How Lions Have Fared Against Cowboys All-Time

Lions looking to knock off another opponent that has had their number.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff makes a pass against Dallas Cowboys. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions had lost six straight games to the Seattle Seahawks before knocking them off on Monday Night Football in Week 4.

After a bye week allowed them some time to rest, they will now take the field against another opponent that has had their number in recent years. The Dallas Cowboys, Detroit's Week 6 opponent, have won six straight in this matchup dating back to 2015.

Most recently, the two teams played nearly to a stalemate last year. The Lions took a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, before Dallas came storming back with 10 unanswered. After a Brandon Aubrey field goal, the Lions drove the length of the field in the final minute to pull within one with a chance to tie on the extra point.

However, the Lions elected to play for the win. After initially appearing to get the two-point conversion, it was negated by a penalty due to confusion about which lineman reported as eligible. Ultimately, Dallas would escape the late-season matchup with a 20-19 victory.

Detroit will be making a trip to AT&T Stadium for the third straight season. Dallas won 24-6 in 2022. Sunday's game will mark the 32nd time these two organizations have squared off, with Dallas holding a 19-12 advantage.

Detroit's last victory

The last time the Lions defeated the Cowboys was a 31-30 triumph in 2013. Matthew Stafford was Detroit's quarterback, and in this meeting with the Cowboys he had one of the most famous game-winning drives of his 12 years with the team.

He drove the team the length of the field with a minute left in the game, culminating in his fake spike touchdown from one-yard out. Calvin Johnson had a massive performance that day, catching 14 passes for 329 yards and a touchdown.

Stafford outdueled Tony Romo, throwing for 488 yards compared to Romo's 206. Detroit was able to amass 623 total yards of offense, as running back Reggie Bush ran for 92 yards on the ground to supplement the passing attack.

October 27, 2013: Matthew Stafford leads the Lions on an 80-yd drive beginning w/ 1:00 in the 4th culminating in a fake spike one-yard sneak for a TD to beat the Cowboys 31-30.

Calvin Johnson finished the game with 329 yards on 14 receptions and a TD. pic.twitter.com/S4TKh34lkr

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) October 27, 2023

Biggest win

Detroit's biggest regular season win over the Cowboys came in October of 1991, when the Lions won 34-10 as a precursor of what was to come later that year. The two teams played to a 10-10 stalemate, but it was all Detroit after the halftime break.

Quarterback Erik Kramer gave the Lions the lead on a 26-yard pass to Willie Green, with Eddie Murray adding a field goal moments later. Kramer would connect with Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders on a touchdown pass early in the fourth and Ray Crockett sealed the win with a 96-yard interception return for a score.

The Cowboys actually did a good job of keeping Sanders in check, as he ran for 55 yards on 21 carries. Kramer threw for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 9-of-16 passing, and the Lions' defense intercepted Troy Aikman twice.

Worst loss

The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys squared off to begin the season in 1968, and the Cowboys set the tone that they would be one of the league's toughest matchups. After an early touchdown pass from Greg Landry to Mel Farr to give the Lions a first quarter lead, Dallas roared back with 38 unanswered points.

Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith threw two touchdown passes, Walt Garrison ran for two and Chuck Howley had a 35-yard interception return for a score. The game between the two teams was played at the Cotton Bowl and finished 59-13 in favor of Dallas.

Landry threw for two touchdowns on the afternoon, with one to Farr and the other to Earl McCullouch. However, he also tossed four interceptions and was sacked five times. McCullouch led the team with 132 receiving yards on five catches, while Farr paced the team with 21 rushing yards.

Meredith passed for 228 yards before the Cowboys turned it over to backup Craig Morton, who finished 7-of-15 for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Playoff history

The Cowboys and Lions have met three times in the playoffs, with Detroit claiming its biggest win over Dallas in their history. Before last year's run to the NFC Championship game, Detroit's most recent playoff win had been its 38-6 shellacking of Dallas in the 1991 season's playoffs.

Meeting on Jan. 5, 1992 at the Pontiac Silverdome, the Lions led 7-3 after the first quarter. However, they were able to tack on further separation thanks to a Melvin Jenkins pick-six and a Murray field goal to take a 17-6 lead into the break.

Like the regular season meeting, the second half belonged to the Lions. Kramer threw third quarter touchdowns to Herman Moore and Willie Green to extend the lead, and Sanders put the game away with a 47-yard touchdown run.

Kramer was the star of this showdown, throwing for 341 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Sanders, meanwhile, ran for 69 yards.

The first meeting between these two teams in the postseason occurred in 1970, with the Cowboys claiming a 5-0 win in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Most recently, Detroit and Dallas met in the Wild Card Round of the 2014 season that is one of the most infamous Lions losses in recent memory.

After two first quarter touchdowns, the Lions sprinted to an early 14-0 lead. That advantage grew to 20-7 early in the third quarter. Dallas would climb back to within three, setting the stage for one of the Lions' toughest breaks.

Facing a third-and-1, Cowboys' linebacker Anthony Hitchens appeared to interfere with Lions' tight end Brandon Pettigrew. After the flag was initially thrown, officials elected to pick up the flag.

Punter Sam Martin's ensuing fourth down boot went just 10 yards, leading to the Cowboys taking the lead in the fourth quarter. Tony Romo threw the go-ahead touchdown to Terrance Williams, and Stafford fumbled on the Lions' final possession.