NFL picks Week 16: Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions
Jacob GofmanDecember 26, 2016
Dak Prescott and Dallas just keep winning.
The Cowboys, who boast an explosive offense led by two rookies, have overachieved and currently sit atop their division and the entire NFC Conference with a 12-2 record. This week, "America’s team" welcomes the 9-5 Detroit Lions, who are desperate for a win as they eye a return to the playoffs following a disappointing 2015 season.
The Dallas offense continues to roll after another impressive performance against the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A week after his worst performance against the New York Giants, quarterback Dak Prescott dazzled against the Bucs, throwing for 279 yards on an unbelievable 88.9 percent completion rate. Keep in mind that Prescott had this game after hearing all week that another bad performance could force general manager Jerry Jones to make a switch at quarterback to Tony Romo.
Recommended: Super Bowl 50: How well do you know the history of the NFL's biggest game?
When asked about how he handles the pressure in Dallas, Prescott pointed to his collegiate career at Mississippi State.
“People always say there’s no way Mississippi State prepared you for all of this, and I always say, 'Y’all just don’t understand,’” Prescott told ESPN.com Thursday. “At Mississippi State, they were wild. I couldn’t go to class. When I was in class, people were asking me to sign stuff and they were taking selfies with me on the way to class. In the NFL, it might be crazier on social media, but in person it’s actually easier because everyone understands it’s just my job. In college, they’re not thinking like that.”
In all, Dak’s great play week-in, week-out, has kept Romo glued to the sideline. Pro Football Focus ranks Dak as the NFL’s 12th best quarterback, but his 81.4 QBR and his 103.2 Quarterback Rating are good for 2nd and 3rd in the league, respectively.
Both Prescott and rookie rusher Ezekiel Elliott have greatly benefited from Dallas’s stout offensive line. Elliott, who leads the NFL with 1,551 yards on 5.0 yards per carry, is running behind Football Outsiders’ 3rd best run blocking offensive line by adjusted line yards, a stat measuring all running back carries and assigning significance to the offensive line based on their success. The line is also a proficient pass blocking unit, allowing only 24 sacks this season on 5.3 percent of drop backs.
Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford has not had the same caliber offensive line to throw behind, nor has he benefited from a strong rush game. Detroit has Football Outsider’s last ranked offensive line in terms of run blocking, painfully obvious as their lead rusher, Theo Riddick, has only 357 yards on 3.7 yards per carry. For context, Matt Stafford is the team’s third best rusher, trailing Riddick by 151 yards - or the equivalent of one Ezekiel Elliott game.
In spite of their shortcomings, Matt Stafford has Detroit at 9-5 and in first place in the NFC North. Stafford is PFF’s 10th ranked quarterback, and his transition from a gunslinger to more of a game manager has made Detroit a more stable team. Stafford is putting up his fewest passing yards per game since his rookie season, averaging 265.7 yards per game, but the quarterback is completing passes at the second best rate in his last five years. He’s also limiting his turnovers, so far throwing only eight interceptions despite averaging 15 over his last 5 seasons.
Stafford has differentiated himself from his quarterback peers with his exceptional play at the end of games. Stafford has always been better than average in crunch time, averaging four game-winning drives per season. This year, however, Stafford leads the NFL with an incredible eight game-winning drives, tops in the NFL.
This game will come down to whichever defense shows up to play. Neither has been impressive this season, with Dallas ranked 20th by efficiency and Detroit ranked 31st. The Lions have been truly inept defensively, starting with their underperforming defensive line.
One matchup to watch will be Detroit defensive end Ezekiel Ansah against Dallas left tackle Tyron Smith. Ansah was a force in 2015 with 14.5 sacks, but has only managed one so far this season. Ansah has the ability, but he will find life difficult against Smith, who PFF ranks as their 10th best left tackle.
All things point Dallas’s direction on Monday Night, with a superior offense and a less-awful defense. Detroit, while playing for their playoff lives, may not have enough to stop Dallas. Expect Detroit to put up a good fight, but ultimately they will find Dallas too much to handle and drop their second in a row.
Jacob GofmanDecember 26, 2016
Dak Prescott and Dallas just keep winning.
The Cowboys, who boast an explosive offense led by two rookies, have overachieved and currently sit atop their division and the entire NFC Conference with a 12-2 record. This week, "America’s team" welcomes the 9-5 Detroit Lions, who are desperate for a win as they eye a return to the playoffs following a disappointing 2015 season.
The Dallas offense continues to roll after another impressive performance against the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A week after his worst performance against the New York Giants, quarterback Dak Prescott dazzled against the Bucs, throwing for 279 yards on an unbelievable 88.9 percent completion rate. Keep in mind that Prescott had this game after hearing all week that another bad performance could force general manager Jerry Jones to make a switch at quarterback to Tony Romo.
Recommended: Super Bowl 50: How well do you know the history of the NFL's biggest game?
When asked about how he handles the pressure in Dallas, Prescott pointed to his collegiate career at Mississippi State.
“People always say there’s no way Mississippi State prepared you for all of this, and I always say, 'Y’all just don’t understand,’” Prescott told ESPN.com Thursday. “At Mississippi State, they were wild. I couldn’t go to class. When I was in class, people were asking me to sign stuff and they were taking selfies with me on the way to class. In the NFL, it might be crazier on social media, but in person it’s actually easier because everyone understands it’s just my job. In college, they’re not thinking like that.”
In all, Dak’s great play week-in, week-out, has kept Romo glued to the sideline. Pro Football Focus ranks Dak as the NFL’s 12th best quarterback, but his 81.4 QBR and his 103.2 Quarterback Rating are good for 2nd and 3rd in the league, respectively.
Both Prescott and rookie rusher Ezekiel Elliott have greatly benefited from Dallas’s stout offensive line. Elliott, who leads the NFL with 1,551 yards on 5.0 yards per carry, is running behind Football Outsiders’ 3rd best run blocking offensive line by adjusted line yards, a stat measuring all running back carries and assigning significance to the offensive line based on their success. The line is also a proficient pass blocking unit, allowing only 24 sacks this season on 5.3 percent of drop backs.
Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford has not had the same caliber offensive line to throw behind, nor has he benefited from a strong rush game. Detroit has Football Outsider’s last ranked offensive line in terms of run blocking, painfully obvious as their lead rusher, Theo Riddick, has only 357 yards on 3.7 yards per carry. For context, Matt Stafford is the team’s third best rusher, trailing Riddick by 151 yards - or the equivalent of one Ezekiel Elliott game.
In spite of their shortcomings, Matt Stafford has Detroit at 9-5 and in first place in the NFC North. Stafford is PFF’s 10th ranked quarterback, and his transition from a gunslinger to more of a game manager has made Detroit a more stable team. Stafford is putting up his fewest passing yards per game since his rookie season, averaging 265.7 yards per game, but the quarterback is completing passes at the second best rate in his last five years. He’s also limiting his turnovers, so far throwing only eight interceptions despite averaging 15 over his last 5 seasons.
Stafford has differentiated himself from his quarterback peers with his exceptional play at the end of games. Stafford has always been better than average in crunch time, averaging four game-winning drives per season. This year, however, Stafford leads the NFL with an incredible eight game-winning drives, tops in the NFL.
This game will come down to whichever defense shows up to play. Neither has been impressive this season, with Dallas ranked 20th by efficiency and Detroit ranked 31st. The Lions have been truly inept defensively, starting with their underperforming defensive line.
One matchup to watch will be Detroit defensive end Ezekiel Ansah against Dallas left tackle Tyron Smith. Ansah was a force in 2015 with 14.5 sacks, but has only managed one so far this season. Ansah has the ability, but he will find life difficult against Smith, who PFF ranks as their 10th best left tackle.
All things point Dallas’s direction on Monday Night, with a superior offense and a less-awful defense. Detroit, while playing for their playoff lives, may not have enough to stop Dallas. Expect Detroit to put up a good fight, but ultimately they will find Dallas too much to handle and drop their second in a row.
Today at 5:02 am by Rocky
» utube 11/19/24 MM&C Report-Census-Global Transparency-Budget-Trade-Banking-Delete the Ze
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Barzani: The relationship with Baghdad is good and no problem can be solved by force
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani: The international system today is “fluid and in crisis” and the Middle East crisis is
Today at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Legal Center: Iraq is the fourth Arab country in child labor and there is a need to legislate a law
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Democratic: The new regional government is a coalition and one step away from negotiations to form i
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Parliament resumes its sessions next week... and clarification of the mechanism for extending its le
Today at 4:54 am by Rocky
» A member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan stresses the need to pass the Kurdistan budget law, whi
Today at 4:52 am by Rocky
» Framework warns: Agreement with Washington will be at stake if Iraq is bombed
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Protecting Iraq is an American duty: Security agreements are not just ink on paper
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Moderate leaders...are they able to guide the path at a regional crossroads?
Today at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Politician reveals political agreements to vote on personal status law
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» US report shows the importance of the population census in Iraq: It will reshape this map
Today at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Dollar-Dinar Exchange Rate Gap: Causes and Treatments
Today at 4:30 am by Rocky
» The Fifth Forum for Peace and Security in the Middle East kicks off in Dohuk with the participation
Today at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Planning for / Nina /: The census results will be announced at this time and we implemented the proj
Today at 4:26 am by Rocky
» Former MP: Worrying circumstances accompanied the population census process in Basra
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» MP Hassan Al-Asadi brings good news to a group of those covered by Article 140
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» Economist: Total cost of general population census reached 951 billion dinars
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» Israel's complaint against Iraq.. a prelude to an expected military action - Urgent
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani: What is happening today in the Middle East is a “vital area for the second Na
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» The complex of forming the regional government is exacerbated by the adherence to the “old faces”
Today at 4:16 am by Rocky
» Bitcoin hits new record
Today at 4:12 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister's Advisor: National Development Plan 2024-2028 depends on census results
Today at 4:10 am by Rocky
» Al-Abadi responds to Senator Lindsey Graham's statement: Incites new conflicts and wars
Today at 4:08 am by Rocky
» War developments portend danger in Iraq.. Israeli threatening messages arrived via a regional state
Today at 4:07 am by Rocky
» Controversy over Kurdish citizens entering Kirkuk before the population census.. What's the story?
Today at 4:05 am by Rocky
» MP reveals date of passing general amnesty and personal status laws
Today at 4:04 am by Rocky
» Economist: The census will lead to an increase in the share of some governorates in regional develop
Today at 4:03 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani directs to equip border forces with modern weapons and secure all their requirements
Today at 3:59 am by Rocky
» Iraqi government: We are making great efforts to control the influence of factions inside Iraq
Today at 3:57 am by Rocky
» utube 11/18/24 US President Donald Trump Statement About Iraqi Dinar New RateIraqi Dinar News
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Mazhar Saleh: Population census is the basis for achieving optimal development
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Setting the date for announcing the preliminary results of the population census
Yesterday at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Kurdish MP: Population census will affect all governorates financially
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Between Israeli accusations and Baghdad's position: Is Iraq heading towards an international confron
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani renews his directives on the necessity of completing service projects within the previousl
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Political movement calls on parliament to strike dens of corruption
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» MP criticizes the Foreign Ministry's performance towards the Turkish occupation
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Economy Committee criticizes the government’s withdrawal of the Public-Private Partner
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Before the vote... Washington moves its agendas to prevent the approval of the personal status law
Yesterday at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki: The Zionist entity seeks to strike Iraq through its expansionist war
Yesterday at 4:37 am by Rocky
» MP identifies 3 black images of the American role in the Middle East
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Where is the Baghdad-Washington agreement? The Zionist entity provokes Iraq and threatens to bomb it
Yesterday at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Durable goods are an open option for citizens.. Planning indicates a high response to the population
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Legal: The regional government is trying to change the demographics of Kirkuk to regai
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» Arrest warrant issued for Anbar Council member for involvement in corruption and terrorism cases
Yesterday at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani directs continued payment of wages to workers on a "daily wage" during the two days of the
Yesterday at 4:29 am by Rocky
» What is the relationship between the population census and the national development plan? Al-Sudani’
Yesterday at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Iraq's seaborne crude oil exports decline
Yesterday at 4:26 am by Rocky
» Will the population increase the number of representatives in Iraq?
Yesterday at 4:25 am by Rocky
» In cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund.. The first population census in Iraq in more
Yesterday at 4:23 am by Rocky
» Jordanian company completes strategic submersible pumps project in Iraq
Yesterday at 4:21 am by Rocky
» Rasool: The government is pursuing anyone involved in activities that threaten Iraq's security
Yesterday at 4:19 am by Rocky
» US military creates air bridge from Iraq to Syria
Yesterday at 4:16 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani, Putin discuss Middle East issues amid unprecedented escalation of tension in the region
Yesterday at 4:14 am by Rocky
» Know the secrets of the Iraqi house.. Baghdad demands that Washington deter Israel
Yesterday at 4:13 am by Rocky
» On the second day of the curfew, Al-Sudani tours Baghdad and “meets citizens”
Yesterday at 4:11 am by Rocky
» Planning: Slums are counted as a fact in the population census
Yesterday at 4:10 am by Rocky
» Despite problems, Iraq and Turkey agree to increase trade exchange
Yesterday at 4:09 am by Rocky
» Iraqi regions detect drones.. and Washington informs Baghdad of "exhausting" its pressure on the ent
Yesterday at 4:04 am by Rocky
» Bitcoin breaks $97,000 barrier for the first time in its history
Yesterday at 4:02 am by Rocky
» A difference of more than two million people: Iraqi or international estimates? Who will prove the a
Yesterday at 4:01 am by Rocky
» In numbers.. UAE exports to Iraq grow significantly
Yesterday at 3:59 am by Rocky
» Problems with the lists and the minister’s travel.. Baghdad to send salaries to Kurdistan employees
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 2:06 pm by Rocky
» Al-Awadi: Iraq will demand a UN resolution under Chapter VII to immediately cease fire
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 2:03 pm by Rocky
» How will the census reflect on drawing the economic map of Iraq? An expert answers
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 6:45 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim and Al-Amiri at one table to discuss these files
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 6:43 am by Rocky
» Government Advisor: Population Census is an Essential Tool for Building Effective Strategic Economic
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:46 am by Rocky
» A legal expert explains the extent of the Security Council's response to the Zionist entity's compla
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:42 am by Rocky
» MP: The remaining time of the government’s term may not allow for a ministerial change
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:41 am by Rocky
» MP: Iraq has dealt a qualitative blow to international drug trafficking mafias
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:39 am by Rocky
» During 2024.. Iraq achieves a record in fuel oil exports
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:38 am by Rocky
» Calls to issue a parliamentary decision binding the government to cancel the agreements with Egypt a
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:37 am by Rocky
» Central Bank of Iraq sales exceed $6 billion in a month
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:35 am by Rocky
» Planning: Iraq will apply international standards in the general census in coordination with the Uni
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:33 am by Rocky
» Trade: Government measures to ensure continued food flow during census days
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:32 am by Rocky
» The Prime Minister stresses the importance of the collection sector within the system of providing e
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:30 am by Rocky
» Iraq produces more than 6 million m3 of wastewater daily
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:28 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister's Advisor: National development plans depend on census results
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:27 am by Rocky
» Investment extends the grace period for Bismayah residents to enter through electronic gates
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:25 am by Rocky
» Trade: The general population census will be a starting point for important economic transformations
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:24 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani confirms the government's determination to proceed with organizing tax collection in a fai
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:22 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani visits the headquarters of the Ministry of Planning
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:21 am by Rocky
» The Ministry of Oil announces the resumption of work in the production line of the North Gas Company
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:19 am by Rocky
» Christian discontent with 'alcohol ban': It opposes freedoms and causes financial losses
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:18 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani stresses the importance of the Russian role in supporting Iraq at the regional and int
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:17 am by Rocky
» Iraqi government issues new decisions - Urgent
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:15 am by Rocky
» Legal expert details the extent of the impact of the population census on the controversial Article
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:13 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani directs the preparation of reports on the performance of ministers, governors and head
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:12 am by Rocky
» Minister of Labor: More than 4 million children covered by the social protection system
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:10 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:09 am by Rocky
» Directive from Al-Sudani regarding meter readers on a contract basis in electricity
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:07 am by Rocky
» Iraq borrows $390 million from Japan to develop Basra refinery
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:05 am by Rocky
» Iraq and the "Israel-Iran" War.. Serious Government Measures to Secure the Launching Areas of Attack
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:02 am by Rocky
» Iraqi oil recovers and exceeds the $70 barrier
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 4:00 am by Rocky
» Integrity Commission Recovers Corruption Convict From Egypt.. Who Is He?
Wed 20 Nov 2024, 3:55 am by Rocky
» utube 11/18/24 MM&C IQD News Report - Contracts - Projects - Non Oil Revenue Streams - Activating
Tue 19 Nov 2024, 6:36 am by Rocky
» North Gas announces resumption of production line (1000) after maintenance is completed
Tue 19 Nov 2024, 6:34 am by Rocky