Breaking news;5 Takes: Believe it or not, the sky isn’t falling…..

NY’S ORCHARD PARK — The Dallas Cowboys went to Highmark Stadium on Sunday night, where they were defeated 31-3 by the Buffalo Bills, in a heartbreaking game.

The Cowboys had their worst offensive day of the season and gave up a season-high 255 yards on the ground, the most the team has allowed since 2012.

The major setback offered a lot of lessons. The Take 5 Oil Change presents the 5 Takes here.

It may seem unlikely, but the sky isn’t falling.

By all accounts, the Dallas Cowboys’ Sunday night loss to the Buffalo Bills was a humiliating one. The offense failed to produce any consistency, both sides’ trenches were trampled, and injuries started to pile up in the first quarter. The largest accomplishment for Dallas seemed to be finishing the game. But Dallas remains in the playoffs after this game. It doesn’t write the part for the team. It’s just another serious chink in the Cowboys’ armor, and it will take the remaining three weeks of the regular season to address the issues that were brought to light.

No Jonathan Hankins gives the opposition a rushing field day.

Let me begin by saying that James Cook still looks like he can run for more than 100 yards if Hankins was in the game on Sunday afternoon. With his field vision and Buffalo’s game plan to rely on him in the wet conditions, he was just made for a career day. Observing Cook gain confidence by frequently and early attacking the A-gap made it possible for other areas that needed to crash and assist to have a rushing field day. Let’s hope Jonathan Hankins gets well in the coming week and can make it back for Christmas Eve.

The run defense problems will need to be promptly resolved before Miami.

The running lanes that were created outside the tackles saw James Cook get most of his production on Sunday evening, so even if the Cowboys are able to bring back Jonathan Hankins for their game against Miami on Sunday, there will still need to be a lot of correction before we see the two-headed monster of Raheem Mostert and Devon Achane. Cook was able to find running lanes almost everywhere he looked, and the Cowboys will see two weapons next week that combine exceptional speed and field vision.

There is more than reason to be concerned about Dallas’ inability to win important games away from home.

There have only really been two significant road victories since Mike McCarthy took over in 2020: the victory in Minnesota in 2022 and the victory in New England in 2021. Apart from that, it’s difficult to find a lot of confidence in traveling and anticipating a significant victory. The Cowboys are 0-3 on the road in road tests in Buffalo, Philadelphia, and San Francisco even this season. Next week in Miami, there’s going to be another test, but would a victory in this increasingly likely road playoff match inspire anyone?

Zack Martin has a lot of weight on his left quad.

The entire offense was out of sync when Zack Martin left the game in the first quarter due to a knee injury to his left quad. There was a noticeable change in the protection strategy. Despite T.J. Bass’s strong performance as his replacement, Dak Prescott and the running game were both rattled by the lack of confidence in the protection. Zack Martin’s return becomes even more valuable as the season nears its conclusion when you consider the leadership he provides on the field and the assistance he provides before the snap.