2025 Season | Week 14 | Gameday Chatter Thread | Dallas Cowboys @ Detroit Lions | 12/4/25

[data]

Back to .500 after 13 games

.500 is a scorned woman that wont let us go

 

[Genghis Khan]

OT in the first

We scored 30 on an "off" night and gave up 44. And that defense wasn't an anomaly.

Defense defense defense defense

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Defense needs it, but OT need it more, even if Guyton’s a player

There is no excuse for tonight but that's so dramatic.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Schottenheimer's kid is to blame as much as it is easy to rage on Eberflus.

He has to dictate the charge and it is clear as day they approached this game from an almost arrogant fashion.

You're not wrong but raging on Eberflus will make me feel better.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I don't want to hear another word praising Thomas. Guyton has never ever been this bad.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

You're not wrong but raging on Eberflus will make me feel better.

I mean at some point you'd think Schotty would do something about the defense. Like dude you're not an OC. You're a head coach, act like one.

 

[Sheik]

Thomas was so bad that the refs let him hold most of the night to keep the viewers from switching the channel. Steele is pretty worthless too, so it’s fine.

 

[data]

I mean at some point you'd think Schotty would do something about the defense. Like dude you're not an OC. You're a head coach, act like one.

Borrow Kafka's eyebrows for a night and make the call

 

[Simpleton]

You guys are really mad at the defense?

We know what they are, an average at absolute best unit, it's a minor miracle they've played well three games in a row and this was a road game against one of the better offenses in the league (and who are mostly healthy at that).

The real problem here is that the offense and ST's shit the bed at different times.

The offense was always going to have to carry the load and they put up 9 points in the first half, had an avalanche of penalties and had two extremely sloppy turnovers that are repeats of what we've been seeing for weeks.

The ST's has been shit all year for the most part and this might've been their worst game.

Here's Detroit's starting field position by drive:

own 36
own 47 (kickoff return)
Dallas 42 (offense nearly gave up a safety and then punted)
own 37
own 47 (Ferguson fumble)
own 26
Dallas 14 (INT off Pickens drop)
own 32
own 32
own 41 (kickoff return)
own 49 (kickoff return)

That's half their drives basically starting at midfield or better due to TO's and the weekly terrible ST play. Their average starting field position was pretty much midfield.

Sure, blame the defense for not getting a stop when it was 30-27 or not forcing more FG's but no team built this way (i.e. top tier offense, middling defense) is winning a game on the road when the offense plays like that to start the game, combined with the kickoff unit allowing 3 returns past the 40.

 

[Simpleton]

Thomas was so bad that the refs let him hold most of the night to keep the viewers from switching the channel. Steele is pretty worthless too, so it’s fine.

Now we know why they keep playing Guyton even though he might be retarded.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Now we know why they keep playing Guyton even though he might be retarded.

Yeah I'm ready for Guyton to come back. Thomas just looked so out of shape at the end it was sad.

 

[Simpleton]

I don't want to hear another word praising Thomas. Guyton has never ever been this bad.

I don't think Guyton would've been significantly better given how the game went (i.e. down double digits in the first half with plenty of clear passing downs for an elite DE to tee off).

I think Guyton has a higher ceiling so that's why they keep investing time in him, but at the end of the day I don't think either are going to be especially good. I'm holding out hope Guyton can consistently be above average.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

You guys are really mad at the defense?

We know what they are, an average at absolute best unit, it's a minor miracle they've played well three games in a row and this was a road game against one of the better offenses in the league (and who are mostly healthy at that).

The real problem here is that the offense and ST's shit the bed at different times.

The offense was always going to have to carry the load and they put up 9 points in the first half, had an avalanche of penalties and had two extremely sloppy turnovers that are repeats of what we've been seeing for weeks.

The ST's has been shit all year for the most part and this might've been their worst game.

Here's Detroit's starting field position by drive:

own 36
own 47 (kickoff return)
Dallas 42 (offense nearly gave up a safety and then punted)
own 37
own 47 (Ferguson fumble)
own 26
Dallas 14 (INT off Pickens drop)
own 32
own 32
own 41 (kickoff return)
own 49 (kickoff return)

That's half their drives basically starting at midfield or better due to TO's and the weekly terrible ST play. Their average starting field position was pretty much midfield.

Sure, blame the defense for not getting a stop when it was 30-27 or not forcing more FG's but no team built this way (i.e. top tier offense, middling defense) is winning a game on the road when the offense plays like that to start the game, combined with the kickoff unit allowing 3 returns past the 40.

I mean the offense should have lit them up. But dumbass penalties fucked us repeatedly and stupid turnovers.

 

[kidd]

PI on Turd was atrocious but not the reason we lost. Oline sucked ass. Couldn’t protect Dak and couldn’t bust Williams loose for any meaningful runs. Pickens dogging it on some of his routes. Not taking care of the ball. Stupid penalties.

This team ate the cheese.

 

[kidd]

And the defense couldn’t get to Goff.

 

[Simpleton]

I mean the offense should have lit them up. But dumbass penalties fucked us repeatedly and stupid turnovers.

Pretty much, and I'm not saying the defense played well by any means, but my point is we know they're the weak link and the offense is the one that needs to be held to higher expectations given that they were both about equally bad until the 4th quarter.

If it wasn't the OL shitting the bed it was a stupid penalty or a lazy turnover (both of which have been problems for weeks now and I put on Schottenheimer primarily).

I think @Bipo made a good point when he said he thought we'd lose because Dak can't manipulate the offense as much on the road with the crowd noise, and I think Dak has covered up a lot in pass protection all year long.

 

[boozeman]

I mean the offense should have lit them up. But dumbass penalties fucked us repeatedly and stupid turnovers.

Too little when it counted.

But hey we will be the team that nobody wants to play going forward!

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The truth is, this was always going to be a tough game to win. Detroit is still pretty good, especially at their place. This team this year just hasn't been nearly as good on the road.

Schottenheimer is a rookie, too. I think he himself ate a bit of cheese this week. He needs to learn the old saw that you keep the team on an even keel -- you build them up when they're losing. When they're winning a little, you try to keep them down to earth. I think he got a little caught up in thinking this team was going on some big run when they actually were getting overconfident.

Oh, and fire Eberflus ASAP.

 

[Simpleton]

PI on Turd was atrocious but not the reason we lost. Oline sucked ass. Couldn’t protect Dak and couldn’t bust Williams loose for any meaningful runs. Pickens dogging it on some of his routes. Not taking care of the ball. Stupid penalties.

This team ate the cheese.

The offense has been sloppy and been prone to losing focus all year, it's most obvious in the losses (Denver, Arizona, tonight) but how about Pickens fumbling inside the 10 to potentially keep it a one score game last week?

Those things should not be happening now given how often they've happened over the last 5-6 weeks. There are plenty of things to like about Schottenheimer and what he's done, but there are some pretty obvious warts that have been lingering for far too long.

I don't think an elite HC like McVay would allow this shit to continue for weeks and weeks like it has.

 

[Genghis Khan]

You guys are really mad at the defense?

We know what they are, an average at absolute best unit, it's a minor miracle they've played well three games in a row and this was a road game against one of the better offenses in the league (and who are mostly healthy at that).

The real problem here is that the offense and ST's shit the bed at different times.

The offense was always going to have to carry the load and they put up 9 points in the first half, had an avalanche of penalties and had two extremely sloppy turnovers that are repeats of what we've been seeing for weeks.

The ST's has been shit all year for the most part and this might've been their worst game.

Here's Detroit's starting field position by drive:

own 36
own 47 (kickoff return)
Dallas 42 (offense nearly gave up a safety and then punted)
own 37
own 47 (Ferguson fumble)
own 26
Dallas 14 (INT off Pickens drop)
own 32
own 32
own 41 (kickoff return)
own 49 (kickoff return)

That's half their drives basically starting at midfield or better due to TO's and the weekly terrible ST play. Their average starting field position was pretty much midfield.

Sure, blame the defense for not getting a stop when it was 30-27 or not forcing more FG's but no team built this way (i.e. top tier offense, middling defense) is winning a game on the road when the offense plays like that to start the game, combined with the kickoff unit allowing 3 returns past the 40.

44.