Just as Dak Prescott’s trademark “Here We Goooo” at the line of scrimmage gets you ready for the next play, this new weekly article should do the same for the game ahead.

Welcome to “Here We Gooooo,” a weekly piece where I will break down the matchups that will play a key role in determining the outcome of each Cowboys game.

This week, with the Lions coming to town, there are some interesting stats to keep an eye on, including explosive play, miles per hour, winning percentage and penalty rates.

Here are three aspects to look at:

1. Detroit’s Skill Players vs. Cowboys tackle – Detroit’s offense presents a plethora of skill talent that Dallas’ defense will have to account for. At the receiver position, Jameson Williams leads the Lions in receiving yards this season with 289 on just 13 catches. His 12 YAC per reception leads the NFL, and clocking 20+ MPH on explosive plays certainly helps his cause. In the backfield, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have combined for 275 yards after contact this season. That’s almost half of the 556 meters they both gained. The Cowboys have struggled to land players at points this season. They missed 32 tackles in the first three weeks of the season, but have improved in the last two weeks and that will certainly be needed on Sunday.

2. Jared Goff vs. Cowboys pass rush – If Jared Goff has a clean pocket and protection up front, he can be surgical in delivering the football. The perfect example of that was Detroit’s week four game against Seattle, where despite being sacked three times, he threw a perfect game with 18 completions on 18 attempts, an NFL record. However, when pressure is applied, things can be different. From 2021 through 2023, Goff’s PFF grade under pressure was 45.2, good for 29^e among the 50 qualifying quarterbacks. The Cowboys defense has 11 sacks this season, but will be without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence on Sunday. Through five games, the Dallas defense has a pass rush winning percentage of 37% (23^rd in the NFL) and will go against a Lions offensive line with a 69% success rate (4^e in the NFL). Dallas only sacked Goff once in last year’s game, but got seven hits on him, leading to a 19/34 performance for 271 yards and 2 interceptions. If the Cowboys can pull off a similar showing a year down the road, it could bode well for the outcome of the game.

3. Dak Prescott vs. new-looking Detroit secondary – Dak Prescott is off to another strong start through the air this season as the third-leading passer in the NFL through five games with 1,424 yards, an average of 284.8 per game. The Detroit high school has given up 258.3 passing yards per game this season, down from just 27^e in the competition. Prescott had his 3^rd highest passing performance against the Lions a year ago with 345 yards, and could have similar success on Sunday against a new-look, but young secondary. Detroit is tied for the most defensive pass interference penalties (8) and the highest passer penalties (3) among all NFL teams. Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold has committed eight penalties so far (2^i.e in the NFL), five of which are pass interference (1^st in the NFL). With a veteran quarterback like Prescott, targeting a secondary that has been undisciplined at times this season could help this offense get down the field and into the end zone, something the Cowboys have emphasized they want to do to help Brandon Give Aubrey some relief. Additionally, Prescott leads the league in aggressiveness (24.1%) and has always had a knack for passing throws in tight spaces. The Lions defense has forced tight window throws on 34.4% of passes in man coverage, compared to 8.5% in zone. If Prescott is in the rhythm and, more importantly, on target, another big play through the air awaits.