January, 1, 2015
By Todd Archer and Mike Rothstein | ESPNDallas.com
When: 4:30 p.m., Sunday. Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas. TV: Fox.
The Dallas Cowboys are in the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and have won one playoff game since 1997. The Detroit Lions are back in the postseason for the first time since 2011 and haven’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season.
The Lions last playoff victory? It came against the Cowboys in the divisional round 38-6 at the Silverdome.
Those Cowboys rode a five-game regular-season win streak into the playoffs. These Cowboys ride a four-game regular-season win streak into the playoffs. Those Lions rode a five-game win streak into the playoffs. These Lions won four of their last five, but lost an NFC North title game in Week 17 to the Green Bay Packers, which forced them to take to the road for the wild card round.
NFL Nation reporters Mike Rothstein, who covers the Lions, and Todd Archer, who covers the Cowboys, get you up to speed on just the third playoff meeting between these two teams.
Archer: How much more motivation do you think Suh will have for this game, knowing how close he came to being suspended?
Rothstein: Publicly? He won’t say much, more than likely. He has never showed his emotions to any of that. But Suh went to New York to be at the hearing in person. That, along with being viewed as a first-time offender, had to help his case. But the thing I’ve learned about Suh throughout my two years covering him is he is all about business at every turn -- in his personal life, in his professional life, in the contract negotiations he won’t talk about. That’s a long answer for saying I don’t think the almost-suspension will motivate him as much as the playoffs and wanting to win.
DeMarco Murray has gotten a lot of the attention this year -- and rightfully so with the season he’s having -- but how much of Dallas’ offensive success this year has really been with the offensive line? And how much has drafting Zack Martin over Johnny Manziel been a boon for the franchise?
Archer: The line deserves a great deal of credit. For years, Jason Garrett has talked about wanting to be balanced and run the ball, but he never could really back up those words because the Cowboys didn’t fully trust their line. In three of the past four years the Cowboys have drafted Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Martin in the first round. All three were named to the Pro Bowl this year. It’s amazing what you can do when you draft well. There is no question the Cowboys did the right thing in drafting Martin, despite Jerry Jones altering just how close the Cowboys were to selecting Manziel as the draft passed. Jones deserves credit for listening to his football people and not going off his idea. He would’ve sold a ton of jerseys and T-shirts but the Cowboys wouldn’t have finished 12-4. I just realized by saying all this I might be minimizing what Murray did this year. I didn’t mean to. He has been outstanding and has helped the line look better than the blocking really showed at different times.
With all the attention Suh receives, positively and negatively, it seems to take away from just how good the defense is as a whole. Entering the season, I would’ve thought the Lions would make the playoffs because of their offense, but the defense has excelled. Can you explain to Cowboys fans just how much more this defense is than Suh?
Rothstein: I’m right there with you. I thought this team would win a bunch of 45-42, Big 12/NFC South style shootouts this season but that hasn’t happened. Suh is the guy this defense revolves around. His ability to consistently take on and break through double teams makes him one of the most valuable players in the entire league. If he doesn’t take up that space, Ezekiel Ansah, George Johnson and other defensive linemen don’t have the single blocks they’ve had to make plays. He also clears space for linebacker DeAndre Levy to have rush lanes. Suh’s presence has accentuated the talent of Levy, allowing him to shed blockers easier. But Levy and the secondary -- highlighted by safeties Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo -- have all been really good to elite this season. Quin has had the best season of his career and is turning into a dominant safety as he leads the NFL in interceptions. If Detroit is going to win, it’s going to need another consistent performance from Suh, but the safety play of Quin and Ihedigbo -- two ball-hawks who play well off each other and are good in run support -- is going to be equally critical.
There are a lot of Lions players who will understand Scott Linehan’s system when these teams play Sunday because he was the Detroit offensive coordinator under Jim Schwartz. Has his offense changed much or do the Lions potentially have an advantage here -- right down to how Linehan uses a star receiver (Dez Bryant versus Calvin Johnson)?
Archer: It’s not really his system. The Cowboys are running the scheme that Jason Garrett brought here in 2007 and have added some of Linehan’s wrinkles. Linehan has been terrific and he also has helped by the fact that he has Tony Romo, Murray, Bryant, Jason Witten and that offensive line we talked about. He and Romo have hit it off. Murray had a record-breaking season. Bryant has been one of the best receivers. Witten has been his typical self even if his numbers are down. Linehan has brought it all together. But what makes this offense different is how well Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams and even Gavin Escobar have come up with big plays at big moments. The history Linehan had with Garrett has helped both sides. Garrett has a guy he trusts. Linehan has a guy he knows will let him coach. But the system really hasn’t really changed.
Speaking of Linehan, I look at the skill players and wonder why the Lions are 19th in total offense. The Cowboys have seen the benefit of Linehan here. How much has his absence affected the Lions this year and why are the numbers down?
Rothstein: It’s funny because I looked at this Tuesday and didn’t realize how much of a difference Linehan made. The biggest areas are in the run and screen game. Now some of that is due to a Detroit offensive line that has had only one player -- left guard Rob Sims -- start all 16 regular-season games this year. The lack of continuity has definitely hurt. But Linehan’s play calls definitely helped the Lions offense and fit the personnel well. Linehan was a master at having well-drawn screens for the Lions to take advantage of and turn into big plays. Detroit has also taken less big chances this season with Calvin Johnson. The Lions have instead focused on Matthew Stafford having a higher completion percentage and with less interceptions. He has done that, but his yards and touchdowns have taken hits. Linehan was a really strong and unpredictable play-caller. That has been missed with the Lions offense this season on Sundays, even if Stafford has made better decisions throughout.
The last time these teams played, Dallas tried to single-cover Calvin Johnson. That failed. What’s the strategy going to be this time?
Archer: How in the world could you think allowing 329 receiving yards to a guy is a bad thing? The Cowboys had the Lions right where they wanted that day. I kid. Johnson was incredible that day, but the Cowboys’ plan was awful and that game -- in addition to a few others -- cost Monte Kiffin his job. He did nothing to really help Brandon Carr against Johnson. They played off and soft. Rod Marinelli comes from Kiffin’s coaching tree, but he has allowed the corners to be more physical this year. It has not always been pretty, especially for Carr, but he has been improved lately. I think the Cowboys will be much more physical with Johnson at the line of scrimmage and won’t give him as many free releases. The Cowboys have had Orlando Scandrick cover the other team’s top receiver at times this year, but I don’t think they’ll go that route this week. I think they will hope Carr plays better and that the pass rush affects Matthew Stafford more. I’m going to go out on a limb: Johnson will not have 329 yards on Sunday.
By Todd Archer and Mike Rothstein | ESPNDallas.com
When: 4:30 p.m., Sunday. Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas. TV: Fox.
The Dallas Cowboys are in the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and have won one playoff game since 1997. The Detroit Lions are back in the postseason for the first time since 2011 and haven’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season.
The Lions last playoff victory? It came against the Cowboys in the divisional round 38-6 at the Silverdome.
Those Cowboys rode a five-game regular-season win streak into the playoffs. These Cowboys ride a four-game regular-season win streak into the playoffs. Those Lions rode a five-game win streak into the playoffs. These Lions won four of their last five, but lost an NFC North title game in Week 17 to the Green Bay Packers, which forced them to take to the road for the wild card round.
NFL Nation reporters Mike Rothstein, who covers the Lions, and Todd Archer, who covers the Cowboys, get you up to speed on just the third playoff meeting between these two teams.
Lions at Cowboys: Stats of the Week
130.5 - Yards per game Calvin Johnson has averaged in his career against the Cowboys, buoyed by the 329-yard performance against Dallas last season.
33 - The Cowboys are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most playoff victories. They are 5-5 in wild-card playoff games in their history with their 2009 win against the Philadelphia Eagles snapping a four-game losing streak, dating back to the 1998 season.
130.5 - Yards per game Calvin Johnson has averaged in his career against the Cowboys, buoyed by the 329-yard performance against Dallas last season.
33 - The Cowboys are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most playoff victories. They are 5-5 in wild-card playoff games in their history with their 2009 win against the Philadelphia Eagles snapping a four-game losing streak, dating back to the 1998 season.
Archer: How much more motivation do you think Suh will have for this game, knowing how close he came to being suspended?
Rothstein: Publicly? He won’t say much, more than likely. He has never showed his emotions to any of that. But Suh went to New York to be at the hearing in person. That, along with being viewed as a first-time offender, had to help his case. But the thing I’ve learned about Suh throughout my two years covering him is he is all about business at every turn -- in his personal life, in his professional life, in the contract negotiations he won’t talk about. That’s a long answer for saying I don’t think the almost-suspension will motivate him as much as the playoffs and wanting to win.
DeMarco Murray has gotten a lot of the attention this year -- and rightfully so with the season he’s having -- but how much of Dallas’ offensive success this year has really been with the offensive line? And how much has drafting Zack Martin over Johnny Manziel been a boon for the franchise?
Archer: The line deserves a great deal of credit. For years, Jason Garrett has talked about wanting to be balanced and run the ball, but he never could really back up those words because the Cowboys didn’t fully trust their line. In three of the past four years the Cowboys have drafted Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Martin in the first round. All three were named to the Pro Bowl this year. It’s amazing what you can do when you draft well. There is no question the Cowboys did the right thing in drafting Martin, despite Jerry Jones altering just how close the Cowboys were to selecting Manziel as the draft passed. Jones deserves credit for listening to his football people and not going off his idea. He would’ve sold a ton of jerseys and T-shirts but the Cowboys wouldn’t have finished 12-4. I just realized by saying all this I might be minimizing what Murray did this year. I didn’t mean to. He has been outstanding and has helped the line look better than the blocking really showed at different times.
With all the attention Suh receives, positively and negatively, it seems to take away from just how good the defense is as a whole. Entering the season, I would’ve thought the Lions would make the playoffs because of their offense, but the defense has excelled. Can you explain to Cowboys fans just how much more this defense is than Suh?
Rothstein: I’m right there with you. I thought this team would win a bunch of 45-42, Big 12/NFC South style shootouts this season but that hasn’t happened. Suh is the guy this defense revolves around. His ability to consistently take on and break through double teams makes him one of the most valuable players in the entire league. If he doesn’t take up that space, Ezekiel Ansah, George Johnson and other defensive linemen don’t have the single blocks they’ve had to make plays. He also clears space for linebacker DeAndre Levy to have rush lanes. Suh’s presence has accentuated the talent of Levy, allowing him to shed blockers easier. But Levy and the secondary -- highlighted by safeties Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo -- have all been really good to elite this season. Quin has had the best season of his career and is turning into a dominant safety as he leads the NFL in interceptions. If Detroit is going to win, it’s going to need another consistent performance from Suh, but the safety play of Quin and Ihedigbo -- two ball-hawks who play well off each other and are good in run support -- is going to be equally critical.
There are a lot of Lions players who will understand Scott Linehan’s system when these teams play Sunday because he was the Detroit offensive coordinator under Jim Schwartz. Has his offense changed much or do the Lions potentially have an advantage here -- right down to how Linehan uses a star receiver (Dez Bryant versus Calvin Johnson)?
Archer: It’s not really his system. The Cowboys are running the scheme that Jason Garrett brought here in 2007 and have added some of Linehan’s wrinkles. Linehan has been terrific and he also has helped by the fact that he has Tony Romo, Murray, Bryant, Jason Witten and that offensive line we talked about. He and Romo have hit it off. Murray had a record-breaking season. Bryant has been one of the best receivers. Witten has been his typical self even if his numbers are down. Linehan has brought it all together. But what makes this offense different is how well Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams and even Gavin Escobar have come up with big plays at big moments. The history Linehan had with Garrett has helped both sides. Garrett has a guy he trusts. Linehan has a guy he knows will let him coach. But the system really hasn’t really changed.
Speaking of Linehan, I look at the skill players and wonder why the Lions are 19th in total offense. The Cowboys have seen the benefit of Linehan here. How much has his absence affected the Lions this year and why are the numbers down?
Rothstein: It’s funny because I looked at this Tuesday and didn’t realize how much of a difference Linehan made. The biggest areas are in the run and screen game. Now some of that is due to a Detroit offensive line that has had only one player -- left guard Rob Sims -- start all 16 regular-season games this year. The lack of continuity has definitely hurt. But Linehan’s play calls definitely helped the Lions offense and fit the personnel well. Linehan was a master at having well-drawn screens for the Lions to take advantage of and turn into big plays. Detroit has also taken less big chances this season with Calvin Johnson. The Lions have instead focused on Matthew Stafford having a higher completion percentage and with less interceptions. He has done that, but his yards and touchdowns have taken hits. Linehan was a really strong and unpredictable play-caller. That has been missed with the Lions offense this season on Sundays, even if Stafford has made better decisions throughout.
The last time these teams played, Dallas tried to single-cover Calvin Johnson. That failed. What’s the strategy going to be this time?
Archer: How in the world could you think allowing 329 receiving yards to a guy is a bad thing? The Cowboys had the Lions right where they wanted that day. I kid. Johnson was incredible that day, but the Cowboys’ plan was awful and that game -- in addition to a few others -- cost Monte Kiffin his job. He did nothing to really help Brandon Carr against Johnson. They played off and soft. Rod Marinelli comes from Kiffin’s coaching tree, but he has allowed the corners to be more physical this year. It has not always been pretty, especially for Carr, but he has been improved lately. I think the Cowboys will be much more physical with Johnson at the line of scrimmage and won’t give him as many free releases. The Cowboys have had Orlando Scandrick cover the other team’s top receiver at times this year, but I don’t think they’ll go that route this week. I think they will hope Carr plays better and that the pass rush affects Matthew Stafford more. I’m going to go out on a limb: Johnson will not have 329 yards on Sunday.
