DALLAS — The rivalry week blowout win over the Philadelphia Eagles is now in the rearview mirror for the Dallas Cowboys and there’s a fresh opportunity ahead of them. Coming off their most important victory this season, a new question has been asked of the Cowboys: Can they beat a good team on the road?
The Buffalo Bills are 5-1 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York this year and have been tough to beat at home ever since Josh Allen has been their quarterback. Dallas has been roasting teams when playing at home, where they’ve won three weeks in a row, but now they’ll be the road team for the first time since November 19th as they try to extend their overall winning streak to six games.
The Cowboys are 3-3 away from AT&T Stadium this season but are 0-2 against teams who have an above .500 record on the year. This feels like the last hurdle for head coach Mike McCarthy’s group to jump before their legitimacy is cemented.
Here are the keys for the Cowboys to beat the Bills in Week 15 to back up their run of outstanding play:
Win the turnover battle
This game will feature strength versus strength, as the Bills have a good offense, but they do turn the ball over. Buffalo’s offense has 21 giveaways this season, tied for eighth most in the league, and Allen is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 14. Dallas’ defense is more than capable of keeping that trend going, they haven taken the ball away 21 times, currently good for seventh best in the league.
On the flipside, the Bills’ defense is tied for second in the league in takeaways, forcing 23 turnovers. Their defense is just one of three teams to have double-digit interceptions and fumble recoveries during the year.
To make things more interesting, the Cowboys have given the ball away just 11 times this season, tied for lowest in the league. Prescott’s six interceptions are among the lowest in the NFL for a starting QB. Prescott’s 1.3% interception rate ranks third in the league and is the best of his career.
The Bills are great at taking the ball away on defense, but the Cowboys rarely give it up. Yet, Buffalo’s offense has a penchant for turning it over and Dan Quinn’s defense takes it away at a high rate.
Whoever wins the turnover battle will have a leg up on Sunday.
Give Prescott time
The Cowboys are on top of the football world right now, especially on offense, leading the league in points per game at 32.4. Prescott has played his best football in the last seven games, throwing for 22 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
Part of the reason for his success has been his offensive line, who has three games in that stretch where they haven’t allowed a sack. Prescott has also been good at avoiding the rush and using his legs to give himself time to find open receivers.
That will be tougher against a Bills team that pressures the QB at a high rate. Buffalo is third in the NFL in sacks with 42 and has four players with at least three takedowns on the year. It’s a defense that can create interior pressure, as their defensive tackle position has 12.5 sacks, led by Ed Oliver’s 6.5, while their edge rushers also attack, led by veteran Leonard Floyd’s 9.5 sacks.
It will be tough to find time to throw, but if Prescott has it, he should be able to pick apart a passing defense that has lost two starting cornerbacks for the year, and a third secondary player in safety Micah Hyde that might not play. Prescott and the offensive line need to buy enough time to attack a hurting secondary.
Keep the ground game in check
The Bills are 10th in the league in rushing, averaging 122 ypg, and they do it with a mix of running backs. Second-year RB James Cook leads the team in rushing with 789 yards and he’s starting to get into a groove over the past month with his first 100-yard rushing game. He’s also averaging almost 5.5 yards per carry over his last four weeks.
Veteran running back Latavius Murray also pitches in, especially near the goal line. Murray has three scores, second only to Allen, and has seen his usage go up recently.
Those are two good running options from the running back position, but it’s Allen that makes the rushing offense so potent for the Bills.
Allen is second on the team in rushing yards, but his 10 rushing touchdowns are second in the league for a quarterback, and third overall. The designed runs are tough to stop because of Allen’s ability as a passer and when he escapes the pocket, Allen is difficult to bring down because of his size.
Allen is a challenge to slow down, just as Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was last week, but Allen is a better overall runner who can wear down a defense.
The Cowboys will need to find a way to slow down a rushing attack where the QB is as dangerous a dual threat as there is in the league.
Keep playing aggressive
The Cowboys are on a five-game winning streak and have won seven of their last eight games since the debacle in San Francisco. Much has been made of the offensive changes and how they have been more aggressive, and that can’t change now.
The Bills are in desperation mode at 7-6 as they enter the final four weeks of the season in a dogfight to make the playoffs in a crowded AFC. Any loss for Buffalo could be a death sentence.
Desperate teams are tough to beat, especially ones that are as talented as the Bills. All six of Buffalo's losses have been by less than six points this year, and the Cowboys can’t afford a letdown in their quest to win the NFC East and possibly the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
After beating the Eagles, Dallas needs to keep their foot on the gas.
Will the Cowboys show some road prowess at Buffalo in Week 15? Share your predictions with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.