The Detroit Lions delivered a decisive 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, spoiling the birthday of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jared Goff was the star of the show, throwing for 315 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions cruised to victory. The win moved Detroit to a 4-1 record, but the celebration was dampened by a significant injury to star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a serious left tibia injury while sacking Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Goff’s performance continued his impressive season, which included an NFL single-game record of 18 straight completions in the Lions’ Week 5 win over Seattle. He followed up that feat with another stellar outing, spreading the ball around to his playmakers. David Montgomery added two rushing touchdowns, while tight end Sam LaPorta caught a 52-yard touchdown on a well-executed trick play that featured multiple pitches before Goff launched a deep throw.
Detroit’s offense struck early and often, jumping out to a 27-6 halftime lead. This put the Cowboys in an all-too-familiar position, as they became the first NFL team since 2000 to trail by 14 or more points at halftime in four consecutive home games, including playoffs. Dallas, now at 3-3, has struggled mightily in front of its home crowd, a stark contrast to their recent 16-game home winning streak, which was the second-longest in franchise history.
The Lions‘ opening play of the game carried a bit of extra emotion, with head coach Dan Campbell taking a jab at the officials over a controversial decision in last season’s matchup between the teams. In that game, a penalty on tackle Dan Skipper negated a potentially game-winning two-point conversion. On Sunday, Campbell inserted Skipper as an eligible player for a simple 5-yard run by Montgomery, a subtle reminder of the disputed call. Later in the game, with the Lions leading 34-9 in the third quarter, Skipper again lined up as eligible, but Goff’s pass to him in the end zone was broken up by Dallas linebacker Damone Clark.
Dallas’ struggles were compounded by a poor performance from Prescott, who threw two interceptions and failed to find any rhythm against Detroit’s defense. His turnovers contributed to the Cowboys’ worst home loss since 1988 and continued a troubling trend of defensive collapses. The Cowboys have allowed a staggering 167 points over their last four home games, the third-highest total over such a stretch in NFL history.
For Detroit, the joy of victory was tempered by the loss of Hutchinson, who sustained his injury when his leg collided awkwardly with teammate Alim McNeill’s leg during a sack of Prescott. Hutchinson was carted off the field and is expected to undergo surgery, sidelining him for a significant portion of the season. The Lions will need to adjust quickly without their star pass rusher as they continue their push for a top seed in the NFC.
While Goff and the Lions offense shined, the shadow of Hutchinson’s injury lingered over their celebration. Nevertheless, Detroit’s dominance over a struggling Cowboys team underscores their emergence as a contender in the NFC, while Dallas faces mounting questions about their ability to compete at home.