What are the Dallas Cowboys talking about ahead of Thursday night's Week 14 matchup at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions?

1. Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer was asked about last year's 47-9 loss to Detroit and if that's been a source of extra motivation for the Cowboys heading into Thursday's contest.

"We talk about ourselves, and we focus on ourselves," Schottenheimer said. "Dan (Campbell) has built a really strong football team that mirrors his identity and we're trying to do the same thing here. Just another championship opportunity for us."

2. Running back Javonte Williams said the confidence level is high in the Cowboys locker room after they've won three straight games, including back-to-back wins over Philadelphia and Kansas City, to get back in the playoff picture in the NFC.

"I'd say it gives you a lot more confidence and a little extra boost," he said. "Knowing that you're actually going out there and playing for something and the season isn't over. We still have a lot to play for. A lot of football left, and we just need to stick to the script."

A win Thursday and Dallas can jump Detroit as the No. 8 seed in the NFC and inch closer to a playoff berth.

Asked about Detroit's defense, Williams said the defensive line talent in Detroit stands out on tape and their ability as a defense to run to the football.

3. Dallas and Detroit are two of the top three teams in the NFL utilizing play action in their offense. Schottenheimer said it's a little bit of an advantage for both defenses having practiced and seen a lot of play action from their own offense.

"We both have an identity where we want to run the football and obviously use the play-action passing game," Schottenheimer said. "I think when you look at some of the plays they run, it's not just the action passing, it's the motions and things like that. They probably use more of the extra lineman than we do.

"A lot of times we can look at those plays and we translate it into our verbiage and so it's not like you're running a card, you're actually running a play we have … and that makes the look cleaner sometimes."

4. Dallas has played much better defensively over their current three-game win streak, particularly their run defense. The Cowboys are allowing 124.7 yards per game on the ground this season, but that average is just 69.6 over the last three games combined.

The addition of All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has been huge for the Cowboys' run defense now paired with fellow Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Williams said the difference hasn't been the addition of one player but simply everyone executing upfront and doing their job.

Defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa said this week that Thursday is one of those games where Dallas' defensive line knows they must be good with their fundamentals because Detroit's offense does a lot of different things out of the same look.

"It's one of those games where I write a ton of notes and don't have a lot of good information to use," he said. "Just going to look at the guy in front of me and play my keys."

Detroit's offense reminds Odighizuwa of the 49ers in terms of all the motions and window dressing pre-snap.

5. Quinnen Williams was asked about Detroit's offense, and he gave Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs some glowing praise.

"They got one of the best running backs of all time, to me, because he came from Alabama also," Williams, a fellow Alabama alum, said. "Going against an explosive guy, and the two they have, but especially Jahmyr, is definitely a great challenge."

6. Schottenheimer was also very complimentary of the abilities of both Gibbs and David Montgomery. He said he loved Gibbs coming out of Alabama in 2023 and Gibbs was one of his favorite interviews in the entire pre-draft process at the Combine. Schottenheimer thinks it's a really cool balance that the Lions have with their running game in terms of Gibbs' speed and Montgomery's physicality.

"They are a very dynamic one-two punch," he said.

7. The Cowboys opened All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs' 21-day practice window this week after a recent stint on IR with a concussion and knee injury. Diggs has not played since Dallas' Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 12. Could Diggs return to the lineup as soon as Thursday?

"He'll be on the field. Wanted to be on the field last night (Thanksgiving) but he'll be on the field at Detroit in my view barring a (setback)," Dallas owner, president and GM Jerry Jones said on his 105.3 The Fan segment last Friday.