Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- Another week, another high-profile matchup in the late-afternoon window on an NFL Sunday.
- Two aggressive passing offenses face off in a game with enormous playoff implications for both sides.
- Dak Prescott and Josh Allen rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the NFL among QBs in “expected points added”.
- The Bills are averaging 29 points per game since changing their offensive coordinator, while the Cowboys are averaging 38 points per game since opening up their offense following their Week 7 bye.
- This game sets up well for the tight ends and running backs of the Bills, as well as the receivers for the Cowboys.
How dallas Will Try To Win ::
Dallas changed its identity coming out of its bye week, putting the ball in the hands of Prescott and raising its pass rate, as well as increasing the level of aggression with which they push the ball down the field and the tempo they play with. Dallas ranks among the league leaders in both situation-neutral pace of play and PROE. Prescott has rewarded the Cowboys for their trust in him by playing at an MVP-caliber level and putting Dallas in a three-way tie atop the NFC with the Eagles and 49ers. The Cowboys have a very difficult schedule remaining, as they face the Dolphins and Lions over the next two weeks before closing out the year against the Commanders. The Cowboys made short work of the Eagles last week and should enter Buffalo extremely confident that they can get it done once again.
The Bills defense showed its vulnerability in Week 12 against the Eagles, as their elite wide receivers made big plays to keep them in the game while Jalen Hurts made plays with his legs. CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks should have opportunities to make plays against the Bills man coverage, while tight end Jake Ferguson is a perfect fit for attacking the Bills in the middle of the field when they play zone. Buffalo mixes up its coverage looks, ranking 16th in the league in man-coverage rate and 17th in zone-coverage rate. Prescott has been absolutely on point this season and should be able to identify the Bills’ coverages and attack them in the optimal way regardless of how they play them. On the ground, the Cowboys got Rico Dowdle more involved last week and moved Tony Pollard into a role that more closely resembled his 2022 role than how he has been used this year. Pollard set a season high with eight targets to go along with his 16 carries, and Dowdle also set a season high with 12 carries, including seven in the first half – it isn’t like Dallas was just feeding him once the game was in hand. This could potentially unlock yet another level for the Dallas offense if the Cowboys are able to get Pollard back to the efficient and explosive back we saw in 2022 by being more calculated in their usage of him. Buffalo’s run defense ranks 29th out of 32 teams in yards per carry allowed, and the threat of the Dallas passing game should open up lanes for both Cowboys backs. The Cowboys are in great position to finally make that elusive playoff run and it has been their aggressiveness on both sides of the ball that has gotten them this far, so we shouldn’t expect that to change now.
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