Cowboys To Host Lions In NFC Wild Card Round
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) -- After a four year absence, the Dallas Cowboys are back in the NFL playoffs.
After winning the NFC East for the first time since 2009, Dallas will host the Detroit Lions -- the winner of one of two NFC Wild Cards.
Here are the details for the Lions' trip to North Texas.
Detroit Lions: 11-5, 2nd in NFC North
Pro Bowl: Ndamukong Suh (DT), Calvin Johnson (WR), Glover Quin (S)
Dallas Cowboys: 12-4, 1st in NFC East
Pro Bowl: Tony Romo (QB), Dez Bryant (WR), Tyron Smith (OT), Zack Martin (OG), Travis Frederick (C), DeMarco Murray (RB)
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 4. Kickoff at 3:40 p.m. CST
WHERE: AT&T Stadium in Arlington
In North Texas, you can listen to the game on 105.3 The Fan!
NOTES
-- Dallas is listed as a 7-point favorite by most sports books. The over/under is set at 48.5.
-- In Detroit's last trip to AT&T Stadium in 2013, the Lions scored 21 fourth-quarter points to rally past Dallas 31-30. Calvin Johnson caught 14 passes for 329 yards and a touchdown. Tony Romo threw three touchdown passes -- two to Dez Bryant. DeMarco Murray was injured and did not play.
-- Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2006-08. He led the 2008 Lions to an 0-16 record. Cowboys' playcaller Scott Linehan was the Lions' offensive coordinator from 2009-13.
-- Matthew Stafford, a Highland Park native, has thrown for 4,257 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. He has appeared in one playoff game in his career: a 2011 road loss to New Orleans. In that game, Stafford completed 28-of-43 passes for 380 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
-- Stafford is 0-17 all-time against winning teams on the road.
-- Detroit is 4-4 on the road this season. Dallas is 4-4 at home.
-- Detroit has the top-ranked run defense in the NFL, limiting opponents to just 69.3 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. Dallas, on the other hand, has the league's leading rusher in DeMarco Murray and averages 147.1 yards per game on the ground.
-- The Cowboys boast three first-round selections on their offensive line in Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin. The Lions counter with two selections of their own: first-rounders Ndamukong Suh and Ezekiel Ansah.
-- In December, Tony Romo has completed 74.8 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns and one interception. However, seven of Romo's nine interceptions have come at home this season.
-- The Lions' last playoff win was in 1991. They defeated the Cowboys 38-6 at home.
-- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was asked about the Lions' notoriously dirty play: "Poise matters, and you never want to get caught up in those things."
WHAT'S NEXT: Should Dallas defeat Detroit, the Cowboys will travel to Green Bay to play the Packers on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 12:05 p.m. CST
The NFC Championship Game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 2:05 p.m. CST.
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