Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys Match Player Stats (Oct 13, 2024)

Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats tell the story of October 13, 2024, when AT&T Stadium witnessed its own team get embarrassed in biblical proportions. Seven months later, this 47-9 beatdown still stands as the moment Detroit announced themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

The Scoreboard Told Only Half the Story

Walking into AT&T Stadium that Sunday afternoon, the atmosphere felt electric. Cowboys fans packed the $1.2 billion venue expecting another home victory. By halftime, with Detroit leading 27-6, you could hear the boos cascading down from the upper decks. The 93,644 fans who showed up watched their team suffer a fourth consecutive home embarrassment.

Game Day Conditions Set the Stage

Perfect football weather greeted both teams that October afternoon. Clear skies, 72 degrees, minimal wind. No excuses for either side. The retractable roof stayed closed, creating that notorious AT&T Stadium lighting that Cowboys receivers have complained about for years. Maybe that explains why CeeDee Lamb couldn’t find his rhythm all day.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

Jared Goff’s Masterclass: Breaking Down the 153.7 Rating

Goff’s performance deserves its own documentary. Completing 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns without a single turnover, he carved up a Cowboys defence missing its best players. His 72% completion rate came against a unit that couldn’t generate consistent pressure without Micah Parsons.

The Chess Match: Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson vs Mike Zimmer

Ben Johnson’s play-calling that day was pure artistry. Watch the tape and you’ll see how he attacked the Cowboys’ Cover 2 shell with deep shots down the seams. Without Parsons rushing from the edge, Johnson knew Goff would have time. He dialled up max protection schemes and let his receivers work against single coverage.

Offensive Production by Position Group

The Turning Point: Brian Branch’s End Zone Heist

Picture this: Cowboys driving, first quarter, already down 7-3. Prescott sees Lamb breaking free in the end zone. The throw leaves his hand. Branch, reading Prescott’s eyes the entire way, jumps the route like he’s been watching film all week (which he had). Interception. Cowboys’ best scoring chance early? Gone.

“I saw their formation and knew exactly what route was coming,” Branch said post-game. “Film study pays off.”

David Montgomery: The Sledgehammer

Montgomery’s 6.7 yards per carry wasn’t luck. Watch how he attacked the A-gaps where Eric Kendricks usually patrols. With Kendricks out injured, backup Damone Clark couldn’t fill those gaps fast enough. Montgomery’s 16-yard touchdown run in the first quarter? Pure power football, breaking three tackles before crossing the goal line.

Running Back Performance Comparison

The Trick Play That Broke Dallas’s Spirit

Second quarter, Lions leading 10-3. Dan Campbell calls for the flea-flicker. Montgomery takes the pitch, hands to St. Brown on the reverse, who laterals back to Goff. Sam LaPorta, supposedly blocking, slips out unnoticed. Goff launches it 52 yards. Touchdown. AT&T Stadium goes silent except for the growing contingent of Lions fans chanting.

Defensive Dominance: How Detroit Created Five Turnovers

Mike Zimmer’s defence looked lost without its stars. The Lions identified every weakness and exploited it mercilessly. Without Parsons generating pressure, Goff had all day. Without Kendricks calling out adjustments, Montgomery found huge holes. Without their starting corner, Branch and the secondary feasted.

Turnover Timeline

1. Q1 8:42 – Branch INT in end zone (Prescott targeting Lamb)
2. Q3 11:23 – Branch forces fumble, Arnold recovers
3. Q3 5:17 – Flournoy fumble after catch
4. Q4 9:33 – Branch’s second INT (Prescott forcing to Tolbert)
5. Q4 3:21 – Turpin fumble on reception

Looking Back Seven Months Later: The Butterfly Effect

This game proved prophetic. The Lions finished 15-2, capturing their first ever number one seed in the NFC. They swept the division for the first time in franchise history. That offensive explosion against Dallas? It became their calling card all season.

The Cowboys? They never recovered. Finished 9-8, missed the playoffs entirely. Mike McCarthy got fired three weeks after the season ended. Jerry Jones is still searching for answers at home, where the Cowboys went 2-6 in 2024.

Hutchinson’s Injury: The Hidden Cost

Aidan Hutchinson’s broken leg in the third quarter cast a shadow over this victory. The Lions’ pass rush struggled without him down the stretch. Some argue his absence cost them in the playoff loss to Washington. “We were a different defence without Hutch,” Campbell admitted in his end-of-season press conference.

Season-Long Impact Stats

The Prescott-McCarthy Disconnect

Watching Prescott that day was painful. His chemistry with CeeDee Lamb? Non-existent. Seven targets to Lamb in the first half resulted in two catches for 23 yards. The Cowboys’ offensive line, already struggling, couldn’t handle Alim McNeill’s interior pressure. Prescott took four sacks and never found a rhythm.

“Our execution wasn’t there,” Prescott said afterwards. “We’ve got to look in the mirror.”

Jake Bates: The Unsung Hero

While everyone talks about Goff’s passing or Montgomery’s rushing, Jake Bates quietly went 5-for-5 on field goals. His 48-yarder before halftime pushed the lead to 27-6 and essentially ended any Cowboys comeback hopes. Perfect special teams complemented dominant offense and opportunistic defence.

Special Teams Excellence

The Stats That Matter Most

Forget basic box scores. The advanced metrics reveal the true domination. Detroit averaged 7.5 yards per play. Dallas managed 3.9. That’s not a gap; that’s a chasm. The Lions’ 34:43 time of possession meant Dallas’s offence spent most of the day watching from the sideline.

Success Rate Tells the Real Story

Down-by-Down Efficiency

Success rate measures whether a play gains 40% of needed yards on first down, 60% on second, or converts on third/fourth. Detroit dominated every down, keeping themselves in manageable situations while Dallas faced third-and-long repeatedly.

Historical Context: Cowboys’ Home Nightmare

This loss marked Dallas’s worst home defeat since 1988. Think about that. Three and a half decades since Cowboys fans witnessed such embarrassment at home. The 167 points allowed during their four-game home losing streak? Third-most in NFL history.

For comparison, check out our breakdown of Denver Broncos vs Chargers match player stats to see how other teams handled similar home struggles.

The Aftermath: Careers Changed Forever

Ben Johnson’s play-calling in this game helped secure his head coaching job with the Bears. Aaron Glenn’s defence forcing five turnovers? The Jets hired him as their head coach three months later. Meanwhile, McCarthy’s “basics are not in order” comment became his epitaph in Dallas.

Dan Campbell threw shade at the officials before the game even started, having Dan Skipper report as eligible on the first play. Remember the controversial ending in their previous meeting? Campbell didn’t forget. Neither did his players.

Why This Game Still Matters in May 2025

Seven months later, we can trace direct lines from this game to where both franchises stand today. Detroit’s offensive explosion became their identity. They scored 40+ points six times in 2024. Dallas’s home field advantage? It vanished completely. They haven’t won at AT&T Stadium since.

The Lions proved something that October afternoon. They weren’t just good; they were championship-calibre. Even their divisional round playoff loss to Washington can’t erase what they built. Starting with this demolition of Dallas, they established themselves as the NFC’s most dangerous team.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats from this game will be studied for years as an example of complete team domination on enemy territory.