The Detroit Lions have put themselves in a tough position in the NFC playoff race after a 2-3 November, which means December is going to need to be a strong rebound month for the franchise.
This week, the Lions get things started against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13. It's safe to say the contest could serve as an elimination game for both teams, considering the state of battle in the conference. With that in mind, it's a very important tilt.
Already, the battle lines are being drawn before the game. Though the Cowboys have a 6-5-1 record, a win could get them firmly back in the playoff race, and allow them to leapfrog a team ahead of them like Detroit.
ESPN insider Dan Graziano no longer believes it's an overreaction to proclaim the Cowboys are heading to the playoffs. After their Thanksgiving Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Graziano believes he's seen enough to proclaim that the schedule after Thursday's game against the Lions gives them an inside track.
"Dallas has a huge matchup Thursday night in Detroit, where the Lions are also trying to fight their way into the playoffs. After that, the Cowboys get home games against the Vikings and Chargers and finish with a pair of road division games against the Commanders and Giants."
Revamped Cowboys defense makes TNF a daunting challenge for Lions in must-win game
As Graziano also pointed out, the Cowboys defense has turned things around, and that's a big reason the team is winning and could come away with a playoff birth this season.
"Our discussion regarding the Cowboys' defense all season was that it didn't have to be great, it just had to stop being absolutely terrible to support the high-octane offense. That appears to be what has happened, and Dallas suddenly looks dangerous."
The way both teams are trending could lend itself to this being true, but it might be premature to anoint the Cowboys as playoff shoo-ins right now when they are essentially in the same position as the Lions before a road game. Whoever comes away with the win could have the inside track to making a late-season push.
The Lions have played at Dallas the last three seasons, so getting a chance to host them at Ford Field is an important development late in this season. It gives the franchise a chance to level up at home and atone for a holiday defeat against the Green Bay Packers.
Lions coach Dan Campbell understands the challenge the Lions are up against, given Dallas has a good defense that has turned things around, and it's one that they have been familiar with in the NFC with Matt Eberflus.
"To be able to get them back home, that's good. That's different, but they're playing good football right now," said Campbell. "Playing with a lot of confidence. They've beefed up that defense. It's a really good defensive line. Those guys are active. (Matt) Eberflus has done a hell of a job. He's a good defensive coordinator."
Offensively, Campbell sees what the Lions will be up against and knows it will pose a challenge to his defense that has struggled a bit lately.
"What (Brian) Schottenheimer has done offensively and (Dak) Prescott (and) those two receivers (is impressive). They've got a run game. Offensive line is rugged. It's a good team. This is a real good team playing at a high level, (playing) confident football. This should be a good test for us. We're pretty fired up."
Add it all up and the Lions have yet another game where their hands will be full. If they're able to meet the challenge head-on and win, they could derail what seems like a premature party for a playoff return in Dallas.