Buffalo Bills The NFL's Most Dangerous Team And Nobody Wants Any Part Of Them
This one was pretty much over by the end of the third quarter, as the Buffalo Bills were dominating the Dallas Cowboys. And that's when FOX play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt articulated what a lot of NFL fan bases are dreading:
"The Bills came into the week the 11th seed in the AFC. I know they got a lot of work to do," Burkhardt said. "But they get into the playoffs, not a single team is gonna want to play them."
That immediately launched a huge debate in the broadcast booth with former Pro Bowl tight end and FOX analyst Greg Olsen.
No it didn't.
"In the event this Buffalo Bills team makes the playoffs, I don't care if they're the fourth seed or the seventh seed, I don't think it matters," Olsen said. "I don't know anybody in the AFC that feels good coming here or having the Bills go on the road."
Bills Playing Like A Team Making Playoff Push
They're right. The Bills, admittedly in playoff mode because they dug themselves a terrible hole earlier this season, are playing great now.
"We're getting better as the season goes on," quarterback Josh Allen said, serving up something of a warning for the rest of the NFL. "I think that's what we're built for. Games like this. Finding ways. And our defense going out there against a fantastic offense and doing their thing.
"So it was a complete win today."
The Cowboys would have a hard time arguing that point. They traveled to Buffalo riding a five-game winning streak and boasting the NFL's top scoring offense.
And the Bills blew their doors off.
Bills 31.
Cowboys 10.
The game was so lopsided, the Bills social media team started trolling the Cowboys seconds after the final gun sounded.
Cowboys Game Plan Backfires Against Bills
It was a statement game for the Bills.
The Bills didn't just win but basically established a blueprint for beating the Cowboys. The Cowboys, you see, dared the Bills to run the football. They did that because, well, Josh Allen throwing the ball isn't a great option.
The Bills obliged. They ran the ball. And in doing so they showed the the Dallas run defense, about middle of the pack statistically before this game, is vulnerable.
The Bills stampeded the Cowboys defense to the tune of 266 rushing yards. That's the highest rushing mark the Bills have hit during Sean McDermott's seven seasons as Buffalo's coach.
"Anytime our big boys can move forwards and not backwards, as in everything for offensive linemen is backwards in pass pass pro, but when we're moving forward on our initial movement, that's a beautiful thing," Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins said.
"It's a beautiful feeling when guys are falling forward. It's fun."
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 17: James Cook #4 of the Buffalo Bills runs past DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
James Cook Enjoys Bills Coming Out Party
The Bills discovered running back James Cook this game. He is the younger brother of Jets running back Dalvin Cook. And he is now going to be a problem defensive coordinators must game plan for.
The reason is Cook gained 179 rushing yards on 25 carries. That's a whopping 7.2 yards per carry average. Cook also added 42 receiving yards. That's 221 total yards from scrimmage for Cook.
The Cowboys, by comparison, gained 195 total yards as a team.
The Bills didn't plan to make this the James Cook game, but stuff was simply working and so offensive coordinator Joe Brady kept calling runs.
"Everybody was on the right cut, everybody was on the right signal, everybody was on the right mission," Dawkins said. "And it worked."
It could have been worse for the Cowboys considering Allen finished his day's work with nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 17: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills runs past Chauncey Golston #99 of the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
Josh Allen Didn't Shine Because He Didn't Have To
It could have been worse considering Allen, averaging 266 passing yards per game, barely taxed his arm. The Buffalo quarterback completed 7 of 15 passes for 94 yards with 1 touchdown.
"Just get it done," Allen said. "I feel like the kid that didn't do the class project but got an A."
This is bad news for the rest of the AFC.
The Bills blew out one of the top seeds in the NFC playoff picture on a day Josh Allen didn't have to be a hero and barely posted stats that would satisfy a game manager.
That's not good news for teams outside Bufalo. That's ominous.
It's another reason that, admit it or not, other AFC teams and their fans would prefer the Bills somehow miss the playoffs. Because nobody wants to have to play them.