In a game Dallas desperately needed to win to stay in the NFC playoff hunt, both the Cowboys’ defense and the protection around Dak Prescott took a step backward. The result was a 44–30 defeat to the Detroit Lions that made Dallas look much more like the struggling team it was before the bye week rather than the group that strung together three straight victories afterward.

At 6-6-1, the Cowboys’ playoff chances are now hanging by a thread. Their only realistic path involves sweeping their final four games — starting with a Dec. 14 prime-time matchup against Minnesota — and even then, they’ll need outside help. It’s why the NFL playoff prediction models give Dallas only an 8% chance to reach the postseason.

Team owner Jerry Jones acknowledged the stakes during his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan.

“We all knew what the math looked like going in,” Jones said. “Can we win out? Absolutely. Will it be tough? Absolutely twice over. But if we play a lot better than we did last night, there’s still that very small window to keep playing when the postseason begins.”

The Cowboys’ biggest failure came on defense. After cutting the Lions’ lead to one score in the fourth quarter, Dallas allowed Detroit to punch in two touchdowns on short fields — both set up by poor kickoff coverage. Meanwhile, Prescott endured one of his roughest games of the year, matching his season high with five sacks while tossing two interceptions. His pick on the first play of the second half set up a Detroit touchdown that stretched the lead to 27–9. Prescott was also forced into an awkward backward throw that lost 16 yards.

Two long-yardage situations in the first half (2nd-and-25 or worse) stalled drives and contributed to the Cowboys settling for three field goals before halftime. Dallas finished just 1-for-3 in the red zone.

To make matters worse, the Cowboys lost CeeDee Lamb to a concussion after he slammed his helmet on the turf attempting a leaping catch. His availability going forward is unclear — a potentially massive blow for a team already fighting to stay emotionally locked in.

Despite the setback, Prescott insists the locker room isn’t discouraged.

“No one’s throwing their hands up,” he said. “It’s frustration, not deflation. We’ll turn it into fuel.”

What’s Working

Kicker Brandon Aubrey continues to build a remarkable early-career résumé. Against Detroit, he became the first NFL kicker ever to hit three field goals from 55+ yards in the same game, including a 63-yarder. His three kicks of 60+ yards this season are the most in league history for a single year, and he now has six such kicks in his three NFL seasons. He tied his personal best with five made field goals — missing none, and barely grazing the upright only on the shortest one (42 yards).

What Needs Work

Kickoff coverage was already a concern before the Lions game, but it unraveled completely late in the fourth quarter. Detroit returned two kickoffs to the 41- and 49-yard lines in crucial moments — once with Dallas down three, and again with the deficit at seven. The Lions turned both into touchdowns. Tom Kennedy averaged 40 yards per return on three attempts.

Stock Up

Second-year receiver Ryan Flournoy turned in the best game of his career: nine receptions for 115 yards and his second-ever 100-yard outing. Two of his catches moved the chains on third down, and he took a contested grab for a 42-yard score that cut Detroit’s lead to 30-27 early in the fourth.

Stock Down

George Pickens’ body language and effort came under scrutiny again. He was notably absent from the field during the drive that ended with Flournoy’s touchdown, and with Lamb already out, his lack of engagement on certain routes stood out — especially considering the discipline issues that followed him during his time in Pittsburgh before his trade to Dallas.

Injury Notes

Lamb’s concussion will be monitored in the coming days, and the extended break before the Vikings game may help.

Corner Trevon Diggs was close to returning and could be back next week after missing seven games with a concussion and knee soreness.
Jones also said he expects left tackle Tyler Guyton to return after a two-game absence due to an ankle sprain — a meaningful upgrade after backup Nate Thomas struggled against Detroit.

Key Stat

–8 turnover margin.
Dallas fell to minus-8 on the season after giving the ball away three times without generating a takeaway. Among teams with a turnover margin of –5 or worse, the Cowboys are the only one without a losing record — but turning around the season without fixing that number seems unlikely.

What’s Next

After navigating four games in 18 days, Dallas finally gets a normal Sunday-to-Sunday stretch for the next two weeks, hosting Minnesota before traveling to face the Chargers on Dec. 21. Then comes their fourth Thursday game of the season — a Christmas matchup with Washington — before the regular-season finale against the Giants, which could be flexed to Saturday.