consecutive losses since November of the 2021 season.
The Detroit Lions will visit AT&T Stadium for an NFC showdown with major playoff implications.
Detroit celebrated their Week 16 win as NFC North champions for the first time since 1993, and currently sit as the third seed in the conference with hopes of the top seed still in their sights.
The Cowboys are on a two-game losing streak but still have their sights set on an NFC East title to guarantee a home game in the playoffs.
A win versus the 11-4 Lions would go a long way to bolster their chances, and will surely require some bold performances.
If you’ve read my bold predictions articles before, you know they rarely hit as predicted, but that doesn’t stop me.
One thing to remember is that my bold predictions are meant to seem far-fetched, but are still in the realm of possibility.
In the words of Dak Prescott, here we go.
Detroit Will Not Reach 300 Yards
This is a bold prediction because Detroit ranks third in the NFL with 394.1 yards of total offense per game.
QB Jared Goff is having a resurgent season, and the Lions rank fifth in the league with 253.0 passing yards per game.
Goff’s top targets are WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (106/1,281/8TD) and rookie TE Sam LaPorta (74/776/9TD).
LaPorta was rumored to be a target of the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft before Detroit scooped him up with the 34th overall pick.
He has been a great pick by Detroit and has provided a security blanket with playmaking prowess for Goff.
Detroit also ranks third amongst the NFL ranks in rushing with 141.1 yards per game.
Running the football on Dallas would be the obvious choice to open up the play-action passing game.
The Cowboys just got thinner in regards to depth in the linebacker room after the release of veteran Rashaan Evans.
Micah Parsons saw more off-the-ball snaps versus Miami and helped limit their explosive rushing attack to just 91 yards.
Parsons will see more snaps as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker and will help limit the rushing yards, which will lead to a less efficient passing day from Goff.
The defense will hold Detroit to under 300 yards of offense for the first time this season.
Dak Prescott Will Throw For 400 Yards
This is a bold prediction because Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott has only eclipsed 400 yards passing once this season.
He threw for 404 yards in a home victory over the New York Giants back in November.
This is also a bold prediction because the Lions’ defense has only allowed opposing quarterbacks to reach the 300-yard mark three times this season.
The catch is that just last week they allowed veteran journeyman QB Nick Mullens to throw for 411 yards in Minnesota.
Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense are better than the Vikings’ offense, and the trio of CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Jake Ferguson will help Prescott reach the mark.
Dallas Will Win By 2 Touchdowns
This is a bold prediction because of the Lions’ four losses, only two of them have come on the road.
The Lions are 6-2 on the road, featuring big wins at Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans.
Detroit plays a style of offense that is easily taken on the road, but their two road losses were bad losses at Baltimore and Chicago where the offense struggled to get going.
Dallas is expecting run-stuffer Johnathan Hankins back for this game, and Parsons playing more of a traditional linebacker role will disrupt the Lions’ rush attack.
When Detroit has trouble running the football, their offense struggles as a whole.
They will struggle this week, and the Cowboys will capitalize with a double-digit victory to improve to 11-5.