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Next up for the Detroit Lions is a home game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8. Here's an early look at the Cowboys:
Dallas Cowboys (4-3)
Schedule so far
Week 1 - vs. Giants - won, 36-31
Week 2 - at Chiefs - lost, 17-16
Week 3 - vs. Rams - won, 31-7
Week 4 - at Chargers - lost, 30-21
Week 5 - vs. Broncos - lost, 51-48
Week 6 - vs. Redskins - won, 31-16
Week 7 - at Eagles - won, 17-3
Reason for optimism
The Cowboys are ranked 30th in the NFL is opposing passing yards allowed per game. On average, they are giving up 291.9 yards through the air each week. The Lions are currently fifth in the NFL in passing yards per game with an average of 294.7 each week, and Matthew Stafford just passed for 357 yards on a pretty good Cincinnati Bengals defense. He is poised to put up pretty big numbers again this week against the Cowboys.
Reason for pessimism
Like the Cowboys, the Lions have struggled in defending the pass. The Lions are 28th in opposing passing yards allowed per game, and Tony Romo has been quite good this season. He's completing 68.3 percent of his passes, and he already has 2,010 yards, 15 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. Considering Andy Dalton just threw for 372 yards against the Lions, Romo has to like his chances of putting up big numbers in Detroit this week.
Storyline to watch
For the third week in a row, the Lions are matched up with a team that has the same record as them. Also for the third week in a row, the Lions' opponent is in first place in its respective division. The Lions knocked the Cleveland Browns out of first in the AFC North, but they weren't able to beat the first-place Bengals. This week, the Lions have a chance to hand the NFC East's No. 1 team a loss, and they need a win to have a shot at climbing back into first place in the NFC North going into their bye week.
Additional info
For more on the Cowboys, check out Blogging The Boys.