At the beginning of the season, many fans wouldn’t have imagined that the Detroit Lions would be fighting for their playoff lives heading into the first week of December, yet that’s the current reality entering Thursday night’s home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field.
The Lions enter with a 7-5 record and are in a must-win scenario to keep their hopes of making the NFL playoffs alive. While a loss would eliminate the Lions, it would make clinching a spot much more difficult.
In the 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving, Micah Parsons had his way against the Lions' offensive line, recording 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. The Lions' offensive line will need to step up against the Cowboys if they hope to have success on offense. Here are three Cowboys defenders that the Lions will need to look out for.
Quinnen Williams, DT
The former New York Jets defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams, who the Cowboys acquired at the trade deadline, is due for an impactful performance. What better way to have an impact than contributing to a win over the Lions.
This season with both the Jets and the Cowboys, Williams has collected 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Williams' ability to create pressure and get sacks could cause trouble for the Lions.
When going up against Dallas’ defensive front, Williams will be among the top players on the Cowboys defense that the Lions' offensive line will need to look out for.
Kenneth Murray Jr., LB
The leader in tackles for the Cowboys with 70 total on the season, including four TFLs and a sack, Kenneth Murray Jr. will play a crucial role at linebacker against the Lions on Thursday night.
With the Cowboys' playoff hopes also on the line on Thursday night, Murray Jr. has the opportunity to rise to the occasion for Dallas’ defense and lead them to an upset win at Ford Field. The six-year veteran linebacker will need to be more productive against the Lions than he was when the Cowboys upset the Chiefs on Thanksgiving, 31-28.
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In the Thanksgiving game upset at home over the Kansas City Chiefs, Murray Jr. was quiet defensively, only recording two total tackles in the win. Can he have a bounce-back performance when needed the most?
Donovan Wilson, S
Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson looks to build off a dominant performance against the Chiefs on Thursday night. In the win over the Chiefs, Jackson came up big, collecting five total tackles and a game-changing forced fumble.
Wilson has been a crucial piece of the Cowboys' secondary this season with 49 total tackles and two interceptions. Wilson looks to make a big impact against the Lions at Ford Field.