Nick Harris’ things to watch in Sunday’s Cowboys-Lions game at AT&T Stadium

The Dallas Cowboys will look to keep their winning ways going on Sunday afternoon when they take on a tough Detroit Lions squad that may be looking to enact some revenge after a controversial 20-19 loss at AT&T Stadium last December.

This year, however, the Cowboys are riding a two-game winning streak after road victories over the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers and will look to add one more victory before the team’s bye next week. On the other hand, Detroit is coming off its bye week and will be well-rested.

Here are five things that could determine who walks away with a big fourth win on the season:

Who wears the green dot?

The Cowboys could have some sorting out to do on the defensive side of the ball ahead of Sunday’s game. Veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, who wears the green dot on his helmet for the defense and makes all of the on-field calls, has missed back-to-back days of practice and may not playing on Sunday, according to one team source.

Kendricks has only missed a handful of snaps this season, as he came off the field in Cleveland for a pair of possessions to solve a dehydration problem. Backup linebacker Nick Vigil filled in while Kendricks was off the field and made the defensive play calls before the veteran returned.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Vigil has also missed back-to-back days of practice and is also trending in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday’s game.

While safety Malik Hooker wore the green dot for a brief amount of time at training camp, Mike Zimmer’s defense has typically featured a linebacker in that role. DeMarvion Overshown is a candidate as well as Damone Clark, who wore the green dot last year for former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but his defensive snaps eradicated in recent weeks. A candidate with an outside shot at having the responsibility is Markquese Bell, who has experience at both safety and linebacker.

Amon-Ra vs. J-Lew

Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis has had as good of a start to his 2024 campaign as he has had in any of his eight seasons in the league, as he goes into a matchup against his hometown Detroit Lions having allowed just 86 passing yards to his assignments.

This specific matchup will see Lewis take on the task of rising star Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had some choice words for Lewis over the summer on an appearance on The Pivot Podcast.

When asked about the exchange this week and if it could play a role in the game, Lewis said he plans on bringing the fight but keeping it about what’s on the field.

“I just want to go out there and play good ball,” Lewis said. “If he brings the fight to me, then that’s what it is. I just want to go out there and prepare.”

In four games this season, St. Brown has accounted for 27 receptions for 252 yards and two touchdowns, a pace that is considerably lower than the career-high season he had in 2023 with 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The possible return of DaRon Bland

Things are continuing to trend in a positive direction for the Cowboys to get All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland back for a tough matchup against the Lions well-rounded group of receivers.

“I feel pretty good,” Bland said after back-to-back days of fully participating in practice this week. “It’s felt real long, like I haven’t played for years.”

Bland, who has been on the injured reserve since suffering a stress fracture to his foot at the end of training camp that sidelined him for the team’s first five games, had his 21-day practice window opened on Wednesday and is currently expected to play 25-30 snaps against the Lions if he his activated off the IR on Saturday.

Still expect practice squad cornerback Amani Oruwariye to factor into the equation as well after coming into the game in the second half in New York and hauling in the game-sealing interception and starting the game in Pittsburgh and allowing just four receptions for 47 yards.

CeeDee in the second half

In the first halves of games this season, Lamb has hauled in a total of 21 receptions for 353 yards, a pace that would be leading the NFL in both categories by a moonshot…if it was matched in the second half. The final two quarters have seen Lamb account for just four receptions for 25 yards.

“What happens is we pop off early on and no one wants to see that in the second half of the game,” Lamb said on Thursday. “[Opponents] do a great job of making halftime adjustments. Nine times out of 10, I’m getting clouded. Kudos to them, they’re doing a great job of stopping the bleeding.”

Lamb will have a strong opportunity to get back to his late-game heroics against a Lions team that he experienced a career night against in 2023 with 13 receptions for 227 yards. The Lions have some different faces at cornerback, including rookie Terrion Arnold and Carlton Davis III, but the success should still come against a passing defense that has allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game in the NFL this season (258.3).

The Aidan Hutchinson problem

It’s been a tough start to the season for the Cowboys starting tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele who have been asked to face off against some of the best pass-rushers in the NFL in Myles Garrett, Cam Jordan, Kayvon Thibodeaux and T.J. Watt, and that task will not get any easier this week against Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Hutchinson, who has accounted for a league-leading 6.5 sacks in just four games along with a whopping 40 pressures, is playing at a Defensive Player of the Year pace early in 2024. Combined, Terence Steele and Tyler Guyton have allowed seven sacks and 27 pressures in the team’s five games so far this season.

Hutchinson uses power, speed and athleticism to get around the edge to make for a well-rounded pass-rush attack for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Having success in the pass game will start with having success against the hottest pass-rusher in the entire NFL.