The Dallas Cowboys suffered a heavy defeat at home to the Detroit Lions in Week 6. LM Otero/AP
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Cowboys suffer historic home loss, Baltimore QB makes history, NFL Week 6 Sunday review
Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season wasn’t rife with close endings to games, but there was still plenty of drama to keep fans gripped.
Sunday’s action began with the Chicago Bears continuing their recent revival by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Here are the main storylines from Sunday’s action:
Cowboys suffer worst home loss in Jerry Jones era
Playing the Dallas Cowboys in their stadium used to be a nightmare for squads around the NFL. But now, ‘America’s Team’ is struggling to buy a win at AT&T Stadium.
Dallas suffered its fourth straight home loss on Sunday, this time in historic fashion, as the Cowboys lost 47-9 to the Detroit Lions.
The defeat was the worst home loss during Jerry Jones’ ownership of the team which dates back to 1989; not quite the birthday celebration Jones had in mind as he turned 82 on Sunday.
“This was very concerning and it was very humbling,” Jones said afterwards, per the NFL. “This was a shocker.”
Dallas was outplayed in every aspect from the jump against the Lions, with Detroit piling up 492 total yards on offense while the Cowboys could only muster 251.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff continued his hot streak – after not missing a pass in the team’s Week 4 victory – throwing 18-of-25 for 315 yards and three touchdowns before being pulled in the fourth quarter to protect him from injury.
Goff was helped by a dynamic running game too, with the two-headed attack of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs doing damage all game. The Lions had 184 rushing yards, with Montgomery rushing for 80 and two touchdowns and Gibbs running for 63 yards.
It’s the eighth straight game in which Montgomery has rushed for a touchdown, setting a new Lions franchise record. Afterwards, the running back spoke about how the team has jelled in recent weeks.
“There was a period at the beginning of the season where we were trying to figure out our identity,” Montgomery said, per the Lions website. “Now, we are starting to execute a lot more. The funny thing is we’re all not even on the same page. There’s small things here or there that we can clean up. The sky is really the limit for us.”
Cowboys suffer historic home loss, Baltimore QB makes history, NFL Week 6 Sunday review
The only negative for Detroit on a largely positive afternoon in Texas was the serious leg injury star defensive player Aidan Hutchinson suffered midway through the third quarter.
Hutchinson had to be carted off and head coach Dan Campbell confirmed after the game that the 24-year-old had suffered a broken tibia.
For Dallas, the defeat continued the team’s rocky start to the season, with three home losses and three road wins.
Quarterback Dak Prescott – who signed a contract ahead of the season to become the highest paid player in the league – threw two interceptions and the team rushed for just 53 yards.
The rout is the second home loss of the season where the margin of defeat has been more than 25 points for Dallas, tying the franchise record for the most in a single season during the Super Bowl era.
But despite the mounting pressure on head coach Mike McCarthy – who is in the final year of his contract with the team – Jones says he’s not considering making changes.
“Just so you’re clear. I’m not considering that. I wouldn’t be in a hypothetical in that matter – do you think I’m an idiot? Do you?” Jones told reporters. “OK, well, I’m not going to be hypothetical with you about when I’d consider a coaching change in light of the timing we’re sitting here with. I’m not. At all.”
Lamar Jackson hits historic mark in win over high-flying Commanders
It was the game of the week heading into Sunday’s slate – and it didn’t disappoint.
The Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens were two of the hottest teams through five weeks of the season, and this edition of the ‘Battle of the Beltway’ was must-see TV, in particular, because of the quarterback battle between Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels.
In the end, though, it was the veteran Jackson who came out on top, with Baltimore beating Washington 30-23.
Baltimore’s offense did the damage at M&T Bank Stadium, with the unit totaling 484 yards and 28 first downs – compared to the Commanders’ 305 yards and 18 first downs.
Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, threw 20-of-26 for 323 yards and one touchdown, along with one interception and 40 yards on the ground.
A 10-yard scamper for Jackson midway through the first quarter held extra significance though, as he passed 2015 MVP Cam Newton for the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.
Jackson passed Newton’s mark of 5,628 yards, finishing the game on 5,661. He is now only behind Michael Vick, who had 6,109 rushing yards in his storied career.