'Perfect?' Lions Coach: Now's Ideal Time to Play Cowboys; Here's Why
ARLINGTON - The Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions obviously have different definitions of the word "perfect.''
Here at AT&T Stadium, where the two teams are set to battle on a Saturday night NFL special, "perfect'' is about what the 10-5 playoff-bound Cowboys might achieve in the luxurious confines of their home building.
The Cowboys are 7-0 here this year - so a win makes them "perfect.''
So what's so perfect about the Lions, fighting to earn the NFC's top seed, opposing a Cowboys team still in contention to win the NFC East race?
Campbell and McCarthy
“It’s perfect,'' Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "You couldn’t write a better script. It gives you a real good idea of where you’re at, because this is one of the top teams in the NFC. It just is.''
Ah. What Campbell is talking about is the "measuring stick'' thing.
Campbell, the native Texans and former Cowboys tight end whose colorfully assertive style has led a long-dormant Lions franchise toward true Super Bowl contention, clearly understands that his roster, collectively, could benefit from some "playoff-atmosphere'' football against a fellow contender.
And this game figures to be all of that.
"We’re out at their place, where they play their best football,'' Campbell said of the Cowboys, who have two straight losses, both on the road against contending Buffalo and Miami. "Their back is against the wall, so you’re gonna get their very best shot. Coach (Mike) McCarthy’s done a heck of a job with that team.
"I think it’s perfect, I really do. ... We know we’ve got a big task here in front of us. ... We’ll find out exactly what it is, and then we’ll move on from there.”
