By Alex Al-Kazzaz
The Dallas Cowboys are currently leading the NFC East. The Cowboys are determined to stay in control after a big win over the Eagles last week. For Dallas, they want to be crowned the 2023 NFC East Champions. And the only way to do that is to win out. In other words, the Cowboys must win the rest of their games, considering the Eagles' remaining schedule is a walk in the park compared to Dallas.
Dallas' road game against Buffalo is vital. All Philadelphia needs is one Dallas loss, and they regain first place in the NFC East. So Dallas can't afford to come up short. Taking on Josh Allen & Company in Buffalo is another chance for Dallas to prove whether or not they are Super Bowl Caliber. Although Buffalo being 7-6 shows that Buffalo is not quite the team they've been the past few years, the Bills are in a dire situation as they need a win to keep playoff hopes alive. Buffalo is coming off a big win on the road against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Buffalo Bills offensive line can protect Allen. He's only been sacked 18 times this season, and his ability to scramble decreases pressure from the offensive line. With Buffalo's unpredictable offense, the Dallas defense faces another massive challenge, which benefits Dallas because if they can overcome it, they further solidify themselves as a strong, cohesive unit. Forcing turnovers and sacking Allen is vital.
Prescott and the offense must deal with a Bills defense that has registered 42 sacks this season, which is a cause for concern. Last week against Philadelphia, Prescott was sacked three times but was able to recover quickly. Having to rely more on the passing game is another massive concern, but things can turn out well if Prescott can connect with Jake Ferguson, Brandon Cooks, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup. The running game needs to provide some breathing space. Buffalo's run defense allows an average of 114 yards per game, so Dallas hopes to take advantage.
It comes down to this for Dallas: can they overcome Buffalo or not? No doubt, the Cowboys are perfectly capable of getting the job done. But with the Bills being in the predicament that they're in, they won't let up, so Dallas needs to overpower Buffalo on offense, defense, special teams, and coaching. In other words, Dallas needs to be the better team.
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