Former Cowboys wide receiver casts doubt on Dallas against Detroit Lions
The Dallas Cowboys host the Detroit Lions on Saturday for a clash of two highly-motivated postseason teams. Even more eyes than usual will be on Dallas as Jerry Jones inducts former Super Bowl-winning head coach Jimmy Johnson into the Ring of Honor at halftime. On top of winning in front of Johnson and the other Ring of Honor members, the Cowboys have the added pressure of maintaining the league’s longest home winning streak against the 11-4 Lions.
Former Dallas wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson told Skip Bayless this week on Undisputed that he’s not sure whether the Cowboys have what it takes to stem the bleeding of a two-game losing streak against the physical Lions team. His main concern is Dallas’ inability to stop the run. The defense gave up 266 rushing yards to the Bills before improving against the Dolphins last week.
“Will they do it? That’s the question,” Johnson said to Bayless and Michael Irvin. “People like you and people like Emmitt (Smith), who are going to be there at halftime. They’re applying pressure to these young men that we don’t know if they can hold up to. Looking out there at their gold jackets and their rings… Jimmy Johnson… can they live up to that?
“A lot of that crumbling was on the road. Here’s the problem that I have, can they stop the run? Dan Campbell and company are coming in there and they’re playing physical football. They have something to play for, chasing that No. 1, No. 2 seed in Detroit. The Cowboys have something to play for too. They need to show me and us, and the rest of the world, that they can stop the run. Can they slow them down enough?”
The Detroit Lions have the third-most rushing yards as a team this season. Leading back David Montgomery is 90 yards away from the second 1,000-yard rushing year of his career.
Cowboys to induct Jimmy Johnson into Ring of Honor
Leading up to the Dallas Cowboys’ game against the Carolina Panthers last month, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones revealed to Jimmy Johnson, live on Fox Sports, that the former head coach will enter the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor on Dec. 30. The owner and coach have had a tenuous relationship since playing football at Arkansas and winning Super Bowls together but they’re friends once again and Johnson will finally have his name added to the ring around AT&T Stadium.
The announcement has been years in the making since Jones told Johnson during his Pro Football Hall of Fame week in 2021 that the honor would be coming his way “soon.”
Johnson will receive his Ring of Honor jacket during the halftime ceremony for the game against the Lions. The former Dallas head coach led the Cowboys to Super Bowl wins in two of five seasons that he coached in DFW after Jones named him head coach in 1989.