Cowboys vs. Lions: ‘Detroit is the worst defense in the league’

With Dak Prescott back for the Dallas Cowboys, there is a sense of optimism for the 4-2 team. They will host the 1-4 Detroit Lions on Sunday, and Dallas is favored by 7 points according to DraftKings Sportsbook. So just what will transpire when the two teams meet? We tried to get a sense of what is happening with the Lions by speaking to SB Nation site Pride of Detroit.

Blogging the Boys: How is Jared Goff performing for the Lions? Does he have a long-term future there or is he a bridge to something else?

Pride of Detroit: Two weeks ago Goff was off to the best start a Lions quarterback has had since Stafford’s big 2011 season. Then the Lions played the Patriots and we saw a lot of the old Goff come through in that game. I think either way the answer is that Goff will probably remain with the Lions for the remainder of his contract and then the Lions will move on from him. At the same time, if he’s able to keep playing like this, the Lions could really use that as an excuse to primarily focus on their defense with their picks and money.

BTB: Dan Campbell hasn’t seen a lot of success yet. Do you think he is doing a good job and how long is his leash?

POD: The leash is pretty long. The Lions are trying to rebuild the team for the long haul instead of the short term. That means that there’s going to be plenty of early bumps in the road. While the Lions are 1-4, there’s a lot of things that this team has improved upon from last year. They’re the youngest and most inexperienced team in the league though and that often shows. If the team remains in this form next year or the year after, then there’s problems.

BTB: The offense in Detroit is scoring points. Who should Cowboys fans know about on the offense outside of Goff?

POD: The Lions will be getting back two of their best offensive players in this game. Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift control a lot of what the Lions do well on offense. Along with them, the Lions offensive line is one of the better units in the league. They’re able to help the Lions run game and keep Goff clean. Still, this is going to be their biggest challenge of the year so far.

BTB: Gives us a run down of the strengths and weaknesses of the defense.

I’m not sure there really are any strengths at this point outside of seeing some young players develop. It’s the worst defense in the league and they’re having trouble staying healthy on top of that. They did play well against the Patriots despite the way the score looks, but they’re still not far removed from not forcing a single punt against the Seahawks. The Lions aren’t getting pressure and they’re not good in coverage either. It’s a convergence of all the worst things.

BTB: The spread for the game is 7-points (DraftKings Sportsbook). Do you think Detroit will win? If not, will they cover the spread?

I don’t think they cover and I don’t think they win. I think this is a really bad matchup for the Lions. The Cowboys defense is capable of getting to the QB and the Lions defense is going to have trouble stopping this Cowboys offense. I think the Cowboys win 42-28.