Some instant observations, post Lions win:
-- Anthony Henry got one quarter of work. With the Broncos coming up Thursday, there's no point in overworking that tender groin.
-- Today was Drew Bledsoe's sloppiest day throwing the ball. He missed lots of open receivers. Some throws were hurried. Others were not.
-- Some players can play on one leg or on one arm. Rob Petitti went on a fuzzy head for the last 40 minutes after being kicked in the back of the helmet.
-- Detroit had some success running outside on both the Cowboys OLBs during the first half. In the second half they went mostly at Demarcus Ware. Ware stepped up his game and helped shut the Lions ground game down.
-- Greg Ellis made a big play, but the Cowboys pass rush is out to sea. If Mike Zimmer can't locate it by Thursday, the turkey dinner won't taste good for the Cowboys nation.
-- The ground game was strong early and late. But you know that failure to punch in a first and goal from the one will stick in Parcells' craw all week.
-- Dallas may have found its running backs blend for the remainder of the season. Julius Jones had 21 carries for the afternoon and Marion Barber had 15.
-- The coverage teams had a strong day, holding the dangerous Eddie Drummond in check.
-- Welcome back Billy Cundiff. His 56 yarder field goal was dead center. It's strange, but the injury may have been a blessing in disguise. I saw Cundiff in Oxnard this year and in San Antonio in 2003 and I do not recall him ever having this type of distance. He worked really hard during his rehab.
-- They're spoiling us. The tackling was sloppy at times. The pass rush, or the lack of it, was frustrating. Yet the defense held Detroit to 226 total yards and only one sustained drive all day.
-- It was surprising not to see Kevin Burnett today, considering Scott Fujita's early struggles.
-- Big glut: The Cowboys, Giants, Bucs, Panthers and Bears are all 7-3. I'm glad I don't do power rankings.