NFL Week 14 Cowboys-Lions TNF Recap | Jahmyr Gibbs Ties a Record Set by the Great Barry Sanders

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3:42Incredible. Yes, that was the final goal of his hat trick tonight. That was Dan Miller on WXYT. We're going to be hearing a lot from Dan Miller, one of the best in the business, like Jameer Gibbs. He gets those three touchdowns on the ground as part of a 44-30 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. We were so excited, Shooky, for a great Thursday night matchup. And what we got was a great win for the Lions, where they controlled the action, old school Lions, and by old school, I mean the last couple of years, and really dominated this Cowboys defense defensively, put them in their place, and knocked that Cowboys playoff chances down to the single digits.

4:28Yeah, and what's crazy is, you know, I look at the numbers real quick, and I'm thinking the Lions had to be close to 500 yards of offense. Nope, just 408. They actually got outgained. Didn't look like it on the field because, like you said, they controlled the game. This was, it was one of those games where if you've watched the Lions recently, you wonder like, where are the Lions as we've known them over the last couple of years? And they've had absences. They haven't had Amon Ra, St. Brown for a while. They don't have Sam Laporta. So it kind of makes sense why, you know, the passing game hasn't been as good as you would expect.

4:56The offensive line hasn't been at full strength. So much that Frank Ragnow tried to come out of retirement and then couldn't pass his physical. And yet now tonight, they finally kind of put it all together against the defense that you would think maybe a month ago that they should have done this. but this Cowboys defense has been getting better. So it is in fact, a statement win for the lions because they needed to state that the rest of the NFL, that they're not just going to fade into the abyss. They're not just going to let this season go away. They're going to fight all the way to the end.

5:20And they got a huge victory in a big spot. Yeah. I think that's really well said. And when I was thinking about this game ahead of time, I was thinking, okay, this Cowboys team, they're kind of like, they're an upstart. Literally. It's a bunch of guys on the defense that just either got healthy or join the team in the case of, you know, Quinnen Williams and Genevion Clowney or the rookie, Ravel, who got picked on a little bit tonight for the Cowboys or a lot. And I thought, OK, I know the Lions have a lot of things going against it, but maybe it's a day for these guys who have been in this same system to step up and be like, not on our watch, at least not this week.

5:58And you really saw that. You saw Jared Goff, I think, have a really good game against pressure overall. There was a throw, and we've got this if you're watching on YouTube, that Jared Goff made to Jamison Williams on a crosser in the fourth quarter. So to set it up, it at one point was 27 to nine. The Cowboys come all the way back to make it 30 to 27. It's a third and six with about eight and a half minutes left in the game. And there is immediate pressure up the middle on Jared Goff. and he has to throw that thing almost without seeing it. Total trust, gets hit. They end up calling a penalty because he got hit in the face right afterwards.

6:41Beautiful ball where he leads Jamison Williams on the catch and they end up going to score in that drive. If they don't convert that play, Shook, it's Cowboys ball. They're down three. And at some point in this game, the Cowboys offense basically figured out whatever the Lions defense was going to do. And they were going up and down the field. The only reason they didn't score 40 is because they turned the ball over three times tonight. That was the difference in this game. And so there were a few different moments like that where I thought the old guard of the Detroit Lions. And yes, Jamison Williams is old guard now.

7:13He signed a second contract. You know, it's Goff and Montgomery and Gibbs. And yes, Amon Ross, St. Brown. And I thought that was a massive moment in this game and a great night for Jared Goff. I'm so glad you highlighted that because that wasn't the only time Goff did that in the fourth quarter. He had pressure in his face multiple times, which in previous weeks has been kind of the explanation for why their offense has just not been as productive as you would expect them to be. It was all over him again tonight. And there were moments where, again, he's throwing dirt balls or he's just trying to get rid of the ball where he doesn't look comfortable.

7:39But eventually he adjusted it. And in the biggest spots, he was delivering throws under pressure. There was another similar throw like that where he's got a man in his face almost instantly. And I'm thinking there's no way that ball gets to him. And I think it was to Williams again near the sticks where it was another really impressive play. And once those happened, I realized, oh, the Lions are going to overcome this. They're not going to fold in this situation because Goff's making those throws, which we've seen in recent weeks. I can't remember exactly who the opponent was. It was the Eagles game where he looked completely lost.

8:04That defense absolutely broke his brain. His brain was not broken tonight. He stepped up in a big way. Yeah, I love the way you put that. And I think he's been up for the challenge the last two weeks. Their defense really hasn't. Brian Branch was carted off tonight, and you have to give the Lions defense credit for making a few big plays. Jack Campbell forces the fumble at one point. He looked like he had a safety as well. And then they get another big interception of Dak Prescott to start the second half, which came on a slant to George Pickens where the ball gets broken up. But yeah, it's about the old guard.

8:42And when I think old guard of the Lions, it's about that running back, David Montgomery, who is not getting nearly as much playing time. Rightfully, Dan Campbell, play caller, one of the things he has done, has really limited David Montgomery to keep Jameer Gibbs on the field. But when they used Montgomery tonight, he pulled off one of the biggest plays of the night in the second quarter. Four across the front. They bring a blitz. They hand it off to Montgomery. Montgomery, big hole, 30-yard line, 25-yard line. Still going at the 20. Cuts it right at the 15. He's gone, baby! To the house! Demo with a touchdown, Detroit Lions, 35 yards!

9:1717 snaps on the night. Only six carries. But yes, that big touchdown, he also had a good reception on the night. And so he's one of the guys, again, you look to. And how about Amon Rice-St. Brown? We thought he was not going to play in this game. And he ends up with, what, six catches for 92 yards. And kind of the catch that helped put the game away when the Lions got the ball up seven late and ended up going in for a touchdown. That was the Gibbs third touchdown. But they needed points on that drive. and basically all these guys, you know, they deliver Shook. And do you think now, when you look at the schedule, only four games ahead, you know, they're in a down year and they're eight and five.

10:00Like, where do you think the Lions go from here? Do you think they could make the playoffs or will make the playoffs? I consider them a playoff team. I think they're strong enough to be a playoff team. They've weathered a lot of injuries, but they have delivered in a lot of these key moments. Now, the Packers loss on Thanksgiving was a disappointing result. And the Eagles game was the most concerning. one but there have been other instances in which they've looked more like the team that we knew them to be like when they blew out the commanders you know in week 10 for example so i think that they're they're in a position to do it they do have a bit of a tough road remaining they get the rams in la next week and that's going to be tough the steelers i don't know who they are i think the lions beat that beat them they they dominate the vikings even though it's in minnesota because we know the vikings aren't good and then and then it all comes down to potentially that game in chicago week 18 like that could be the deciding factor but i feel and i know it's only one game it's against the Cowboys defense that has gotten better in recent weeks, but it's still the Cowboys defense.

10:51I can't tell you how many times this season I've watched a receiver running a crossing route, just run right by Marquis bell. It happened multiple times tonight again. And like you said, Sharon Ravel looked a little lost on the touchdown pass to Isaac to slot on the touchdown run by Jameer Gibbs that we played to open the show where he, you know, that meme of the toddler where like they, he runs around the corner and gets scared and he's like kind of wobbling and runs away. That's what Ravel looked like at a few spots tonight. So yes, This defense that they faced is not the strongest. And so you take it with a bit of a grain of salt, but it's the metal.

11:24It's the intestinal fortitude of this team that has been tested, has been there before. I think they're going to see it through. So this win was so key for a few reasons. The Cowboys' schedule is very favorable down the stretch. And at six losses, they probably have to win out. They're 6-6-1. I've thought all along that they are the ultimate 8-8-1 team, and it'll be fun to see how they get there. And they might be headed there. But the schedule sets up in a way where you could see them winning out or certainly winning three of those four. So if they had got the head-to-head, and I know they're not going to end up tying, but if they had won while the Lions lost, it would have just been brutal because that would have been another team for the Lions to pass.

12:05But now that they put some distance between them and the Cowboys, even if they lose to the Rams next week, you have a really tough Bears schedule and you know that game is sitting there in week 18. So you could afford to probably lose to the Rams as long as you don't lose again. If you can get to week 18, that could be the Sunday night. How about a loser goes home game between them and the Bears? And I know I'm projecting some Bears losses, but there will be losses. The Bears also, by the way, have a 49ers game. And so those are two teams that the Lions are trying to chase. One of them will end up losing that week.

12:40We're looking a little too far ahead. I still want to talk about this game from the Cowboys side. They were down 27 to nine when CeeDee Lamb left with a concussion and CeeDee Lamb was having a big night over a hundred yards. Obviously that's really concerning for them in general. Shook with their offense, like, what did you see like on either side of the ball that, that maybe gives you a little concern that, that we got over our skis after those back-to-back wins against the Eagles and the Chiefs. Well, I mean, obviously, once CD left, it exposed how, I guess, rigid they are and where they can go in the passing game.

13:18Because we know who Dak is. He played another great game tonight. I know he had two picks on his ledger, and the first pick that he threw was ugly. But he made some throws under pressure that were just phenomenal. He's putting balls into tight windows again. He was the reason, again, that they were in this game. I am concerned about their offensive line, which allowed way too many pressures. Missing your starting left tackle was just a very visible weakness right from the beginning. And then you get beat on both edges on multiple occasions. The pocket integrity was just not there tonight. That worries me as they go forward.

13:49Javante Williams has had a nice year, a better year than I think most of us expected. But he is basically their only option in the backfield, unless you go to Malik Davis, who just popped off a touchdown run last week. But otherwise, he's very unproven. I just think that they are limited without CD and Pickens on the field at the same time. Not to mention the fact that we have this weird thing going on with their passing game where one week it's a Pickens week and one week it's a CD week. And like this week's a CD week and Pickens ends with five catches for 37 yards and essentially disappears.

14:16I know fantasy owners are very upset about it. There are multiple periods in this game where I'm watching on Prime Vision and they're identifying players and it's Ryan Flournoy and it's Kevante Turpin and it's Jonathan Mingo out there. And I'm like, oh, so we're just rotating all the receivers right now. I mean, Flannoy, you know, is good. I think Flannoy could be a player. He ends up with nine for 115 tonight. I think he moves pretty well. He got a touchdown on a broken coverage late. That was the play that made it 30 to 27. And that was a play where I think Brian Branch actually made a mistake.

14:48Brian Branch, who got hurt and hopefully he can, you know, it wasn't as bad as it looked when he got carted off, has really been struggling since that suspension. but I think Flournoy and Turpin are okay as like supplementary receivers. Obviously they need to get CD land back on the field, but they have a lot to like, of course, on, on that side of the ball. We know that their secondary is not good. I feel a lot better about their front seven, but the return of DeMarvian overshone the addition of Quinn and Williams, I thought they'd be better against the run than they were tonight, especially in the key spots in the fourth quarter.

15:18I thought you had a really accurate tweet in which you said, Brian Schottenheimer, you know, settling for a field goal and his defense can't buy a stop. And I'm thinking this is the moment. in which the Cowboys run defense should shine. And it just didn't at all. Okay. Let's talk about that. Yeah. I know Brandon Aubrey's great. And we're going to listen to him hitting yet another 60 yarder in just a second. He's the reason they were in this game, by the way, him and Dak. That was it. Yes. And he had a couple long, you know, long ones. He was great. He's not so great that three is better than seven.

15:50And with apologies to Patrick Claibon, who's always saying, you know, the three points counts. They still count on the scoreboard. With the situations that Brian Schottenheimer chose to go for the field goals two times in this game, we're just bad situational football. So the first one, end of the first half, it's fourth and four. They're down 17 to six. It's a long field goal. And you can be confident Aubrey's going to make it, but it's not a gimme. And he decides to kick the field goal instead of going for it on fourth and four. The Cowboys are moving the ball well. And the reason why that was a bad decision was because with over 50 seconds left and the way that his defense was playing, I just thought, and a lot of people first guessed it, if they kick this field goal, if they make it, the Cowboys are going to give up a field goal right back.

16:41And that's exactly what happened. In fact, the Lions had a play to score a touchdown right back. 50 seconds is an eternity. And Jared Goff missed Isaac Tassau pretty open on a play down the field. So that was a mistake. And he ends up giving up three extra points there. Whereas at the very least, you know what Mike Rabel would have done? You know what a lot of good coaches would have done? They would have gone up to the line of scrimmage and they would have pretended like they were going to run a play. And then they would have called a timeout with a couple seconds left. So you burn 25, 30 seconds.

17:10Instead, they sent the field goal kicker out right away. And so the opposition knows what's happening. They take the timeout. They save the 30 seconds. All sorts of mistakes. Then at the end of the game, it's a fourth and three. And again, they send Aubrey out there to cut the lead to seven. And I'm thinking there's no freaking way your defense is going to stop them right now. And your special teams has stunk right all night. You want to know why the Lions had less total yards than the Cowboys? Because Tom Kennedy was starting every drive at the 40 with his kick returns. Exactly. So that's what happened again.

17:44He basically brought it to midfield. Two plays later, they're in field goal range after the Amon Ra play. and like four plays later, three plays later, I think Gibbs has the game-winning touchdown. With all that said, let's at least give Brandon Aubrey some love. Let's listen because I've heard this call is fun. And a listener on Blue Sky let us know. They were like, you got to use this radio call. So let's check it out. I have not listened to it. Butter, 63, snap, kick on the way. The kick is good. It's buttery good. From 63 yards. Good. It's buttery. I feel like I'm listening to like a, I can't believe it's not butter commercial.

18:32Buttery good. I don't know what's with that voice. That was Brad Sham. He was having some fun on KRL. I love how kickers are going deep, you know, but it's not all about the K ball with Aubrey. He's been hitting these kicks before. Roger Sherman had a great note that Brandon Aubrey, who now has six 60-plus yard field goals, now has as many 60-plus yard field goals as the entire National Football League had until 2008. Wow. I thought we were going to pull a number from 1989 or something. No, it was not like since. I'm just saying in the history of the league, up until 2008, there was a total of six, you know, and Brandon Aubrey has already hit six.

19:21Yeah, because in that range, Jason Elam was like the only one who could really threaten. He was kicking in Denver. He had to be like at altitude to even threaten. Well, my missing toe buddy, Tom Dempsey from Tulane, hit that 63 yarder. That was sitting out there for a while. That was back in the 70s. He got a shoe band because of it. What else can we point out in this game? There were some terrible calls. It was terrible. I really avoid talking calls on this game, and it's not because I work for the NFL. I just find it boring. Because unless a particular call completely transforms, it happens every game, and you can find calls both ways.

20:04And it's like, yeah, there's terrible calls in every game. Like, I just don't know what else to say about tonight. It was a particularly poor crew and it went back and forth. I think the Lions got a bad whistle overall, but it almost was made up for at the end when they called an offensive pass interference against Jake Ferguson. That was a total mystery. So at least the Lions got a little bit of payback from a lot of bad calls the rest of the day. You're right, because I'm thinking now I'm like, this is kind of a boring topic to complain about refs. It's also just like very cliche, but it was actually a bad week for the refs across the league.

20:34the Sunday night game was really bad. Refs getting too involved, being too, you know, in the center of attention and, and not a hundred percent affecting the game, but kind of affecting the game. Maybe it evened out a little bit at the end with that terrible call on, on Ferguson. In what world is that offensive pass interference? And then that leads to the field goal, by the way, like just a terrible sequence for the Cowboys. But yeah, it's, it's rough, man. I don't know. Sometimes I feel like we over legislate the game and we're, we're looking too closely for minor infractions that become, you know, game changing or game influencing calls at the worst possible time.

21:08There was a touchdown earlier in the game that came back from penalty. By the way, the Cowboys didn't help themselves when it came to the flags tonight. They had seven penalties accepted for 76 yards. And for a good portion of this game, it felt as if every time they made some progress and made a big play, it was coming back because of penalty. A lot of them just being self-inflicted penalties, not bad calls. So it's not like the officials had anything to do with the fact that the Cowboys lost this game. It was just a bad night for the officials overall. And the Cowboys didn't help themselves.

21:34Yeah, Jake Ferguson had a couple of them. One of them, like we said, was a bad call at the end of the game, but he had a couple before that, including a hands-to-the-face penalty, which ended up offsetting a long George Pickens P.I., which really hurt the Cowboys. So there were frustrations, and I want to hear the Lions radio booth, which is maybe the best in the entire business. It's tough. It's tough to beat out J.B. Long and MJD, our friends here in Los Angeles. There's a few right at the top, But Dan Miller, he's been vying for the crown. He had the call of the year last year. Let's listen to them unhappy during this game.

22:11Aminron motion right. There's the snap. Might be a free play. Goff back looking left side throws. It is incomplete. Looking for Jamo. Jamo wants a flag down the left side. There's no flag for jumping offside. There's no flag for Jamo who is interfered with. What the heck is going on here with these officials tonight? Hold on. That was clearly offsides, right, guys? Yes. There were two guys offsides that time. Yeah, there were three guys offsides. What are these officials doing? Fellas, this is a big game. You're working tonight. You're working tonight. That's embarrassing. Oh, that's awesome. We are working tonight.

22:49We are working tonight. You know what? They replayed that, though. That might have been early, actually, that no one was ready, but the ball moved. I don't know if there were offsides, but it should have been a penalty. I have a gripe. I got a gripe. Well, okay. I think so to a degree, but I also think that we have, first off, pass interference needs to be changed from a spot foul to just a 15 yard penalty like it is in college football. Okay. Because there's way too many times in football games in which passes are just chucked downfield under thrown, hoping for a PI call. And it happens way too often, but what it has done.

23:18And I hear this on broadcast now, and it very much upsets me because it's not, it doesn't connect to the true essence of football. Every time a ball is thrown up in a one-on-one situation and it's not caught and it's contested, there's a pause. And then broadcasters will go, no flag or they'll wait for a flag to be thrown. This game should not be brought down to that. I just have to get that ran off right now. They were offside though. And they had a very good reason to complain that it should have been a free play. Don't get me started on the call on Thursday nights. Kirk Herbstreet and Al are making Thursday night football much less enjoyable for me.

23:57Just, I need more. I need more of everything. I need more excitement. I need more analysis. I need just, I just need more. I don't think they're recovering. Yeah, it's less content that's on your prep card and more reaction to what's going on in the game in front of you. Like that fourth down decision to kick the field goal there. Like that, Brian Schottenheimer should, at minimum, you analyze it in the moment as opposed to after the field goal, the kickoff and the ensuing possession. When someone tells you on the break. let's end before we take a break and we're going to get to your QB index nice little QB segment to wrap up with something more positive Jameer Gibbs with that last touchdown now has as many touchdowns as any player in the history of the NFL before turning 24 years old tying the great Barry Sanders this is becoming a legendary start to a career for Jameer Gibbs and by the way he doesn't turn 24 until this offseason.