Since hiring Dan Campbell as their head coach, the Detroit Lions have become one of the most exciting and successful rebuilds in recent memory. Under Campbell, the Lions have made the postseason the last two years and have finished with a winning record the last three seasons. Before Campbell, the Lions hadn’t made an NFC title game since the 1990s, but they have turned a corner with one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. Although they were undone in the divisional round by the upstart Washington Commanders, the future in Detroit looks promising.
Their secondary is terrific, led by Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, both of whom were named to a Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team, respectively. Detroit could be even more potent should Aidan Hutchinson return to full health this season. The Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have always had a quiet, yet overlooked rivalry that seemingly felt reignited after Detroit lost to Dallas in 2023 following a controversial penalty. Once again the Cowboys take on the Lions in 2025. Here’s a look at some overlooked players who could sway the game for Detroit if not accounted for.
Jack Campbell
The Detroit Lions front office has been on fire as of late, striking it big with many of their early-round draft choices, and Jack Campbell has been no exception. Over his first two seasons, Campbell has made big strides forward and is one of the most important players on the Lions’ defense. He is the team’s defensive signal caller and the vocal leader. Campbell is a huge Mike linebacker that stands at 6’5” and 243 lbs. He’s got the power and strength to knock back guards at the point of attack with just enough athleticism to string out outside runs for minimal gains.
For as big as he is, he’s also very instinctual in the passing game, having a solid feel for route concepts in underneath zone coverage. He’s been exceptionally productive and led the team with 131 tackles with five passes defended. The reason why, despite his productivity and billing as a first-round pick, Campbell is an X-factor is because of the Lions’ imposing front four and opportunistic secondary. The only perceived weakness of the Lions’ defense is their second level and for Dallas to take advantage of that, they must find a way to neutralize Campbell before he can impact both the passing and ground game.
Tim Patrick
Tim Patrick is more of a deep dive than Campbell but still somebody who should be accounted for when playing the Detroit Lions. Patrick has battled a checkered injury history (missing the 2022 and 2023 seasons battling injuries), to make it back on the field, but has shown he can make timely plays and difficult catches. Jameson Williams is the Lions’ deep threat down the field, and Amon Ra St. Brown is a versatile receiver who can do damage from the slot. Patrick can thrive in both of those roles and becomes more of a threat for Detroit as they approach the red zone.
Patrick has excellent size and a big catch radius to haul in throws away from his body. With Josh Reynolds now with the New York Jets, that opens the door Patrick to take on a more prominent role in the Lions’ offense. Despite being 31 years old, he’s as efficient as he’s always been. He had a catch rate of 75 percent, the best of his career, for 33 receptions on 44 targets. Dallas needs to be on high alert for Patrick when Detroit gets inside the 20s.
David Montgomery
Last season saw Jahmyr Gibbs break out in a major way, rushing for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns. Gibbs’ ascension coincided with an injury sustained by fellow running back David Montgomery. However, Montgomery is every bit as meaningful to the Lions’ rushing attack and is a terrific runner who can give the Cowboys problems, although not as flashy as his counterpart.
The duo, known as Sonic and Knuckles, gives Detroit a pairing that wears down defenses with Montgomery before Gibbs breaks games open. Where Montgomery may be more problematic than Gibbs for the Cowboys is his ability to break tackles and keep his legs churning through contact. This excerpt from Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit encapsulates perfectly what Montgomery means for an offense:
I feel like there’s an assumption that big, bruising backs are a dime a dozen, and it doesn’t take much skill to do their job. Additionally, with Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield, it’s often easy to overlook what Montgomery means to the team. But just go back to that Week 1 win against the Los Angeles Rams and watch overtime. Tell me there are more than a handful of players who could do what Montgomery did in that game. Despite splitting the load, Montgomery ranked 13th among running backs in broken tackles, 13th in yards after contact per rushing attempt, and fourth in rushing attempts per broken tackle.
In short, while Montgomery is likely to be more of a bit player behind Gibbs, he’s in a better position to be more effective in the capacity he’s playing. The Cowboys have the speed at the second level of their defense to run laterally with Gibbs; however, their ability to defend the inside runs and downhill runners like Montgomery is a concern. The Cowboys missed 87 tackles in 2024, which doesn’t bode well when facing a player like Montgomery.
