Cowboys vs Lions Week 17: What Detroit Loss, Dallas Win Mean for NFL Playoff Race
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Was Taylor Decker eligible? It will forever be one of life’s great unsolved mysteries, along with why Easter Island has giant stone heads all over the place, who framed Roger Rabbit and why in the year 2023 we still can’t invent cereal that stays crispy in milk. But Decker’s controversial two-point conversion that was wiped out by penalty handed the Dallas Cowboys a one-point win Saturday night and had a significant impact on the playoff picture in the NFC. Whether you agree with the call or not (not—it looks like a bad call, although Lions head coach Dan Campbell should have played for overtime after the five-yard penalty, so my sympathies are limited), the game is over. Both teams are 11-5 and in the playoffs. And we’re that much closer to knowing what this year’s postseason brackets will look like. So, let’s all take a breath (especially Dan Campbell) and examine both what this game means for the Lions and Cowboys and what the playoff situation looks like headed into what should be a wild Sunday slate.
The Lions Lost a Game They Could Have Won, But All Is Not Lost
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For the Detroit Lions, Saturday’s loss was a gut-punch. Not only did the Lions drive the field for a late touchdown that could have tied the game, but when offensive tackle Taylor Decker caught a two-point conversion, it appeared that the Lions were going to end the Cowboys’ home winning streak and keep their chances of being the NFC’s No. 1 seed alive.
But Decker didn’t report and was flagged for illegal touching. Rather than kick an extra point and go to overtime, Lions head coach Dan Campbell went for two again…and then again after Cowboys edge-rusher Micah Parsons was caught offside. The third time wasn’t the charm, though, and it now appears the Lions will have to hope the third seed in the NFC is. Barring some serious weirdness this week and next, that’s the position the NFC North champions will be in as they head into the postseason.
The game was the Lions’ season in a nutshell—for better or worse. Detroit ran the ball well behind one of the league’s best offensive lines. Jared Goff was great on the final drive but inconsistent overall, throwing a pair of bad interceptions. Campbell’s aggressiveness was both a blessing and curse for Detroit. If you’re looking for a Honolulu Blue and silver lining, Detroit’s defense allowed just 20 points to a Dallas offense that has been a juggernaut at home despite allowing a career day to Dallas wideout CeeDee Lamb. And Detroit’s postseason hopes hinge largely on how well that sometimes shaky defense holds up.
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