Dallas Cowboys host the Detroit Lions in a battle of 2-7 teams
The Detroit Lions head to Dallas on Sunday looking to snap a 25-game road win-less streak, but they may have a difficult time against a team that seems rejuvenated under a new head coach.
The Dallas Cowboys fired their head coach, Wade Phillips, on 8 November after losing to the Green Bay Packers 45-7. The team responded under interim head coach, Jason Garrett, with a 33-20 road victory against the New York Giants in their next game.
“You feel a different vibe around here,” said Cowboys’ defensive end Stephen Bowen. “We worked really hard last week and we showed what we get when we work hard. I felt it just from the beginning of the week it was going to be a different effort. Everybody
was all in behind coach Garrett, and you see how we played out there.”
Both the Cowboys and Lions have 2-7 records, and while a play-off position is just about out of the question for these teams, both feel they need to win this game.
“We're 2-7 and we can't hide from that,” said Dallas quarterback Jon Kitna, who is replacing an injured Tony Romo. “But we are a 2-7 team that just won one, so you are moving forward. You certainly have a better feel today. It's nice to come in and have
things talked about positively.”
Detroit is coming off a 14-12 loss against the Buffalo Bills, who had not won a game all season until the Lions came to town. The road losing streak is the longest in the franchise’s history, but the team is staying positive about it.
“There are a lot of people in this locker room that didn't contribute to where the streak is now, but once you put on that jersey you're embracing the past, present and future,” Lions’ wide receiver Nate Burleson said. “That's how I feel every time I step
on the field, especially on the road. I'm thinking about what I can do for this organization.”
Tony Romo isn’t the only first-string quarterback that will miss this game. Regular Lion’s starter, Matthew Stafford, won’t play for the second consecutive game as he recovers from a separated shoulder.
Instead it will be Shaun Hill getting the start. He went 29 for 50 against the Bills with 323 yards, one touchdown and one interception. That one touchdown came late in the game to bring the Lions within two points, but Hill was forced to throw the ball
away as the team tried to tie the game up with a two-point conversion.
Calvin Johnson caught that late Lions’ touchdown and had 128 receiving yards in the game. It’s the third time in the last four games the receiver has had over 100 yards in a game.
“It was really frustrating, especially coming here and feeling we were the better team,” Johnson said. “We weren't thinking about the streak. That should have ended it. But it didn't.”
The last time these two teams met in Dallas was 31 December 2006. Kitna threw four touchdown passes for the Lions in that game, leading Detroit to a 39-31 win.
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