Lions-Cowboys: Dan Campbell's antics follow in Jeff Fisher's footsteps

Most Americans probably won't be too disappointed that the Dallas Cowboys lost 47-9 to the Detroit Lions in Week 6. However, the way the Lions won showed once again that this is a team that can't behave like they've been there before.'

Many may not remember this, but last season the Lions lost 20-19 to the Cowboys in Week 17 due to some controversial officiating. On a two-point conversion, the Lions sent offensive lineman Taylor Decker to declare himself eligible to play before the game. However, confusion ensued and a penalty for illegal contact was assessed after the referee failed to report to the referees as an eligible receiver.

The Cowboys' win gave them the tiebreaker over the Lions and secured them the second playoff spot. However, none of that mattered as the Lions won the NFC Championship while the Cowboys lost in the first round. If any team was affected by the decision, it was the Rams who had to play the Lions, not a Cowboys team that was once again floundering in the playoffs.

But none of that seemed to matter on Sunday, as Dan Campbell and the Lions returned the favor. Not only did the Lions dismantle the Cowboys in Week 6, they also made sure to remind everyone of the missed call from nine months ago. On several occasions, the Lions declared an offensive lineman eligible to play and made him an important part of the game.

It was the ultimate act of pettiness from Dan Campbell and a lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game that doesn't belong in the NFL. The Lions are a team that wants to be considered one of the best, but can't seem to play with the attitude of “acting like you've been there before.” The Cowboys were not responsible for the missed call. That would have been referee Brad Allen, who officiated the Bears-Jaguars game in London. John Hussey was the referee for Sunday's Lions game.

In recent memory, the only act by an NFL head coach that even comes close to this level of pettiness is that of Jeff Fisher against Washington in 2014. Before the game, Fisher sent off Janoris Jenkins, Zac Stacy, Stedman Bailey, Greg Robinson, and Alec Ogletree captains the pre-game coin toss. What all of these players had in common was that they were selected with picks they had acquired two years earlier in the RGIII trade.

At this point, Washington had a new head coach in Mike Shanahan, who had drafted RGIII. Sean McVay, not Kyle Shanahan, was the offensive coordinator. RGIII hasn't even started the game yet. Colt McCoy played for the former number two overall pick, who was injured at the time.

The Rams won the game, but it was their last win of the season as they finished 6-10. But hey, at least they showed Washington in a meaningless Week 14 game in December.

These are the things you see at the high school level against two rival teams whose head coaches don't like each other. One team may increase the score because they remember the other team did so three years ago. It's just not something that should be at the NFL level.

Maybe the next time the Lions play the San Francisco 49ers, Campbell will score the points and kick field goals to get back at them for blowing a 24-7 lead in the NFC Championship Game.