Dallas fell 44-30 in Detroit, but a gritty Dak Prescott, historic Brandon Aubrey, and a banged-up roster showed this team still has fight left in 2025.
The Cowboys walked out of Detroit with a 44-30 loss, but if you're looking for a team that quit, you're staring at the wrong locker room.
Against a Lions squad playing its best game of the year in a deafening road environment, the Cowboys kept swinging. Dak Prescott was under siege all night, sacked five times and pressured constantly, yet still finished 31 of 47 for 376 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
That's not garbage time volume.
Dallas kept clawing back, twice trimming a double-digit deficit down to three in the fourth quarter.
The turning point came when CeeDee Lamb, who was cooking with six catches for 121 yards, exited with a concussion in the third quarter. Losing your WR1 in a game where you’re already leaning on the passing attack is a gut punch.
Without Lamb and with George Pickens bottled up to 37 yards, Prescott was forced to live in tight windows and long down-and-distance.
The real bright spot was once again Brandon Aubrey, who turned a frustrating night in the red zone into history.
Aubrey nailed field goals from 63, 57, 55, 42 and 29 yards, becoming the first kicker in NFL history to hit three from 55+ in a single game. In a season where margins are razor-thin, having that kind of weapon matters.
Defensively, the Cowboys didn't get the splash they wanted, but context matters. Detroit's offense has been one of the league's most explosive, and Jahmyr Gibbs at his best is a mismatch for almost anyone.
Even so, Dallas kept forcing the Lions to settle for drives that needed third-down magic and big plays rather than simply rolling over.
This loss stings, and yes, the playoff odds dipped.
But the locker room tone said everything. Prescott called the team "ticked off," not broken, and there's a big difference. Dallas has four games left, a home date with Minnesota up next, and plenty of tape showing they can move the ball on anyone.
Clean up red zone execution, get a healthier roster on the field, and harness that anger the right way ... this season isn’t finished yet.