The Dallas Cowboys fell short to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday by a score of 31-10, the second-largest margin of loss they have faced so far this season. But what were the biggest downfalls that led to the loss?
The last time the Cowboys were outplayed and only scored 10 points was in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers, who beat them 42-10.
Although the loss directly impacts the Cowboys’ chances of winning the NFC East division or claiming the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the biggest concern is the similarities in all four of the team’s losses.
The Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals, 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Bills this season, all of which were road games.
The team has the longest home-game win streak in the NFL at AT&T Stadium, but playing on the road has been an issue this season. The Cowboys average nearly 40 points at home but only around 18 on the road.
“We play so well at home, and there’s just too big of a gap in our road games … We’ve got to be better,” Mike McCarthy said after the loss.
What’s the Solution for the Dallas Cowboys?
After the game, Micah Parsons was asked why the team has been struggling to produce on the road.
“Honestly, it’s just unacceptable at this point,” Parsons said. “There’s no excuse for it. It’s mind-boggling. I don’t understand why we’re not playing well and why we’re not coming together on the road.”
The defensive end acknowledged that the team needs to be better on the road, especially since they head to Miami next week to face the Dolphins.
Against the Bills, the Cowboys’ defense had one sack, four quarterback hits, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
But the run defense was one aspect of the game that put the nail in the coffin for the Cowboys during this game.
Although there was anticipation that the Cowboys would struggle in run defense because of the loss of Johnathan Hankins, this was a disappointing showing.
MORE: Observations From the Cowboys’ Uncharacteristic 31–10 Loss to the Bills
Hankins has been a staple in stuffing the trenches in the run defense, but Parsons said being productive doesn’t come from one person, adding, “I don’t think it’s just one individual or one particular thing. It was a group effort.”
In Hankins’ absence, Mazi Smith and Carl Davis Jr. stepped in to try to stuff the trenches.
Is History Repeating Itself?
In fact, one of the biggest reasons the Cowboys have lost four games this season was the run defense.
Although this aspect of the game was patched up after their loss to the Eagles in Week 9, that wasn’t the case against the Bills.
The Bills had 266 total rushing yards in 49 attempts.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Bills had a run rate of over 17% higher than expected, the highest for the team in the last three seasons.
But the issue was the explosive runs from running back James Cook, who had 179 rushing yards in 25 attempts in the game.
Parsons said Cook was patient and made people miss with his expansive running style.
This is concerning because the issues with the Cowboys’ run defense date back to last season when the team was knocked out of the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers.
During that game, the 49ers had 113 rushing yards in 32 attempts.
If the Cowboys want to ensure postseason success and change the tides this year, they must assess their options to patch up the run defense before it’s too late.
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