Cowboys 3 Needs To Beat Lions on 'Jimmy Johnson Night': Top 10 Takes FISH PODCAST
FRISCO - The Detroit Lions are coming to town to take on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in a much-anticipated NFC powerhouse showdown at Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.
And on paper? There are a lot of reasons Dallas is a 5.5-point favorite over this quality opponent. ... so maybe all the Cowboys need here is "good health'' and "intense focus'' ... and maybe a little Jimmy Johnson-led inspiration.
It looks like they'll have the first issue handled in the form of left tackle Tyron Smith, who when healthy grades out as one of the best in the business. He's battled through a back issue recently but is playing on playing in Week 17.
And the second issue? Defensive team leader Micah Parsons has been chastised and scolded and warned about the dangerous of getting caught up in the "white noise,'' all due to Micah's hyperactive social-media presence.
The short version: All-time great Cowboys leader Michael Irvin has publicly suggested - forcefully! - that Parsons "focus on winning.''
Luckily for the 10-5 Cowboys, they do that very well in their home building. ... which takes us to the third issue.
Dallas is a both a top-five offense and a top-five defense, ranking No. 2 in points scored (30.1 per game) and No. 5 in points allowed (19.1 per). The Cowboys have created an overall imbalance on the scoreboard as Dallas is the only team in the NFL that is averaging over 30 points a game while limiting opponents to fewer than 20 points per game.
Dak Prescott is a key to the offense, of course, as the MVP candidate currently owns the third-best QBR an has thrown for 3,892 yards, 30 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.
Parsons is a key to the defense. He's a Defensive Player of the Year candidate as he's totaled a team-high 13 sacks, along with a stunning total of 15 tackles for loss and 30 total QB hits.
Is there vulnerability on both sides of the ball, too? The Cowboys' "Texas Coast Offense'' would love to clean up its red-zone work and its penalties. The "Dallas Doomsday'' defense has been vulnerable against the run in recent outings, and on the season ranks as mediocre in that department.
This area of weakness for the Cowboys was significantly exploited two weeks ago against the Buffalo Bills. In the aforementioned Week 15 contest, Dallas allowed a season-high 266 total rushing yards to the Bills.
And then of course there is the foundational fact that under coach Mike McCarthy, Dallas is a perfect 7-0 at home at AT&T Stadium, with a winning streak that is actually 15 games long. And in this one? Legendary coach Jimmy Johnson will at halftime be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.
If today's Cowboys need inspiration? The building will be full of 1990's Cowboys, the three-time Super Bowl champs present to share in Jimmy's glory. ... and surely McCarthy has his guys taking notice.
So, what do we have in our Top 10 Takes as we get you ready for Saturday night?
The Fish Report and the Fish Podcast walk you through the events of the day, from Dak stuff to Micah stuff to Lions info. Jump on in, Cowboys Nation!
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