Hidden Handful

!Marion Barber's 24-yard run led to a Cowboys touchdown.

1. • Peterman's Illegal Block - With the Cowboys leading 7-3 late in the first half, it appeared the Lions were heading for a go-ahead score when Nate Burleson went 30 yards on a quick pass to the Cowboys' 10. But Lions guard Stephen Peterman, a Cowboys' third-round draft pick in 2004, was flagged for an illegal block, pushing the ball back to midfield, eventually forcing a punt. * Harris' Short Punt - Punting the ball from the opponent's 37 isn't easy to keep out of the end zone but Detroit's Nick Harris not only managed to do so, but had the ball downed at the Cowboys' 4. That forced the Cowboys to run a play and Felix Jones was stripped of the ball and fumbled, the Lions then capitalizing with a go-ahead touchdown before half. * Scandrick's Deflection - A blitzing Orlando Scandrick batted down Shaun Hill's pass attempt on a third-and-8 from the Lions' 44. It forced a Lions punt, which resulted in Bryan McCann's alert play to scoop up the ball after it was already touched by a Lions' player. McCann then used his speed and a convoy on the left side to race 97 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. It's the second time in two weeks that McCann has changed the game with a length-of-the-field score. * Lee's Forced Fumble - The rookie linebacker Sean Lee had his most productive day of his career and came up with a huge play in the third quarter after the Cowboys had grabbed a 14-12 lead. Lee stripped the ball out of Jerome Felton's hands, causing a fumble in which Jason Hatcher recovered. The Cowboys quickly turned that turnover into a touchdown, giving the Cowboys a nine-point lead. * Barber's Third-Down Pickup - With the Cowboys trying to hang onto the lead, Marion Barber turned what appeared to be a safe run into a game-changing play. The Cowboys led 21-19 and were trying to get into better field-goal range for David Buehler, facing third-and-15 at the Lions' 29. But Barber ripped off a 24-yard run, his longest of the season, to get down to the Lions' 5. A horse-collar penalty two plays later also gave the Cowboys another first down, helping them add to the lead with a touchdown pass from Kitna to Miles Austin. Those are just a handful of key plays that made a difference. But in a one-sided game like this, there aren't many hidden plays.