'We Wanna Take Them Down!' Lions Star Reveals Value of a Cowboys AT&T Stadium Loss

'We Want to Take Them Down!' Aidan Hutchinson Reveals the Goal and the Value of a Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium Loss on Saturday to the Detroit Lions

ARLINGTON - "To be the man, you've got to beat the man.''

That seems to be the mindset of the Detroit Lions as they roll into AT&T Stadium for a nationally televised "Saturday Night Football'' meeting with a Dallas Cowboys team that hasn't lost a home game since September of 2022.

That doesn't make the Cowboys "the man'' in the NFL, though at 10-5 they are playoff-bound and seen by some as being elite. But at home, with 15 straight wins and a 7-0 record this year?

That's "manly'' enough ... and Lions standout defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson is putting into words what "gets me fired up'' about it.

“Obviously, everyone knows the stat with Dallas at home,'' Hutchinson said. "But, that gets, at least me, that gets me fired up ... You want to be the one to end their home streak ...

"You want to be the one who takes them down.''

Hutchinson, just 23, is a centerpiece of a Lions defense that is certainly capable of fulfilling that goal. The second overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has 6.5 sacks, an interception, a couple of forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries and seven passes defended. ... all a continuation of his rookie year, when he had 9.5 sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Interceptions and passes defended by a D-lineman? That's a playmaker.

The Lions are 11-4 and are chasing the Niners for a chance to secure home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. ... and none of this chase is meant to be disrespectful to Dallas, which comes in as a five-point favorite.

“They’ve got a lot of great players; Dak’s (Prescott) been playing great ball. We’ll be ready,” Hutchinson said, adding that while winning the NFC North is an accomplishment, “I have my sights set on a lot bigger things.''

Yes, the Lions are talking Super Bowl.

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“So, it was cool, we were all dancing around,'' said Hutchinson of the postgame locker room following having clinched. "But, after about 10 minutes, I was like, ‘Alright, time to like get ready for the playoffs and get ready for this.’ You want to go to the Super Bowl, it’s like, so many bigger things.”

And being the squad capable of "taking down'' a "perfect'' Dallas team in this building for the first time in almost two full seasons? To Detroit, yes, that would be a "big thing.''