Cowboys fans always travel well, but this was something else.
They flat-out hijacked Ford Field on Sunday during their team's 35-27 win over Detroit. At certain points, namely third downs for the Lions offense, it felt like a home game for the visitors.
Make no mistake, players on both sides noticed it.
"When you're in an away stadium and you're on the field as a defensive player and you hear, 'Defense!' that is heartwarming," said Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn.
For the Lions, it had to be sickening. They typically enjoy a loud home-field advantage at Ford Field. But they entered Sunday's game in last place in the NFC North, and their fans are clearly having a hard time believing.
Cries of "Let's Go Cowboys!" were outdone only by those cheers for Dallas' defense.
There is a Cowboys game at Ford Field pic.twitter.com/zfj2WRG0nH
— Will Burchfield (@burchie_kid) November 17, 2019"For us, we're just out there playing hard," said Matt Patricia. "Our fans are great. They're out there, they're cheering hard and trying to support us and doing everything they can to help us. That's really it."
Asked what it says about the state of the organization that the fans are losing hope in early November, Patricia said, "I have no idea why, what the situation is, who bought tickets and who didn't. We're just focused on the game. The game wasn't good enough for us."
It certainly wasn't. Detroit surrendered over 500 yards of offense, the latest embarrassment for a defense that was supposed to the strength of this team. It's enough to wonder if Patricia will survive to coach next season.
For the second year in a row, the Lions are just about toast two weeks before Thanksgiving. Hard to blame the fans for losing faith.
