Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK The Lions play in Dallas this week, a place they haven’t won in over a decade. Here’s how they can overcome their past and start a new chapter. When you talk about the Dallas Cowboys around Detroit Lions fans, you can see the weight of history in their eyes. The Cowboys have been a perennial thorn in the Lions’ side, causing them headaches and heartaches. Just like the Seattle Seahawks before Week 4, the Lions haven’t beaten the Cowboys in over a decade, with their last win coming in 2013. The Lions were finally able to overcome the Seahawks this season, but the challenge of Dallas remains. Unlike the Seattle game, Detroit is on the road, which instantly puts them at a disadvantage. The reason is that Detroit has struggled in this series on the road. Since the two teams started playing in 1960, Dallas leads the series 19-12, and while that is a bad thing for Detroit, what is worse is how they do in Dallas. The last time Detroit won in Dallas was in 2011, and, historically, Detroit is just 3-13 on the road against the Cowboys. Don’t let the bad numbers make you count the Lions out in this game on Sunday afternoon, there are a few ways the Lions can walk away with a win in Dallas. Take the crowd out of the game early with a lead The Cowboys are known as “America’s Team,” which means they have fans everywhere, and when they are at home, they are even easier to find. With the home-field crowd, Detroit must take them out of the game early with a lead and a defensive stop. If I were the Lions, I would choose to receive should I win the coin toss. Take the ball, take the lead, and quiet the crowd. Lions fans have traveled well the past few seasons, and that could help, too. Against the Arizona Cardinals back in Week 3, it sounded like a home game. They could show out against the Cowboys on Sunday. While I don’t expect them to outnumber the Cowboys fans, I expect them to show up and be loud, which could shock the Cowboys players. If the Lions get up to an early lead, you could hear those boos against Dallas from Lions fans early on. If the Lions can force a punt on the first series after scoring, the Cowboys fans could already start to lose hope and be less vocal when the Lions take the field the second time. Either way, it will be easier if the Lions can quickly cut the noise out and dash the hopes of Cowboys fans early on. Overcome possible shenanigans Despite the Lions’ ongoing battle with penalties, they must maintain their composure and avoid turning the game into a two-on-one matchup. The team has been called for 31 penalties this season, resulting in 307 yards, the seventh-highest in the NFL—and that’s having played one fewer game than most teams. The officials and Detroit have a strained relationship, regardless of the game’s location. Notably, the Lions seem to face more challenges when playing against the Cowboys in Dallas than in Detroit. There is the obvious one from 2015 in the NFC Wild Card game, where the officials missed an apparent defensive pass interference on the Cowboys that would change the game’s momentum, and the Cowboys would eliminate the Lions 24-20. Eight years later, things showed they haven’t changed much, as the Lions were once again affected by the officials in Dallas. On a two-point conversion, Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker reported as an eligible receiver. But the officials incorrectly reported Dan Skipper as the eligible tackle, and when Decker caught the trick play conversion to take the lead, the Lions were called for a penalty for illegal touching. The penalty would cost the Lions another victory, losing 20-19 and changing their playoff future. They would have to play the Los Angeles Rams instead of the Green Bay Packers, which ended up being the favorable road. So, in the end, the officials will be something to watch in Dallas, especially with the Lions already struggling this year with penalties. If the Lions can overcome poor calls without affecting them, they can win the game. Improving away from home Winning on the road is challenging, but great teams do it. In the playoffs, the Lions are more than likely going to have to travel on the road at least once to make the Super Bowl. In fact, the Super Bowl itself is a road game of sorts, so your team needs to be prepared to play anywhere, anytime. While the Lions haven’t won in Dallas since 2011, they have started to improve on the road as a team since head coach Dan Campbell came in. The Lions were winless on the road in his first year, going 0-8-1 in 2021. In 2022, as the team’s record improved, so did their road play, going 4-4 on the road. Last season, the Lions went 6-3 on the road. This season, the Lions have only played one road game against the Cardinals, so this win could improve them to 2-0, as this is one of the most challenging road games they will have this season. The Lions are on a mission to win the Super Bowl this year, and as I mentioned earlier, road wins are crucial for this. It’s about playing in challenging environments, defying the odds, and emerging victorious. The Cowboys are inconsistent this season, and—shockingly—after going 8-0 at home last year, they’re off to a 0-2 start at AT&T Stadium thus far. But Dallas is on a two-game winning streak and will aim to continue this. The Lions, coming off a bye week, could either be refreshed and ready to go, or show signs of the bye week blues with a slow start. However, this game is within their reach, and if they could break a decade-long drought against the Seahawks, they can certainly conquer another challenge in Dallas.