ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Three plays summed up the entire day. About 30 minutes before kickoff, the Dallas Cowboys clinched a playoff berth. They then played nothing like a playoff team.
For the fourth time this season, the Cowboys lost. All four have come on the road. This time, 31-10 at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.
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“We did not play well,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said outside the visitors locker room at Highmark Stadium. “We play so well at home and there’s just too big of a gap in our road games. … We got to be much better on the road, regardless of what’s in front of us and all the other conversations. There’s too big of a gap between home and away.”
Six minutes into the game, the first big play happened.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw incomplete on third-and-4 from Dallas’ 6-yard line. But after the ball left his hand, Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence knocked the Pro Bowl QB to the turf. A highly questionable roughing the passer was called. Two plays later, Bills RB Latavius Murray scored on a 2-yard run. Bills 7, Cowboys 0.
Dallas forced punts on Buffalo’s next two possessions.
Leonard Floyd pressures Dak Prescott on Sunday. The Dallas QB was sacked three times and hit seven other times in the Bills’ 31-10 victory. (Mark Konezny / USA Today)And then the next pivotal play. The Cowboys forced a third consecutive punt. But DE Sam Williams was far too aggressive coming after Bills punter Sam Martin, knocking him to the ground — 15-yard penalty, roughing the kicker. Six plays later, Allen connected with RB James Cook for an 18-yard touchdown. Bills 14, Cowboys 0.
The final notable play happened on the next Buffalo possession. On second-and-19 on the Bills’ 38-yard line, Allen passed incomplete deep left to WR Khalil Shakir. But Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse drilled Shakir in the back, another 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. Seven plays later, Allen scored on a 1-yard run. Bills 21, Cowboys 3.
Judging by how the Cowboys were playing offensively, the game was basically over at that point.
“It’s super deflating,” Cowboys LB/DE Micah Parsons said of those costly penalties. “I think that changed the whole momentum of the game. It changed the course of the game.
“It forced our offense to be in certain situations, not letting them get into their full game plan and things like that. Those crucial penalties really hurt. Time and time again we come on the road and we face these crucial penalties and we just can’t overcome it. That’s something we got to look at.”
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The weather conditions were expected to be a major factor. Running the football was going to likely decide the outcome. While the rain didn’t end up being as significant as expected before kickoff, the running game still was the difference. The Cowboys certainly felt the absence of starting DT Johnathan Hankins. Dealing with a high ankle sprain, Hankins didn’t play for the first time this season.
The Cowboys’ run defense was the worst it’s been all year, allowing a season-high 266 yards on the ground. Cook went for a career-high 179 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
Dallas’ worst three games defending the run this season have all come in road losses. Sunday, Week 3 at Arizona (222) and Week 5 at San Francisco (170).
“They got on our edge a bunch,” McCarthy said. “I know (defensive coordinator Dan Quinn) and the guys were very impressed with Cooks throughout the week. They performed better than we did. They broke our contain, they broke tackles, they won the bend-back battle. Just all the little things that we’ve been good at.
“There’s no question, we got to be better. They ran the ball way too effectively. … All three phases didn’t get it done, starting with me. We needed to put points on the board for our defense. Our defense needed help today. And we didn’t give it to them.”
The Cowboys didn’t carry over any momentum from their strong ground game last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas finished with only 89 yards on 20 carries.
Dak Prescott, an MVP front-runner entering the game, posted one of his worst passer ratings of the season, finishing at 57.7 while completing 21-of-34 passes for only 134 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. It’s the first time he didn’t throw at least one touchdown pass in a game since the season opener. The only game he’s had this season with a lower passer rating was the 42-10 loss to the 49ers.
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It was probably the biggest beating Prescott has taken in a game this season. He was sacked three times and hit seven, and multiple times after the whistle, drawing penalties. He insisted after the game that the hits had no impact on his play.
“I feel great,” he said. “No impact on how I played today. … I wish I could say that they did.”
Dallas appears to have avoided a major scare as All-Pro right guard Zack Martin took a shot to his left quad in the first quarter that knocked him out of the game.
“I’m hoping this week, treat it and get it ready to go on Sunday,” Martin said. “I feel good about that.”
The Cowboys have not lost consecutive games this season. They now travel to Miami to face a Dolphins team that also has a 10-4 record, coming off a 30-o win over the New York Jets. Will the Cowboys play like the team that took the field Sunday in Buffalo or Week 3 in Arizona or Week 5 in San Francisco? Or will they find a way to bounce back like they have all season?
“It’s a huge difference,” Prescott said of the way they have played at home and on the road. “Really that’s what this next week of preparation and honestly these next couple of weeks are about, figuring out what that difference is and trying to close that gap. We can’t be those two different teams.
“It’s about finding those answers. We’ve got some great problem-solvers. We’ll get the answers we’re looking for and we’ll close that gap.”
(Top photo of Josh Allen and DeMarcus Lawrence: Rich Barnes / Getty Images)
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