Dec

11

Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys NFL Week 14 - Recap

Posted by Kevin Mack

December 11, 2007 |

  • NFL Week 14 Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys - Recap

Photos Source: Detroit News

In a game that the Detroit Lions will look back and feel that this is one they gave away, the Dallas Cowboys escaped Detroit with a 28-27 win. QB Tony Romo threw a 16 yard TD pass to TE Jason Witten with 18 seconds remaining to put the Cowboys ahead. Of course nobody gave the Lions any chance to win this game and in fact Your ‘Lion Eyes’ blogger predicted an easy win and cover for the Cowboys. That Detroit should have won the game only makes all the Lion fans feel so much worse. It seemed to me that the Lions played with much more intensity and effort then last week against Minnesota. Coach Rod Marinelli had this to say after the game:

“That’s why you sign up — to play hard,” Marinelli said. “You’re supposed to do that. We had two or three opportunities. We have no excuses.

“We’ve got to win that game. It’s about winning. I’m not going to throw bouquets out for a good, hard effort.”

Source: Detroit News Mike O’Hara

 

I also heard during Coach Marinelli’s press conference that nobody was throwing a pity party for the Lions. As always with close NFL games winning and losing comes down to opportunities to make plays. Here are the opportunities missed that doomed the Lions to the loss:

  • 1st and Goal at the 1 yard line with a 7-0 lead and settle for Field Goal in 2nd Quarter.
  • Giving up long kick off return that gives Dallas a short field for an easy TD drive.
  • 1st and 10 at Dallas 20 after Dallas cut lead to 10-7 and again settle for Field Goal in the 2nd Quarter.
  • Scoring late in the 1st half to up the lead to 20-7, ‘pooch’ kickoff and not being able to stop the Cowboys from scoring a TD. Dallas drove 65 yards in 1:12.
  • After taking a 27-14 lead into the 4th Quarter not being able to stop Dallas on 4th and Goal from the 1 yard line.
  • Having 1st and 10 at the Dallas 13 and again settling for a Field Goal attempt in the 4th Quarter.
  • Missed 35 Yard Field Goal attempt that would extend the Lion lead to 9 points in the 4th Quarter. 
  • Not managing the clock well on possession before the Cowboys winning TD drive in the 4th Quarter. For example: Snapping the ball with 6 or 7 seconds left on play clock on at least 4 plays, just running out of bounds after catching a pass, throwing the ball away instead of running and taking a sack.
  • Not recovering a Fumble when Romo was sacked on 3rd and 6 on last TD.
  • Not stopping Dallas from converting on 4th and 6 on last TD drive.

Just a brutal loss for the Lions. Of course by now you know that if the Lions would have held on and won the game they would have been back in the last NFC Playoff spot by virtue of the tiebreaker over Minnesota. Doesn’t seem to matter much now with the Lions not only a game behind Minnesota but tied with New Orleans, Washington and Arizona who all own tiebreakers over Detroit.  

1st Quarter

Dallas starts the game with the ball on the 25 and QB Tony Romo takes the Cowboys down to the Lions 31. RB Julian Jones ran 4 times for 24 yards during the drive. Dallas attempts a 50 yard Field Goal by K Nick Folk that is missed. Detroit starts their 1st possession on their own 40. QB Jon Kitna directs the Lions on a 5 play 60 yard TD driveT.J. Duckett TD run against Dallasthat ends when RB T.J. Duckett takes a handoff and runs 32 yards for a score. During the drive RB Kevin Jones runs 3 times for 31 yards. Detroit leads 7-0. Dallas goes 3 and out including a sack of QB Tony Romo on 3rd down. After the Cowboy punt Detroit starts with the ball on the 38. After 3 Kitna completions for 34 yards and a 15 yard roughing the passer penalty on LB DeMarcus Ware the Lions have 1st and 10 at the Cowboy 13. Two runs by RB Kevin Jones and a pass to TE Sean McHugh and the Lions have 1st and goal at the 1 yard line. RB Kevin Jones is stuffed for no gain and 2 incompletions to TE Sean McHugh and the Lions K Jason Hanson kicks a 19 yard Field Goal. Detroit leads 10-0. Detroit’s drive is 13 plays and uses almost 6 minutes off the clock. Dallas Kick Returner Miles Austin returns the kick off 60 yards to the Lions 42 to put the Cowboys in great Field Position ending the 1st quarter with the score Detroit 10 and Dallas 0.

2nd Quarter

Dallas only takes 5 plays to navigate the 42 yards for a TD. On 3rd and 2 at the Detroit 20 RB Marion Barber runs 20 yards untouched into the endzone the the Lion lead is cut to 10-7. Detroit starts on their own 27 and two Kitna passes, to WR Shaun McDonald for 18 yards and TE Sean McHugh for 35 yards, give the Lions 1st and 10 at the Cowboy 20. Detroit only gains 2 yards on 3 attempts and K Jason Hanson kicks 36 yard Field Goal. Detroit leads 13-7. Dallas has another 3 and out and Detroit gets the ball back on their own 20 after the punt. QB Jon Kitna starts the drive with a completion to WR Calvin Johnson for 19 yards. RB Kevin Jones then runs 16 yards followed by a pass to WR Shaun McDonald for 9. Another pass for 18 yards to Johnson that is followed by a couple RB T.J. Duckett runs and the Lions have 1st and goal at the 1 yard line. On 3rd down RB Kevin Kevin Jones TD DallasJones powers into the endzone pushing the Dallas defenders back after initially being stopped behind the line. Detroit extends their lead to 20-7 with less than 2 minutes left in the 1st half. Dallas responds with a great 2 minute drill and QB Tony Romo leads the Cowboys on a 7 play 1:29 drive to a TD. Romo completes all 6 passes he attempted on the drive and finished the TD drive with a beatifully thrown swing pass to RB Marion Barber to make the score Detroit 20 and Dallas 14. Detroit goes 3 and out and punts ending the 1st Half with Detroit leading 20-10.

3rd Quarter

Detroit starts the 3rd Quarter with a 3 and out but Punter Nick Harris pins the Cowboys back on their own 3 yard line with a 52 yard punt. Dallas ends up with a 4th and 23 from the Dallas 9 yard line after 2 delay of game penalties on the same play and a sack of Romo on 3rd down by DE Dewayne White. Detroit starts at the Dallas 41 after a short Cowboy punt. QB Jon Kitna hits WR Calvin Johnson for 13 yards on 3rd and 9 and then T.J. Duckett runs twice for another 1st down at the Cowboy 16. A pass to WR Mike Furrey and one to WR Brandon Middleton setups up the Lions with 1st and goal at the 5. RB Kevin Jones runs twice and gets into the endzone and the Lions lead 27-14. Detroit used 10 plays and almost 6 minutes to complete the drive. Detroit kicks off using a ‘pooch’ kick trying to prevent a long return and Dallas gets the ball to start their drive at their own 44. QB Tony Romo 3 times for 30 yards and RB Marion Barber catches a couple other passes and Dallas moves to a 1st and goal at the Lions 7 as the 3rd Quarter ends.  

Detroit leads 27-14 at the end of the 3rd Quarter.

4th Quarter

Marion Barber untouched into endzoneOn 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 3 RB Marion Barber runs to the 1 yard line setting up 4th and goal. Barber gets the call on 4th down and runs untouched in the endzone and Detroit’s lead is cut to 27-20. Detroit responds with QB Jon Kitna starting a drive at the 36 and hitting WR Shaun McDonald for 13 yards. Next RB Kevin Jones runs for 18 yards and Detroit has 1st and 10 at the Cowboy 33. On 2nd down Kitna hits TE Sean McHugh who rumbles for 20 yards and Detroit is at the Cowboy 13 yard line. Kitna throws 3 Jason Hanson Misses FG against Dallaspasses and only completes 1 for 1 yard and after a 5 yard delay of game penalty the Lions have 4th and 14 from the 17. K Jason Hanson attempts a 35 yard Field Goal and misses. The score remains 27-20 Lions. Dallas uses just 4 plays to go from their own 25, after the kickoff, to a 1st and 10 at the Lions 30. Romo hit WR Patrick Crayton for 30 yards, RB Julian Jones for 8 and WR Sam Hurd for 7. Romo moves the Cowboys down to the Lions 5 yard line and after a False Start penalty has a 1st and goal from the 10. On 1st down Romo hits TE Jason Witten, a favorite target all day with an NFL tying record 15 receptions for a TE. Witten gets down to the 1 and is driving for the goal line when LB Greg Blue recovers fumble against DallasErnie Sims hits him and the ball pops loose and SS Greg Blue recovers for the Lions at the 1 yard line. Detroit starts this important possession with 5:47 left in the game from the 1 yard line. Kitna faced with 3rd and 10 from the 1 hits WR Shaun McDonald for 14 yards who runs out of bounds for the 1st down. Now on 3rd and 7 from the 17 Kitna again hits WR Shaun McDonald for 19 yards and another 1st down. After 2 running plays Kitna again has the Lions in 3rd and 9 and this time throws an incompletion and Detroit is forced to punt. Dallas gets the ball at their own 17 with 2:15 left and no timeouts remaining. QB Tony Romo has a 3rd and 4 at the Cowboy 23 when he hits TE Jason Witten for 13 yards and a 1st down. Romo next has 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 40 Paris Lenon misses Fumble against Dallaswhen he is sacked by DE Jared DeVries. Romo fumbles and LB Paris Lenon tries to catch the bouncing football but it bounces through his hands and he ends up kicking it right to Dallas Offensive Guard Kyle Kosier. Romo now has the Cowboys in 4th and 6 and he completes a 13 yard pass to RB Marion Barber. After a 5 yard penalty on the Lions Romo has 1st and 5 at the Lion 42 with :43 seconds remaining. Romo passes to TE Jason Witten for 6 yards and WR Sam Hurd for 16 yards. Romo has 1st and 10 at the 20 and throws to RB Marion Barber who gets out of bounds at the 16 yard line. Romo now Jason Witten TD to win gamethrows down the middle of the field and finds TE Jason Witten open and Witten catches the ball for a TD. When K Nick Folk makes the extra point the Cowboys lead for the 1st time in the game 28-27 with 18 seconds remaining. Detroit runs 3 plays including two long incompletions and a sack of QB Jon Kitna by LB Greg Ellis and the game is over.   

Final Score Dallas 28 - Detroit 27.

Complete NFL Game Statistical Summary can be seen here.
National Football League Game Summary Source: NFL

Stats for Detroit vs Dallas NFL Week 14

Passing Attempts Completions-Yds-Int TDs Rating/Sacks
Jon Kitna - Detroit 36 22 - 248 - 0 0 81.7 - 1
Tony Romo - Dallas 44 35 - 302 - 0 2 110.4 - 3
Receiving Catches Yards TDs Yards/Catch
Shaun McDonald - Det 8 96 12.0
Calvin Johnson - Det 5 51 10.2
Sean McHugh - Detroit 3 60 20.0
Mike Furrey - Detroit 2 15 7.5
Brandon Middleton - Det 2 12   6.0
Jason Witten - Dallas 15 138 1 9.2
Marion Barber - Dallas 10 61 1 6.1
Patrick Crayton - Dallas 3 46 15.3
Terrell Owens - Dallas 3 21 7.0
Sam Hurd - Dallas 2 23 11.5
Time of Possession 3rd Down Efficiency
Detroit 32:25 Detroit 7-14 50%
Dallas 27:35 Dallas 4-10 40%
Rushing Carries Yards TDs Avg Per Carry
Kevin Jones - Detroit 23 92 2 4.0
T.J. Duckett - Detroit 9 60 1 6.7
Marion Barber - Dallas 7 43 2 6.1
Julian Jones - Dallas 8 29 3.6

Detroit travels to San Diego for a Week 15 matchup with the AFC West Division leading San Diego Chargers. San Diego has All Pro RB LaDainian Tomlinsan and emerging star QB Phillip Rivers. Recovering from the brutal loss to the Cowboys will be difficult for the Lions but Coach Rod Marinelli says they just have to go perform and turn the page. 

Cast Your vote in this weeks Poll, Please.

Which Team will Win the Game on Sunday December 16, 2007?

  • San Diego Chargers (71%, 15 Votes)
  • Detroit Lions (29%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 21

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