DALLAS — Games don’t go much worse than how it went for the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, as they got their butts whipped by the Buffalo Bills 31-10. The contest was billed as Dallas’ latest shot at silencing critics about their ability to win on the road. After watching the previous five weeks of steady dominance from Jerry Jones’ team, the blowout loss was difficult to see coming.
However, with how the Cowboys have handled road challenges over the last few years, perhaps the Week 15 results shouldn’t have been a surprise. The team has made a habit of running away with games in Dallas but coming up woefully short on the road. Yet very few people expected the Cowboys to get embarrassed. Those days were thought to be over.
That wasn’t the case, of course. This was just another example of the Cowboys getting badly beaten on the road by a quality team. Some things never change.
Here’s what we learned about the Cowboys after a disappointing loss to the Bills in Week 15:
Defense doesn’t have answers when questioned
The defense for the Cowboys got punched in the mouth early, and never fought back. This felt eerily similar to another embarrassing road loss from this year – the Week 5 contest in San Francisco which Dallas lost 42-10 – where Dan Quinn didn’t have any answers. The Bills ran for a season-high 266 yards on a soft Dallas defense, who couldn’t manage to land a blow of their own.
The Cowboys love to play the role of the bullies on defense, but they do not respond well to getting bullied. They were not as physical as they needed to be, and when they did try to muscle up, they were called for a penalty.
It’s a defense that doesn’t like offenses running downhill at them and when it happens, they don’t handle it well. With games against two good, physical running teams coming up in the next two weeks, the defense needs to figure it out.
Short yardage situation dooms Cowboys
In the second quarter, the offense had settled in with a successful drive unfolding. It felt like a touchdown from the Cowboys on that possession could get them right back in the game after a rough start.
The offense worked their way into the red zone and running back Tony Pollard got nine yards on first down. Facing a second-and-one, Dallas called for a run, right into a run blitz by the Buffalo defense and Pollard was stopped for a loss of three yards. The Cowboys couldn’t convert on third-and-four and were forced to kick a field goal.
It was a disappointing end to a promising drive. Getting into the red zone and needing just one-yard to keep the series going, but losing yards and forcing a tougher third down is something that cannot happen in a game of this magnitude.
Kicking the field goal was deflating, and that’s when it started to feel like it wasn’t the Cowboys’ day.
Where’s the challenge flag?
Every game there are a couple plays that can make the difference in the outcome. For the Cowboys, it also comes down to whether or not they can overcome a few questionable in-game decisions from head coach Mike McCarthy.
The offense had finally put together a drive to get some points and close the gap to 14-3 near the end of the first half. The tide was potentially turning with the Bills facing a second-and-six when quarterback Josh Allen completed a pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was hit by linebacker Markquese Bell. During the tackle, Bell knocked the ball out and safety Donovan Wilson recovered for the Cowboys.
The officials ruled Diggs down before the ball came out and the Bills then hurried to the line to get another play off because they knew what McCarthy didn’t, it was a fumble and should have been the Cowboys’ ball. Yet McCarthy never challenged and said after the game he couldn’t get an answer from his staff before the next play was run.
It was a massive mistake to not throw the challenge flag. Dallas would’ve had the ball in Bills territory, with a chance to cut into the lead, bleed the clock, and grab the momentum before halftime where they potentially could have received the second half kickoff with a chance to play for a lead.
Instead, McCarthy kept the flag in his pocket, and a few plays later safety Jayron Kearse was called for a big penalty that helped the Bills sustain the drive where they would eventually score on the other side of the two-minute warning to go up 21-3 to put Dallas in a hole that they would never recover from.
Prescott’s MVP candidacy takes hit
It’s not a primary goal for the Cowboys to have quarterback Dak Prescott win the MVP award, but he was on pace to be one of the favorites because of his play over the last seven weeks prior to the game against the Bills. However, that bid likely went into the toilet with a subpar game in Week 15.
Prescott threw for just 134 yards and failed to throw a touchdown for the first time since the opening game of the season, while also throwing his first interception since Week 10. If the Bills could’ve held onto a few more balls, it might’ve looked worse for Prescott, who got lucky that the Buffalo defense didn’t come down with a few more interceptions.
The offense and Prescott have been outstanding, but they didn’t fare well against the Bills. Losing on the road and playing a poor game away from home yet again damages the veteran signal caller’s chances of winning the award.
This looks like the game that will cost Prescott the MVP.
Do you think the Cowboys have learned their lesson and can improve on the road? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
