Look out for the flags, MPH and more

Just as Dak Prescott's trademark “Here We Goooo” at the line of scrimmage prepares you for the next play, this new weekly article should do the same with the upcoming game.

Welcome to “Here We Gooooo,” a weekly article where I break down the matchups that will determine the outcome of every Cowboys game.

With the Lions coming to town this week, there are some interesting stats to keep an eye on, including explosive plays, miles per hour, win rates and penalty frequency.

There are three aspects to consider here:

1. Detroit's skill players vs. Cowboys in tackling – Detroit's offense features a wealth of talent that Dallas' defense will have to contend with. At the receiver position, Jameson Williams leads the Lions this season with 289 yards on just 13 catches. His 12 YAC per reception leads the NFL, and the fact that he has reached over 20 MPH on explosive plays certainly helps. In the backfield, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have combined for 275 yards after contact this season. That's almost half of the 556 yards the two ran. The Cowboys have struggled to put players on points this season, missing 32 tackles in the first three weeks of the season, but have improved over the last two weeks and will certainly need to do so on Sunday.

2. Jared Goff vs. Cowboys Pass Rush – When Jared Goff has a clean pocket and protection up front, he can pass the ball expertly. The perfect example of this was Detroit's Week 4 game against Seattle, where, despite three sacks, he threw a perfect game with 18 completions on 18 attempts, an NFL record. However, things can be different under pressure. From 2021 to 2023, Goff's PFF grade under pressure was 45.2, good for 29^Th among 50 qualified quarterbacks. The Cowboys defense has 11 sacks this season but will be without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence on Sunday. Through five games, Dallas' defense has a pass rush win rate of 37% (23).^approx in the NFL) and will face a Lions offensive line that has a pass block win rate of 69% (4th^Th in the NFL). Dallas sacked Goff just once in last year's contest, but scored on him seven times, resulting in a 19/34 performance for 271 yards and two interceptions. If the Cowboys can produce a similar performance a year later, it could bode well for the outcome of the game.

3. Dak Prescott against Detroit's new-look secondary – Dak Prescott had another strong start through the air this season, being the NFL's third-leading passer with 1,424 yards for an average of 284.8 per game through five games. The Detroit secondary has given up 258.3 passing yards per game this season, just 27^Th in the league. Prescott had his 3rd^approx Posted a game-high passing performance of 345 yards against the Lions a year ago and could have similar success Sunday against a new-look but young secondary. Detroit has the most defensive pass interference penalties (8) and the most passing penalties (3) of any NFL team. Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold has had eight penalties against him so far (2).^nd in the NFL), five of which were pass interferences (1^st in the NFL). With an experienced quarterback like Prescott, attacking a secondary that has been undisciplined at times this season could help that offense move down the field and into the end zone, something the Cowboys have emphasized to take some of the pressure off Brandon Aubrey. Additionally, Prescott leads the league in aggressiveness (24.1%) and has always had a knack for making shots in tight spaces. The Lions defense forced tight window throws on 34.4% of passes in man coverage compared to 8.5% in the zone. If Prescott is in rhythm and, more importantly, hitting his target, it's good for another big play through the air.