The Detroit Lions kept their play-off hopes alive with a 44-30 win against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field.

Jahmyr Gibbs ran in three touchdowns for the Lions, while quarterback Jared Goff completed 25 of 34 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown.

Detroit, who had lost three of their previous six games, improved their record to eight wins and five defeats, and are third in the NFC North.

“They’re as hot a team as there is in this league,” Goff said.

“It felt like we got back to kind of who we are. Maybe we can become that now.”

The Cowboys arrived in Detroit on a three-game winning streak, but their chances of reaching the play-offs took a hit as they slipped to a sixth loss of the campaign.

Dallas had trailed by 18 points in the third quarter, but threatened a comeback when Dak Prescott’s touchdown pass was followed by a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 30-27.

However, Gibbs, 23, scored twice more to extend the Lions’ lead, taking his career touchdown tally to 47 – and moving level with Barry Sanders for the most in NFL history for a player before their 24th birthday.

“The work was there all week. It always is but the intensity, the urgency… the guys don’t get panicked. They just go to work, and they did it again,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.

Detroit return to action at 21:25 GMT on 14 December at the Los Angeles Rams, while the Cowboys (6-6), who are second in the NFC East, host the Minnesota Vikings at 01:20 GMT on 15 December.