A 31-10 Cowboys loss in Buffalo has people wondering if this Cowboys team is truly for real
For weeks the Dallas Cowboys looked like they were gaining ground towards the number one seed in the NFC playoff race. Despite a heartbreaking loss in Philadelphia earlier in the season, the team came roaring back the second go around for a blowout win at home solidifying their place atop the NFC East.
This team seemed like they had all the pieces. A flourishing offense with quarterback Dak Prescott at the helm paired with a stout defense made it seem like everything was on the up and up for America’s Team. Except in Buffalo.
It all came crashing down with a 31-10 loss against Buffalo, keeping Dallas’ road woes alive. Despite being undefeated at home, the team has struggled on the road, going 3-4 while heading into a pivotal time for every NFL team. As the playoff race heats up, it’s the wrong time for Dallas to simmer down.
“We gotta be road warriors throughout the playoffs now because of this,” defensive end Micah Parsons told reporters in Buffalo. “It doesn’t matter unless we get better on the road.”
However, as the postseason sits right now, Dallas is still in control of their own destiny. While they lost a huge one against Buffalo on Sunday, an Eagles loss to Seattle on Monday night may have kept them alive in the waning moments of the NFL regular season. Not that the team cares though.
When asked about the team’s postseason berth, Prescott told reporters, “Don’t care, to be honest.”
Can’t blame him, a road playoff game is essentially guaranteed if the team can make it past the first round. Even more, the current home and away disparity shows glaring issues with the team at their very core.
The Cowboys lead the NFL in penalties with 102 and 872 penalty yards. The only other team among the top 10 in penalties committed that is also currently in the playoff field is the Cleveland Browns.
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The Cowboys can’t seem to stop shooting themselves in the foot, and when that happens– it’s usually a foreboding sign. The team is extremely talented, but there are few metrics more all-encompassing than wins, turnover margin, and penalty yardage. Dishing out free yardage is a godsend for another team and drive killers for the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott’s stat line also left something to be desired in Orchard Park. 21/34 is not a bad sign, however only throwing for 134 yards with 30+ passes is. Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer’s offense consisted of low risk, short yardage passes– something that should be used as a foundation for an offense at this level, not the entirety of. It’s tough to guess as to why the Cowboys were reluctant to throw the ball downfield especially with as much talent as they have in the receiver room.
That’s less than half of the average passing yards per attempt (7.4) that Dallas has averaged this season. How the offensive struggles of the Dallas Cowboys’ past came back to haunt them on a pivotal night like this, look no further than the entire gameplan.
Depth issues also continue to plague the Cowboys, problems that reared their head clearly against the Bills. Defensive injuries led to a team that hadn’t given up a single 100 yard rusher all season to James Cook almost having a career night with nearly 200 yards. Dallas’ run defense got gashed, with Josh Allen having a sub-100 yard night. Both sides of the line have been decimated by injuries, with now a Zack Martin injury leaving more questions than answers for the Cowboys.
No matter what way you spin it, the Cowboys have serious troubles, and while they do seem fit to make the playoffs, whether or not the team can make a deep run is definitely a question worth asking.
