The Detroit Lions were still angry about what happened against the Cowboys last year

DETROIT – Well, if there was any question as to whether the Detroit Lions were still angry about what happened against the Cowboys last season, we now have our answer.

Apparently they haven't forgotten.

It's not just that the Lions arrived in Dallas this weekend and showed no mercy in a 47-9 loss. Hell, it's not even like the starting offense kept throwing passes with a 31-point lead in the fourth quarter.

No, what really gave it away was how the Lions tried to completely humiliate the Cowboys. Like a cat playing with its food.

It started in the middle of the third quarter, when the game was already over and the score was 34:9. The Lions were at the 2-yard line. Taylor Decker and Dan Skipper both reported eligibility, and I'm pretty sure everyone in the stadium knew what to expect.

OK, let's back up for a moment, in case you haven't been paying attention over the last 10 months. Last year, in a Week 17 game with massive seeding implications, the Lions appeared to beat the Cowboys in Dallas with a last-second two-point conversion pass to Decker.

But the game was stopped by a penalty for an ineligible player in the lower field. Essentially, officials said the Lions were being too sneaky and they assumed Skipper was the one making the official report, not Decker.

“Decker reported” has become something of a rallying cry since then, so the Lions clearly had plans to try something in this game.

Even though Decker was well covered, Jared Goff, on first-and-goal, tried to squeeze a pass into a tight window for a touchdown. It actually hit Decker's hands, but the defender stopped it and the pass fell incomplete.

You may have thought, “Ah, okay, they took their chance. It was sweet. Now they will move on.

No. Not even close.

On the very next drive – now leading 37-9 – the Lions faced a second-and-8 from the 10-yard line. Goff passed to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who crossed sideways to Penei Sewell, who staggered 9 or 10 yards and dove toward the goal line.

We will never know whether he actually made it. Because the piece was recalled. For an illegal man downfield (Frank Ragnow).

Once again the Lions settled for a field goal.

After the Lions let Goff throw another touchdown pass to make it 47-9 at the start of the fourth, Hendon Hooker took over the quarterback position. On a fourth down play at the Dallas 31-yard line, guess who declared eligible and lined up at wide receiver.

Dan Skipper. And the Lions would obviously try to get him the ball, too. But the play was well defended and Hooker was dismissed.

Most teams would have already put the events of last season behind them. Some might have tried a trick to make a statement.

But the Lions obviously went to Dallas with the mission of not only winning the game handily, but also getting ahead of the Cowboys.

None of the passes to the linemen worked, but hey, I suspect the Lions will get the 38-point win.