Tim Twentyman

All-Pro safetyKerby Josephis closing in on his return to the Detroit Lions lineup.

Joseph hasn't played since Week 6 in Kansas City due to a bone bruise in his knee along with what head coach Dan Campbell described Sunday as some wear and tear in the knee that Joseph might have to manage long-term.

"He's close," Campbell said Sunday when asked if Joseph could return to play this week. "We'll know a lot more really tomorrow. Today's a walkthrough, so tomorrow, see where he's at. But he is getting better, like we said, he gets better every week."

The Lions have missed Joseph the last six games that he's been out. He led the NFL with nine interceptions last season and leads all NFL safeties in interceptions (20) and passes defended (35) since entering the NFL in 2022.

"A lot of it is just trying to get some stability in the leg," Campbell said. "Get some strength, get some stability, which in turn will help some of the pain but also some of the wear and tear. The stronger you get it in there, it stabilizes it, so it doesn't wear out as fast or create that kind of pain with it. That's really what a lot of it is right now."

The Cowboys have the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL heading into their Week 14 matchup with the Lions fueled by the league's top passing attack that is averaging 271.3 passing yards per contest.

Getting Joseph back for a game that the Lions need to win Thursday to keep pace in the NFC for a playoff bid would be huge.

FUNDAMENTALS, DISCIPLINE & DETAILS

With such a strong offensive opponent coming to town Thursday, Campbell knows he's going to need a more consistent performance from his defense than he's gotten the last couple weeks against the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

In the overtime win over New York Week 12 and the loss on Thanksgiving to Green Bay, Detroit's defense has allowed 633 passing yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception by safetyThomas Harpervs. the Giants.

In that same two-game stretch, Detroit recorded just one sack and nine quarterback hits with six of those hits coming from edge rusherAidan Hutchinson.

"Got to be a little bit better. And fundamentally, this is a little bit like what I told the defense, we just, man, details and discipline, and really fundamentally, we've got to get better," Campbell said. "We've got to get better.

"It can't just be you're going to win off talent or things of that nature. It was really more about pointing out all the things that have nothing to do with talent, which really are the details, the discipline and the fundamentals. So, we've just got to be a little more on point there. We can, everybody's got to do their job. And that'll help, that'll go a long way."

Detroit's been hit on some big plays in the passing game the last couple weeks and have to get back to better marrying their rush and cover defensively starting Thursday against a really good Cowboys passing attack.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE DUO

The middle of Dallas' defensive front looks very different than the one the Lions faced last season when Detroit handed the Cowboys one of their worst home losses in their history (47-9) while doing pretty much whatever they wanted to offensively.

The Cowboys added three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams via trade with the New York Jets at the deadline to pair with three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark, who Dallas acquired in the trade with Green Bay for Micah Parsons before the season.

Clark has been a steady producer all season with 24 tackles, 3.0 sacks and five tackles for loss with seven quarterback hits from the interior of the Dallas defensive front. Williams had 1.5 sacks in his first game with Dallas Week 9 vs. Las Vegas following the trade and adds 2.5 sacks, 41 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits to form a very nice defensive tackle duo in the center of the Dallas defense.

Campbell said starting centerGraham Glasgow(knee) is getting better after missing the Thanksgiving Day loss to Packers. We'll have to monitor his status for this week.

EXTRA POINTS

• Tight endBrock Wrightis dealing with a trachea injury, Campbell said Sunday. The Lions are sending out additional scans to get second opinions in hopes it will provide more clarity on when or if Wright can get clearance to play.
• Detroit kept veteran edge rusherJosh Paschal(back) on IR last week, ending his season. Campbell said Sunday they just ran out of time needing more than the 21-day practice window they had to decide if Paschal was ready to help them or not.