FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions open Week 14 on Thursday night knowing their postseason margin for error has nearly vanished.
Dallas enters at 6-5-1 after consecutive upsets of Philadelphia and Kansas City, positioning itself for a late-season push in a crowded NFC. Detroit, now 7-5 after a Thanksgiving loss to Green Bay, is fighting to keep pace in the NFC North as Chicago and the Packers sit above them in the standings.
Thursday marks the Cowboys’ 12th appearance on the Thursday Night Football package since it debuted in 2006. Dallas is 9-2 all-time in TNF contests and has yet to lose a Prime Video broadcast, winning all three matchups since the move to streaming.
The Cowboys’ offensive line has been one of the league’s steadiest units, yielding just 17 sacks — tied for the third-fewest in the NFL this season. Only Denver (14) and Seattle (15) have allowed fewer. That protection has helped Dak Prescott stay among the league’s most productive passers; he enters Week 14 tied with Detroit’s Jared Goff for second in the NFL with 25 touchdown passes, trailing only Matthew Stafford’s 32.
Prescott also has three game-winning drives this season, placing him among the league leaders in late-game execution.
CeeDee Lamb remains central to everything Dallas does offensively. He leads the NFL with 10 defensive pass interference penalties drawn, while George Pickens adds five more, helping Dallas pace the league in DPIs earned as a team (17). Lamb is also chasing history: one more 100-yard outing will tie him with Tony Hill for the second-most such games in franchise history (26).
Defensively, Dallas has surged in recent weeks. The Cowboys boast the league’s No. 2 run defense since Week 11, allowing just 69.7 rushing yards per game over the last three contests. The midseason trade for three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams added a major boost up front. Williams owns a league-best 14.9% run-stop rate (minimum 100 run snaps), per Pro Football Focus.
The rivalry itself tilts in Dallas’ favor. The Cowboys and Lions have met 32 times, including postseason games, with Dallas holding a 19–13 edge. Dallas has won six of the last seven meetings and two of the three playoff matchups.
Both teams sit just outside the playoff bracket, but the paths differ. Detroit faces pressure within its division, while Dallas sees opportunity ahead with a favorable closing slate: Detroit, Minnesota, the Chargers, Washington and the Giants.
A win Thursday won’t lock in a postseason berth, but it may decide who stays alive long enough to fight for one.
