One thing was confirmed last week, and one was discarded.
The Dallas Cowboys still have trouble winning on the road, while the Miami Dolphins proved they can beat a team with a winning record. Dallas lost in Miami on Sunday, 22-20.
This week, we get to take advantage of that information when the Cowboys host the Detroit Lions on Saturday night. Last week, the Lions continued their breakout season under head coach Dan Campbell with a hardfought road win over their NFC North Division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. That result clinched Detroit their first division title since 1993, and moved the Vikings from in the playoff hunt to on the bubble.
Being in the hunt is much better than being on the bubble.
The Lions advanced their season record to 11-4, they have a pair of losses both on the road and at their home stadium, Ford Field. The Lions still have something to play for this season, they could clinch the National Football Conference top seed with two wins and another San Francisco 49ers loss. The Lions own the tiebreaker over the Philadelphia Eagles, but the 49ers, despite their Christmas night loss to Baltimore, still own the tiebreaker edge versus the Lions.
Winning their first division title in 30 years is a big deal in Detroit; winning the top seed in the conference playoffs is probably out of their reach. And we can confirm that this weekend if they lose in Dallas and the 49ers beat the Washington Commanders.
Don’t you know there's celebration in Lions land after their nail-biting win in Minnesota? You might have some players in the locker room advised to save some of that champagne for after the playoffs.
Two years ago, the Lions and Los Angeles Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade when Detroit sent franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles in exchange for the Rams starting quarterback, Jared Goff, and a boatload of high draft picks.
The trade has worked out very well for both franchises. The Rams got their first Super Bowl victory in Los Angeles with Stafford running their offense, and the Lions got an infusion of young talent with both the draft picks and the further development of quarterback Jared Goff. He had early in his career, 2018, led the Rams to the Super Bowl, but lost while having one of the worst days a quarterback has experienced in a Roman Numeral game. The New England Patriots beat the Rams in Super Bowl LIII, 13-3, in the lowest scoring game in the series history.
Off that performance, the Rams thought they had most of the tools to win it all, but needed a more dynamic quarterback running their show on the field. Turns out they got their Super Bowl in the trade with Detroit, and the Lions got perhaps the brightest future in the team’s long history.
This week, the Lions will pause their celebration long enough to play the Dallas Cowboys with the home team needing a win to keep their division title hopes alive. Dallas comes into this game off their gut wrenching loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday to fall one game back in the NFC East Division to the Eagles, who beat the New York Giants on Christmas Day.
So, the Cowboys season record drops to three wins and five losses on the road with seven convincing wins at home without a loss.
Let's put this together.
The Cowboys need it, are at home, and playing a Lions team that last week clinched their first division title in three decades. Now you know why the point spread looks too high … it’s not.
Qoxhi Picks: Dallas Cowboys (-6½) over Detroit Lions