The Lions “unload the clip” with trick plays in a blowout win over the Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas – Dan Campbell came to terms with “controlling” his anger over the Detroit Lions' controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys last season, and on Sunday he unleashed that anger on the Cowboys.

The Lions ran for 184 yards and overwhelmed the Cowboys with a barrage of tricks, scoring their most points in 13 years in a 47-9 win.

“Dan said he's going to start this week … he's going to deliver the clip, and I think we all saw that he definitely did that,” linebacker Alex Anzalone said Sunday night at AT&T Stadium.

The Lions scored on a 52-yard reverse flea flicker from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta early in the second quarter and nearly added a touchdown in the second half with a hook-and-lateral to right tackle Penei Sewell. Goff threw a pass to left tackle Taylor Decker, the Lions sent swing tackle Dan Skipper wide on a play in the fourth quarter when backup quarterback Hendon Hooker was in the game, and they ran four plays with both Decker and Skipper eligible receivers.

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Last year, the Lions lost 20-19 to the Cowboys after their 2-point conversion was negated by an illegal contact penalty. The officials mismanaged the play and announced Skipper as the eligible receiver when Decker reported.

Goff insisted the Lions weren't looking for revenge with their game-winning Sunday and were simply seeing cracks in the Cowboys' defense that they wanted to exploit.

“Whatever their defense presented this week, it presented an opportunity to make some of those plays,” he said. “They were in the game plan, but that doesn't mean they're all called. They just keep not getting called.

On Sunday, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson appeared determined to execute every trick on his playbook, even as the game spiraled out of control in the second half.

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LaPorta's 52-yard touchdown gave the Lions an early 17-3 lead on a play that began with a throw to David Montgomery. Montgomery threw the ball to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who passed it back to Goff, who saw LaPorta racing down the field wide open.

Goff threw an incomplete to Decker on the second-and-goal with 7:18 left in the third quarter and the Lions led 34-9. And one offensive series and a made field goal later, they ran the hook and sideline for Sewell and threw a quick pass to St. Brown, who threw to Sewell near the end.

Sewell lunged for the goal line and was picked off just short of the end zone, but the play was negated by a downfield ineligible penalty against center Frank Ragnow.

“That was good,” Campbell said. “They have to have that in the O-line room because one of his teammates on the O-line cost him that.”

St. Brown said the Sewell play, called the “Grenade Special,” “would have been the highlight of the game if it had stood.”

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As it was, it was still the icing on the cake of a dominant and deliberately attacking day.

“It’s hilarious,” Anzalone said. “It's like I don't even know if (the coaches) are going to shake hands after the game.”

Dave Birkett will be signing copies of his new book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline,” at 24 Seconds Bar & Grill in Berkley on October 21 at 7 p.m. and at Stadium Cards on October 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m & Comics in Ypsilanti. Order your copy here.

Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

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