After struggling to generate pressure from Weeks 10–13 — producing only four sacks over that stretch — the Detroit Lions’ pass-rush sprang back to life in their Week 14 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Detroit racked up five sacks on the night, three before halftime and two more in the fourth quarter. EDGE rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad turned in the best performance of his Lions tenure, finishing with a trio of sacks.
Aidan Hutchinson didn’t record a sack himself, but he was consistently disruptive. He logged nine total pressures, including eight hurries, and earned a 90.2 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus. His impact helped open up opportunities for teammates like Muhammad.
“It was awesome. I’m really happy for him,” Hutchinson said about Muhammad’s standout game. “Our coverage and rush really synced up tonight. I still feel like I left some plays out there, personally. But we got the win, and that’s huge for where we want to go.”
Linebacker Jack Campbell also continued his breakout season. In just the first half, he notched a sack that nearly resulted in a safety and jarred the ball loose from tight end Jake Ferguson — a turnover that set up a Detroit touchdown.
For Hutchinson, this surge of defensive intensity couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
With little room for slip-ups and every game potentially determining whether Detroit reaches the postseason for the third consecutive year, the Lions appear to have fully locked in.
If their performance against Dallas is any indication, the defense has found its rhythm — and its top playmaker is leading the charge.
“I thought we were really firing off the ball, across the board,” Hutchinson said. “It felt like the coaches took the leash off and let us attack, and it paid off.”
Hutchinson Says Lions Are Treating the Remaining Games as Playoff Contests
Hutchinson has always welcomed high-pressure situations, and following Detroit’s critical Week 14 win, he made it clear that the rest of the regular season carries playoff-level importance.
With the Lions battling to stay in the NFC postseason race, Hutchinson said the team has already shifted to a postseason mindset.
“Honestly, we’re viewing these games like they’re playoff games,” he said. “The stakes are huge right now — and we play our best when the pressure’s on.”
That approach showed up in Thursday night’s game.
Detroit entered Week 14 desperately needing a victory. A loss would have marked their first back-to-back defeats since 2022 and pushed them even further behind in the NFC standings.
Instead, the Lions responded with one of their most determined defensive efforts of the year, and the win boosted their playoff probability from roughly 30% to about 45%, according to the New York Times’ projections.
