Detroit beat Dallas 44 to 30 at Ford Field on Thursday night, December 4, 2025. Jahmyr Gibbs scored three rushing touchdowns and totaled 120 scrimmage yards. Dak Prescott threw for 376 yards but took five sacks and two interceptions. Detroit forced three turnovers.
The win moved Detroit to 8 and 5 with 54% playoff probability. Dallas fell to 6, 6, and 1 with just 7% postseason chances, per ESPN’s projections.
Table of Contents
Quick Stats
| Position | Dallas | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Dak Prescott: 376 yards, 31/47, 1 TD, 2 INT | Jared Goff: 309 yards, 25/34, 1 TD, 0 INT |
| RB | Javonte Williams: 67 yards, 1 TD | Jahmyr Gibbs: 43 rush yards, 3 TDs, 77 rec yards |
| WR | CeeDee Lamb: 121 yards before concussion | Jameson Williams: 96 yards, 7 catches |
| Defense | DaRon Bland: 7 tackles | Jack Campbell: 12 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF |
| Special Teams | Brandon Aubrey: 5/5 FG, 63 long | Tom Kennedy: 120 KR yards, 40.0 avg |
Key Factors
Al-Quadin Muhammad destroyed Dallas’ offensive line in his breakout performance. Detroit’s front seven pressured Prescott 29 times while Dallas managed just 12 pressures on Jared Goff.
Tom Kennedy’s kickoff returns altered field position all night. Three runbacks of 42, 38, and 40 yards set Detroit’s average starting position at their own 41 yard line. Five Lions scoring drives began with less than 60 yards to travel.
Red zone execution separated them. Detroit scored touchdowns on four of five trips inside the 20. Dallas kicked field goals on five separate possessions when they needed seven points.
Quarterback Battle
| Stat | Dak Prescott | Jared Goff |
|---|---|---|
| Comp/Att | 31/47 (66.0%) | 25/34 (74.3%) |
| Yards | 376 | 309 |
| TD/INT | 1/2 | 1/0 |
| Sacks | 5 for 50 yards | 1 for 10 yards |
| Rating | 79.7 | 111.0 |
| Pressures Faced | 29 | 12 |
Prescott never had time. Detroit brought constant heat, forcing quick throws and bad decisions. Both interceptions hit receiver hands first. George Pickens couldn’t secure a deflection that Derrick Barnes hauled in, and D.J. Reed picked off another late.
The 376 yards looked impressive considering the context. Fourth quarter heaves while trailing by multiple scores inflated the total.
Goff picked apart Dallas with clean pockets and smart reads. His 111.0 passer rating came from efficient play, not hero ball. The touchdown to Isaac TeSlaa early in the third quarter made it 27 to 9 and Dallas never recovered.
Goff’s touchdown pass streak reached 19 straight games, matching Matthew Stafford’s 2011 franchise record.
Ground Attack
Dallas Rushing
| Player | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javonte Williams | 17 | 67 | 3.9 | 1 | 11 |
| Dak Prescott | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 | 12 |
Williams hit 1,022 yards on the season, joining Tony Dorsett, Darren McFadden, and Ezekiel Elliott as the only Cowboys backs to rush for 1,000 in their first year with Dallas. Four games remain.
Detroit Rushing
| Player | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Montgomery | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 1 | 35 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 12 | 43 | 3.6 | 3 | 19 |
Gibbs didn’t need big runs. Three touchdowns from one, one, and 10 yards out tied Barry Sanders for most career touchdowns through three seasons at 47. The 23 year old reached the milestone in his 37th game.
Montgomery ripped off a 35 yard touchdown in the second quarter where Dallas defenders bounced off him. He hit the hole and went untouched for a 17 to 6 lead.
Pass Catchers
Dallas Receivers
| Player | Targets | Catches | Yards | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | 8 | 6 | 121 | 0 | 37 |
| Ryan Flournoy | 13 | 9 | 115 | 1 | 42 |
| Jake Ferguson | 7 | 5 | 58 | 0 | 19 |
| George Pickens | 9 | 5 | 37 | 0 | 11 |
Lamb totaled 121 yards on six receptions before exiting in the third quarter with a concussion. He hit the turf hard on an incomplete end zone pass and left at 12:47 of the third while Dallas trailed 27 to 9. He moved past Tony Hill into second place in franchise history with 26 career 100 yard games, trailing only Michael Irvin’s 47.
Flournoy set career highs in catches and yards. A 42 yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter, plus a two point catch, cut Detroit’s lead to 37 to 27. Pickens couldn’t produce after Lamb’s exit. He managed just 4.1 yards per target after entering with a career best 10.9 average. Two fumbles and an offensive pass interference penalty erased any positive impact.
Detroit Receivers
| Player | Targets | Catches | Yards | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jameson Williams | 9 | 7 | 96 | 0 | 29 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 9 | 6 | 92 | 0 | 37 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 7 | 7 | 77 | 0 | 26 |
| Isaac TeSlaa | 3 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 12 |
St. Brown played through a high ankle sprain that kept him sidelined at practice all week. Six catches lifted his career total to 511 receptions through five seasons, breaking Michael Thomas’ previous record of 510. Dan Campbell praised him after the game: “Where he goes, we go. His toughness, his will power, his desire to compete is second to none.”
A 37 yard reception late in the fourth quarter set up Gibbs’ clinching touchdown with 2:19 remaining.
Williams beat Dallas coverage repeatedly on vertical routes, catching seven of nine targets. Goff built trust in him as a primary option throughout the season.
Detroit Defense Steps Up
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Campbell | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Al-Quadin Muhammad | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| D.J. Reed | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Avonte Maddox | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Muhammad drew NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after dominating all night. Three sacks, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss. He dismantled protection schemes and kept Prescott under constant pressure.
Campbell joined Chris Spielman as the only Lions with 110 tackles and five sacks in a season. A forced fumble on Jake Ferguson in the second quarter, recovered by Brian Branch, provided Detroit possession at midfield. Montgomery scored on a 35 yard run three plays later.
Barnes’ interception shifted momentum. On the first snap of the second half, Amik Robertson deflected Prescott’s pass to Pickens and Barnes hauled it in at Dallas’ 37. Two plays later, Goff found TeSlaa for the touchdown that made it 27 to 9.
Reed intercepted Prescott’s final throw with 1:18 remaining to end Dallas’ last possession.
Maddox replaced Thomas Harper after a first quarter concussion and filled in again when Brian Branch left late with an ankle injury. Maddox finished with eight tackles without allowing big plays.
Dallas Defense Struggles
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DaRon Bland | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| James Houston | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Dallas managed one sack and zero takeaways while allowing 44 points. The Cowboys held opponents to 23.5 per game during their three game win streak. Detroit receivers averaged 6.48 yards after catch, with St. Brown and Gibbs each topping nine per reception.
Special Teams Flip the Field
Brandon Aubrey Makes History
| Kicker | FG | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Aubrey | 5/5 | 63 | 1/1 | 16 |
| Jake Bates | 3/4 | 47 | 5/5 | 14 |
Aubrey connected on three field goals of 55 yards or more in one game, an NFL first. He hit from 57, 55, and 63 yards, with the 63 yarder matching his career high. Aubrey now owns six career field goals from 60 plus yards, extending his NFL record.
Five field goals kept Dallas close, but three points instead of seven hurt them. The Cowboys converted just one of three red zone trips into touchdowns while Detroit went four for five.
Tom Kennedy Returns
| Player | Kick Returns | Yards | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Kennedy | 3 | 120 | 40.0 |
| Jacob Saylors | 5 | 141 | 28.2 |
| KaVontae Turpin | 7 | 176 | 25.1 |
Kennedy and Jeremy Ross (2013) are the only Lions players with 120 plus kickoff return yards and 20 plus punt return yards in the same game, according to Pro Football Reference.
Drives that started at their own 41 yard line provided Detroit field position advantages. The Cowboys surrendered 261 total return yards and five Lions scoring drives that covered less than 60 yards.
Scoring Summary
| Quarter | Time | Team | Score | DAL | DET |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10:46 | DET | Bates 38 FG | 0 | 3 |
| 1st | 8:07 | DAL | Aubrey 57 FG | 3 | 3 |
| 1st | 2:14 | DET | Gibbs 1 run (Bates) | 3 | 10 |
| 2nd | 9:23 | DAL | Aubrey 42 FG | 6 | 10 |
| 2nd | 4:27 | DET | Montgomery 35 run (Bates) | 6 | 17 |
| 2nd | 0:50 | DAL | Aubrey 55 FG | 9 | 17 |
| 2nd | 0:00 | DET | Bates 47 FG | 9 | 20 |
| 3rd | 14:14 | DET | TeSlaa 12 pass (Bates) | 9 | 27 |
| 3rd | 10:41 | DAL | Williams 1 run (Aubrey) | 16 | 27 |
| 3rd | 2:49 | DAL | Aubrey 63 FG | 19 | 27 |
| 4th | 11:50 | DET | Bates 46 FG | 19 | 30 |
| 4th | 9:52 | DAL | Flournoy 42 pass (2pt) | 27 | 30 |
| 4th | 7:17 | DET | Gibbs 10 run (Bates) | 27 | 37 |
| 4th | 3:42 | DAL | Aubrey 29 FG | 30 | 37 |
| 4th | 2:19 | DET | Gibbs 13 run (Bates) | 30 | 44 |
Team Comparison
| Stat | Dallas | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 417 | 408 |
| First Downs | 25 | 20 |
| Third Down | 6/15 (40%) | 3/8 (38%) |
| Red Zone | 1/3 (33%) | 4/5 (80%) |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 28:37 | 31:23 |
Dallas gained nine more yards but scored 14 fewer points. Three Cowboys turnovers directly resulted in 14 Lions points. Ferguson’s fumble and two Prescott interceptions swung field position repeatedly, even though both picks hit receiver hands first.
Red zone efficiency separated these teams. Detroit scored touchdowns on four of five chances inside the 20. Dallas settled for field goals when they needed touchdowns.
Playoff Picture Shifts
Thursday’s result shifted postseason probability dramatically. Detroit jumped from 18% to 54% while Dallas dropped from 35% to 7%. The Lions avoided consecutive losses for the first time since October 2022 and improved to 8 and 5.
Dallas saw their three game winning streak end after beating Philadelphia and Kansas City. The Cowboys fell to 6, 6, and 1 with four games remaining.
Detroit visits Los Angeles on December 14 for a critical NFC showdown with the Rams. Home games against Pittsburgh and road trips to Minnesota and Chicago follow.
For more on Detroit’s playoff push, their upcoming Week 15 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams will impact NFC seeding with both teams fighting for playoff positioning.
Records Fall on Thursday Night
Gibbs tied Barry Sanders with 47 career touchdowns through three seasons in his 37th game. St. Brown broke Michael Thomas’ five year reception record with 511 career catches. Aubrey’s three field goals from 55 plus yards set an NFL record, and his six career 60 plus yard field goals extended his NFL record.
Detroit sits in eighth place at 8 and 5 in the NFC playoff race. Muhammad’s emergence and Campbell’s consistent play brought the pass rush Detroit needed. Kennedy’s returns created advantageous starting positions throughout the night.
Dallas at 6, 6, and 1 faces a difficult path with four games left. The Cowboys settled for five field goals instead of touchdowns, lost the turnover battle three to zero, and allowed Kennedy’s kickoff returns to average 40 yards. The 44 to 30 final reflects how Detroit converted four of five red zone trips into touchdowns while Dallas went one for three.
