A little over a year after spoiling Jerry Jones’ 82nd birthday in Dallas, the Detroit Lions welcomed the Cowboys to Ford Field on Thursday Night Football and handled business again, winning 44-30. Jared Goff was lights-out all night. But before he could even enjoy the win or make it to the podium for the postgame press conference, the NFL pulled him aside.

In simple terms, his postgame presser got pushed back because the league tapped him for a drug test. And when Goff finally walked in, he kicked things off with an easy apology: “Sorry about that guys, NFL drug testing rules,” he said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

It’s a script we’ve seen pop up around the Lions before. We don’t have to rewind that far, just think back to 2023. The Lions’ running back Jahmyr Gibbs lit up the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Eve, stacking 100 scrimmage yards and two scores as Detroit locked up its first division title in 30 years. And right after the game, the league handed him a random drug test. Gibbs even posted the slip on social media with a three-word caption that instantly went viral: “Am I cooked?”

Fast-forward to now, and Goff just put on a show of his own against Dallas. He went 25-of-34 for 309 yards, a touchdown, no picks, and the Cowboys got to him only once. In other words, it was the kind of clean, efficient outing that tends to get the league’s attention, sometimes in ways players don’t exactly expect.

And with that, the Lions picked up their eighth win of the year, nudging themselves a little closer to locking in a playoff spot. The Cowboys, on the other hand… well, their three-game winning streak just slammed to a halt, dropping them to 6-6-1.

Takeaways from Jared Goff’s eighth win of the season

The Lions rolled into Week 14 with only a 30% shot at making the playoffs. A loss would’ve tanked that number to around 12%. But they didn’t lose. Instead, they flipped the script, and The Athletic now bumps their playoff odds to a solid 45%. And if they can take three of their final four, go ahead and pencil them in for January football, all because they handled business in a must-have game against the Cowboys.

Detroit’s offense was brilliant. The team piled up 408 yards. Jameson Williams (7 for 96) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (6 for 92) carried the passing game as Goff pushed the Lions to 299 yards through the air. On the ground, David Montgomery set the tone with 60 yards on just six carries, but Gibbs stole the spotlight. 43 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns will do that, while also hauling in 7 receptions for 77 yards.

Defensively, the Lions were just as solid. Dallas actually finished with more total yardage (417), but Detroit kept the pressure on Dak Prescott (31-of-47 for 376 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions) all night, racking up five sacks. Special teams had a few shaky moments, but none of it mattered in the final score.

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Lions vs Cowboys on Thursday: 10 Observations From Detroit’s 44-30 Win

The Cowboys, on the other hand, had some brilliant moments, especially from CeeDee Lamb, as the wide receiver caught 6 receptions for 121 yards. However, he went down with a concussion and left the game in the third quarter. And just like that, the Lions walked out of Ford Field with a 44–30 win, and now turn their attention to the Los Angeles Rams as the playoff chase stays wide open.