Cowboys vs. Bills: Clinching Playoffs
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On what was a mild December Sunday in Buffalo, the Bills came out hot. James Cook went over 100 scrimmage yards in the first half, setting the tone for Buffalo and putting the Dallas defence on the back foot. When the defence had a chance to make momentum changing play, they missed. The feel of the game from the off, suggested that these plays would be big, and they were. Any chance to slow down Josh Allen in Buffalo, you have to take and they didn’t. As mentioned, James Cook was super productive, which could definitely be down to the fact that you were missing your big bodied run-defender in Jonathan Hankins, but this is why you drafted a DT with your first round pick.
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Oddly, on the other side of the ball, the production in the run game was evident from the off, but when you go down three scores at the half, timing implications suggests that a good passing game would also be necessary. Prescott and these pass catchers could not get anything going. The Bills defence came to play and the Cowboys struggled to slow them down all night. Something that hasn’t been an issue for the Cowboys since week 5.
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This team has not been used to playing from behind. As good as this defence can be, they seem to always need reminders to ‘earn the right to rush’. You have to play the run until you don’t. A somewhat naïve approach to this game, with the QB/RB duo of the bills, the lack of Hankins and the weather in the state of New York at this time of year. Having to throw the ball in these conditions was not the recipe for success but that’s what this team had to do, and struggled.
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As visually one-sided as this game looked and the score suggests, there were a few plays in the first half that could have really changed the course of this game. Demarcus Lawrence had a roughing the passer call as the Bills were about to be three and out early in the game, extending the Bills driving, resulting in a touchdown. Sam Williams had what looked to be the easiest punt block you could ask for but whiffed. The Cowboys also punched the ball out of Diggs’ hands, recovering at mid-field but refused to challenge the play while the Bills rushed to get their next snap off. Three massive plays which could have changed the course of the game.
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Still, the Cowboys got out-played in all three phases of the game. A chance to put the conversation about winning on the road against a good team to bed, was missed. They have to find a way to move the ball when things aren’t going their way. They also need to find a way of stopping the run, when they’re on the back foot. Luckily, there isn’t too many atmospheres like this in the play-offs and on a night that seems so dull, this team actually clinched their spot in the post-season.
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This team tends to not got back-to-back losses, but a stern test to this stat awaits next week in the most explosive team in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins.