The Cowboys know they gave playoff opponents a blueprint by getting run over by the Bills….
The Dallas Cowboys’ only successful outcome in Buffalo occurred prior to their 31-10 defeat at the hands of the Bills, when they successfully completed their third straight postseason trip as a result of Atlanta’s loss.
The last time the Cowboys did that was during a six-year postseason run in the 1990s that included three Super Bowl victories.
Dallas is aware that opponents will target the team’s run defense in an attempt to thwart the franchise’s deepest postseason run since those times.
James Cook of Buffalo ran for 179 yards, the most by a running back in a game against the Cowboys since Alfred Morris finished with 200 yards in the season finale in 2012.
The Bills’ 266 rushing yards against Dallas were their highest since 2020, the year before defensive coordinator Dan Quinn took over and turned around one of the worst defensive teams in team history.
Despite the progress Quinn’s Cowboys (10-4) have made in terms of sacks and turnovers, stopping the run has proven to be an issue.
The most noticeable problem Quinn has had in his three seasons was back to haunt him against the Bills, with the postseason drawing near.
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis told reporters, “It would be a stupid football team not to exploit some of the stuff you see that we have a problem with.” “I am confident that we will receive that in the future. However, I’m confident that we can resolve the issue.”
The most obvious reason is that defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins was not present due to a sprained ankle that could keep him out for several weeks.
rookie selected in the first round In comparison to Hankins, who was added in a midseason trade last year specifically for that role, Mazi Smith hasn’t done much to demonstrate that he’s ready to be a run-stuffer.
The Cowboys knew they would need Hankins again, so they re-signed him even after selecting Smith. Runs in between tackles aren’t the only issue, though. Another problem has been perimeter carries.
Miami on Sunday and Detroit on December 30 are Dallas’ next two opponents, and both teams rank in the top four in the NFL in terms of rushing offense.
San Francisco, who has defeated the Cowboys in the playoffs the last two seasons, is ranked third.
Coach Mike McCarthy declared, “We have to be better, no question about it.” “They used the ball far too well.”
What is effective
With three playoff seasons under his belt, McCarthy’s Cowboys are 11-1 following a loss. Dallas has won 15 straight games at home, so they need to defeat the Dolphins, who are currently leading the AFC East, 12-1 if they want to have any chance of making it to the postseason.
WHAT REQUIRES ASSISTANCE
McCarthy stated that the Cowboys were optimistic that six-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin would not miss any more time due to a quadriceps injury that forced him to leave the game against the Bills in the first half.
Without him, Dallas’ offense stagnated until the game was lost. When the Cowboys were trailing 31-3 in the fourth quarter, they went on their lone touchdown drive, gaining 80 of their 195 total yards.
AVAILABLE STOCK
Prescott, who was once again in Buffalo, has had a strong scrambling game for the most of the season. After a first-quarter scramble that resulted in an unwarranted roughness call against Taylor Rapp, he finished with 24 yards on seven carries.
Prescott had obviously begun to slide when Rapp dove at and went over the top of him. A matching roughness call against Martin, who flattened Rapp to convey a message about taking a shot at the Dallas quarterback, negated that penalty.
LOW STOCK
The Cowboys have a serious problem with the striking disparity between their performances at home and away from home, especially since the defeat to the Bills raised the probability that they will begin — and remain — on the road during the playoffs.
The Cowboys are leading in points, third in total yards, and second in passing yards at home, where their 15-game winning streak is the team’s longest in forty-two years. Dallas ranks 15th, 21st, and 20th in those three categories when traveling.
At home, the Cowboys have a 171-point advantage (24.4 points per game) over their last seven opponents. They had a negative point differential traveling after the loss in Buffalo (156–152).
PERSONAL HARM
Martin was hit close to his left knee on the play that caused a quad bruise, but he was fortunate to avoid a serious injury. The Cowboys are worried about more ankle issues than Hankins, though. Security Malik Hooker’s ankle injury kept him out of the Buffalo game as well. As the playoffs draw near, a close eye will be on the health of both Hankins and Hooker.
KEY NUMBER 94: Josh Allen only needed 94 yards passing from Buffalo because the Cowboys were so bad against the run. Less than 100 yards passing through the air occurred in just five of his career games, and it was the first time in a nearly complete game since his rookie campaign in 2018. Allen was the only player for Buffalo to throw a pass during the game, and his 15 attempts were his fewest.
NEXT ACTIONS
Philadelphia has no more games against teams with winning records in the final three weeks of the NFC East title race. It is two for the Cowboys.
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