“You’ve missed your window” Stephen A. Smith unloads on Dan Campbell before Lions’ make-or-break TNF showdown with Cowboys

The Detroit Lions face a big challenge on Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys. Each team is coming off different results from their respective Thanksgiving matchups, and the Lions want to right the ship before it's too late.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith reflected on Dan Campbell's team's journey in the 2025 NFL season. He questioned whether the team's window to contend was closed after they failed to transcend in 2023 and 2024. During Thursday's edition of "First Take," Smith unloaded on the Lions.

"What is going on with the Lions," Smith asked. "You're getting the impression you've missed your window of opportunity ... you're looking at the Detroit Lions and you're saying to yourself 'this is your opportunity' you're on the outside looking in."

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he continued. "You weren't supposed to be on the outside looking in with seven teams ahead of you record-wise. We didn't expect that. And the window of opportunity. We've been talking about Dan Campbell, how he resurrected this franchise, how he changed the culture etc, now you're looking at them and saying 'what is up?' This could be it for them."

Detroit enters Week 14 with a 7-5 record following a 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. They lost the regular-season series against the Packers and saw them and the Chicago Bears drift away in the race for the NFC North division title.

Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Co. need to rediscover their identity if they want to compete in the postseason.

They have lost three of their last five games, including a 27-24 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9 and a 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.

The Detroit Lions face a tough challenge in Week 14

The last time Goff and Co. faced the Dallas Cowboys, they dominated the "Lone Star" with a 47-9 win. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since that moment and these teams are experiencing different realities.

The Cowboys would improve to 7-5-1 with a win on Thursday, while Detroit would return to winning ways against one of the hottest teams in the league.

Dallas' capable offense and revamped defense pose a big challenge for Detroit. They beat the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in their last two games, and a win over Detroit would confirm that they are ready to compete against anybody.