The one-week stretch from Thanksgiving Thursday to the following Thursday is one of the most grueling stretches on the NFL calendar. In a short stretch of three games in 12 days, teams can experience fatigue, injuries, and poor performance if they're not careful. But on the flip side, if the team is firing on all cylinders and playing some of their best football of the year, it can be a good thing to keep playing while the team is hot. That's exactly the case for the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) who have resurrected their season with three-straight wins but need to continue their momentum if they hope to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions (7-5) must endure the same stretch, but have limped into the final leg after losing two of their last three. There are playoff hopes on the line as the two NFC foes meet on Thursday Night Football.
Here are 10 notable 'big facts' to remember ahead of Thursday's 7:15pm CT kickoff on Prime.
Comeback Cowboys - Each of the Cowboys six wins this season have been in come-from-behind fashion, including over the last three weeks. Dallas trailed by three against the Raiders, by 21 against the Eagles, and by seven to the Chiefs, marking their first three-game winning streak during three-straight comebacks since Weeks 12-14 of 2022.
Third-Down Dak - Dak Prescott is a combined 75-for-117 on third down pass attempts this season, a 65 percent completion rate, with 53 of those finishing with a conversion (45.2 percent). Prescott leads the NFL in each category, with the next closest conversion rate being Bo Nix with 50 conversions on 127 attempts (39.4 percent)
We Believe in Javonte - Javonte Williams is just 45 yards away from eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season. He'd become just the fourth Cowboys running back to achieve the feat in their first season with the franchise. Including Tony Dorsett (1977), Darren McFadden (2015), and Ezekiel Elliott (2016).
Pressure in the Pocket - Last week, Jared Goff was pressured on 46.7 percent of his dropbacks, the second-highest rate he's faced this season. Both games where he's been pressured over on 45 percent of dropbacks have now resulted in a lost, as he went 7-11 for 122 yards and no touchdowns against pressure. Dallas on the other hand, tallied pressure on 35 percent of Patrick Mahomes dropbacks in Week 13 with 13 total pressures. They've also tallied their second and third-highest pressure rates in a single game over the last two weeks, against the Eagles and Chiefs.
To Press or Not to Press? - George Pickens has been targeted 39 times when facing press coverage on the outside this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. His 3.2 yards per route in those matchups is the second-highest mark in the NFL, behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 3.9. The Lions have pressed opposing receivers on 37.3 percent of routes this season, the second highest mark in the league.
Don't Forget About Pass Pro - Javonte Williams leads the NFL with 104 pass block snaps, according to PFF. His 97.9 percent is third among NFL running backs with at least 50 snaps. Trailing just Travis Etienne Jr. (99.1) and Rhamondre Stevenson, who have registered their numbers on 54 snaps and 61 snaps respectively.
Thursday Night Lights - The Dallas Cowboys have enjoyed some significant success since the NFL moved to a Thursday Night Football broadcast format in 2006, going 9-2 in their 11 all-time contests. Additionally, the Cowboys are 3-0 on Thursdays since the league moved to Prime Video, including four-straight wins on Thursday Night Football specifically.
Amon-Ra on the Brink of History - Star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown enters Thursday night with 505 career receptions, the second most in a player's first five seasons in NFL history. He needs just six receptions to pass Michael Thomas, who tallied 510 receptions from 2016 through 2020. Brown saw his streak of 74-straight games with a reception end last week after exiting in the first quarter due to injury.
Sonic and Knuckles - The running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have scored a touchdown in the same game 14 times since joining forces in Detroit. That number ties Cowboys legends Emmitt Smith and Daryl Johnston for the most by a duo in the Super Bowl era. The Lions are 14-0 in those games, with the last occurrence in Week 3 against the Ravens.
Officially Kicking Royalty? - Brandon Aubrey needs to convert on two more field goals to reach 100 makes in his career. This would qualify him for NFL career numbers and percentage points all-time. His current field goal percentage is 89.9 percent and would rank second in NFL history behind only Cameron Dicker (93.6 percent). If he connects on two this week, he'd tie Harrison Butker for the fastest player to reach 100 career field goals, doing so in just 47 games.
