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Detroit Lions game balls vs. Cowboys: Brian Branch an emerging star in secondary
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- Detroit Lions game balls vs. Cowboys: Brian Branch an emerging star in secondary
ARLINGTON, Texas — Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett highlights the best and worst performances of the Detroit Lions ' 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Lions vs. Cowboys game balls
S Brian Branch
Branch was back in the lineup Sunday after a one-game absence following a concussion, and he made his presence felt immediately. He intercepted a Dak Prescott pass in the end zone on Dallas' second offensive possession, picked off another pass in the second half with an assist from his pass rush and forced a fumble with a punchout on Ryan Flournoy .
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) intercepts the ball in the endzone on a pass meant for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.
Branch said after the game that he and Kerby Joseph are the NFL's best safety tandem , and compared himself and Joseph to Hall of Famers Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed. "We got one that can play the hell out of the post and you got one that can play in the box," he said. That is a stretch of a comparison, of course, but it's no exaggeration to say Branch is the Lions' most important defensive player now that Aidan Hutchinson is out with a broken lower leg .
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"He is the ultimate football player," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "He gets it. He sees it. The safety position in our defense is perfect for him, because it allows him to roam and he's got some freedom. It's structured, but he's got some freedom to be able to move a little bit and play ball. And man, you just see the sky's the limit with him and Kerby back there."
REQUIRED READING: 7 players Lions could target at trade deadline to replace Aidan Hutchinson
DT Alim McNeill
After a quiet start to the season, McNeill had a breakout game Sunday with four tackles, three quarterback hits and two sacks.
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McNeill joked it was "about time" he got in the sack column; he had just half a sack in the Lions' first four games. But more impressive than the numbers he produced was the way he did it, living in the Cowboys backfield despite a good offensive line.
The Lions' once-deep defensive line has been decimated by injury. Hutchinson broke his tibia Sunday and is out indefinitely. Marcus Davenport already was lost to a season-ending injury. Kyle Peko suffered what looked like a serious pectoral injury against the Cowboys. And John Cominsky has been out since training camp with a torn MCL. The Lions need more games like Sunday from McNeill for their defense to thrive.
SHAWN WINDSOR: Lions look like Super Bowl favorite vs. Cowboys, but Aidan Hutchinson loss is incalculable
OC Ben Johnson
The Lions were nearly unstoppable on offense Sunday, literally.
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They scored on nine straight possessions to open the game (not including one kneel-down snap at the end of the first half) and embarrassed the Cowboys with their power running game and an array of trick plays. They ran a reverse flea flicker that went for a touchdown. They threw a pass to left tackle Taylor Decker that fell incomplete and ran a hook-and-lateral for right tackle Penei Sewell that was nearly a touchdown.
Johnson was the hottest coaching candidate in the NFL last offseason and he'll be a sought-after candidate again this winter. On Sunday, he gave one team that might be looking for a new coach next year a glimpse of what life could be like with him on the sideline.
Lions vs. Cowboys goats
OLB James Houston
Houston was the odd man out of the Lions' pass rush again Sunday and might be hard-pressed to crack the lineup going forward even with Hutchinson hurt.
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The Lions promoted Isaac Ukwu off the practice squad for Sunday's game and used Ukwu and Trevor Nowaske extensively at defensive end after Hutchinson's injury. Houston has more offsides penalties (two) than tackles (zero) in the two games he's played and has clearly fallen out of favor with Campbell and his staff.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones turned 82 on Sunday and had to be seething at what he was seeing on the field.
Jones told Dallas reporters that Sunday's game was "very concerning" and "very humbling," though he declined to speculate about McCarthy's future. McCarthy's job doesn't appear to be in any immediate jeopardy, but the Cowboys also don't look anything like Super Bowl contenders, which would almost certainly spell the end to his tenure after the season.
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Dave Birkett will sign copies of his new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline" at 7 p.m. Oct. 21, at 24 Seconds Bar & Grill in Berkley, and from 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 22 at Stadium Cards & Comics in Ypsilanti. Order your copy here .
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions vs Cowboys winners and losers: Brian Branch an emerging star
