The offense for this week’s Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills game was previously broken down by us. We are now going to return to the position warfare and examine how the defensive positions and special teams compare to one another.
Defensible Line
It’s absurd how frequently Micah Parsons escapes punishment for holding calls when it’s so clear-cut and evident. He was being tugged from behind or had an arm wrapped around him several times last week to slow him down, but he doesn’t receive a flag every week.
Sam Williams was included in the storyline when he was being restrained on a few plays last week. Although losing Jonathan Hankins is disappointing because he has been playing fantastic football lately, it also presents an opportunity to observe Mazi Smith’s response when placed into a difficult situation more.
This defensive line, which takes great satisfaction in its ability to rush passes, will face an offensive line that is giving up the second-fewest sacks this week. Due in part to Dan Quinn’s decision to focus more on stopping the run, the Cowboys defensive line has allowed the fourth fewest sacks over the past three games. The Cowboys defensive line will have an additional responsibility this week: stopping Josh Allen from using his legs to gain first downs.
There is a lot of skill on the Buffalo Bills defensive line. Ed Oliver is the team’s leader in overall pressure, and he has really picked it up in the second part of the campaign. Among defensive tackles, he has the fourth-highest total of 50 pressures and the third-most sacks with eight.
Leonard Floyd, a defensive end, has the most sacks on the squad (9.5). A.J. Epenesa, who is having a career season and has seven sacks, is just behind him. Nonetheless, Epenesa is listed as injured this week. He was hurt in the ribs during their most recent game against the Chiefs of Kansas City.
However, this defensive line features a number of players who can produce sacks, including Jordan Phillips, DaQuan Jones, and Greg Rousseau. The Bills have produced the third-most sacks in the NFL this year as a result of all of this.
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Markquese Bell/Damone Clark against Terrel Bernard/Tyrel Dodson
The previous week, Markquese Bell and Damone Clark had one of their best games together. They both played very well in coverage, with outstanding tackling technique, and performed effectively against the run. They both proved they didn’t really need Shaq Leonard after last week’s game, and Bell added a major forced fumble to his already impressive stat line.
James Cook, the leading running back for the Bills, has demonstrated his talent as a receiver and runner, but the Cowboys linebacker tandem is equipped to cover him. This week, their ability to rapidly cover the flat and get lateral will be crucial in halting Cook.
Upon entering the NFL, Terrel Bernard resembled a standard nickel linebacker more than anything else. He doesn’t have the build of an every-down linebacker and is extremely thin. He has five sacks this season and is a potent blitz player. It’s not surprising to see him getting sacks in the pros because he was a standout cornerback and bender while playing at Baylor.
His pass rush abilities strengthen the Bills’ defensive pass rush strategy, but his inability to recognize coverage and pursue the ball well just makes the team’s run defense more difficult. Tyler Dodson, the other linebacker for the Bills, is the one man who can effectively stop the run.
He is the only one who can effectively cover and clog the role. However, this year, the aggregate number of missed tackles by these two players is 24.
Conclusion: Compared to their Bills contemporaries, Damone Clark and Markquese Bell have an incredibly low missed tackle rate and a lower passer rating allowed. In coverage, where the Bills duo totals six sacks, more than Bell and Clark combined, the Cowboys linebackers outperform the Bills in run stopping.
Win: Cowboys
Defensory backs
This week, the Cowboys defensive backs will face a formidable challenge from the Bills receiving group, who is headlined by star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The good news is that Stephon Gilmore just had his greatest performance of the season while playing for the Cowboys.
This week, he will need to maintain his confidence and optimistic outlook. Holding up Diggs and limiting his targets will become crucial in slowing down the offense if he can repeat his performance from last week. The matchup between Daron Bland and Gabe Davis is also worth seeing this week.
The good news for Bland is that he does well against receivers like this one. What Bland does best is stay with Davis when he runs deep and gets up for the ball. The Cowboys secondary will be worried because Josh Allen is tossing the second-most passing touchdowns this season. But the fact that Allen has thrown the second-most interceptions this season is something these defensive backs will be happy about.
Micah Hyde is dubious following his stinger from the game last week. The loss of him might have a big impact on their secondary since Taylor Rapp, who has had a lot of difficulty at safety since going to Buffalo, is the next person up. The best cornerback for the Bills is Rasul Douglas, who has an 87.4 passer rating against him.
This year, he has managed to break up eight passes and pick up three interceptions. Lamb vs. Douglas will be a crucial match to maintain the Cowboys offense’s schedule. After recovering from a neck injury, Dane Jackson might make a comeback this week.
The team will continue to use Christian Benford if not. Each player is permitting more than 70% completion percentage and more than 100 passer rating. In the passing game, this is where you want to attack.
The team will continue to use Christian Benford if not. Each player is permitting more than 70% completion percentage and more than 100 passer rating. In the passing game, this is where you want to attack.
In conclusion, the team that leads the league in passing touchdowns, completion percentage, and passer rating will be facing this Bills secondary soon. Additionally, this Cowboys secondary has limited opponents to the fifth-fewest passing yards per game on average—just 183.
Win: Cowboys
Particular Teams
We now have to ask ourselves: How far will Brandon Aubrey go? Last week, he scored two field goals, one from 60 yards and the other from 59 yards, and it doesn’t appear that he is slowing down. His kickoffs from last week demonstrate the strength in his legs; he hit the crossbar twice, good for a 75-yard kick. The Bills’ Tyler Bass is 20 for 25 when it comes to field goals. Even from thirty yards, he has missed one.
Sam Martin, the punter for the Bills, is much behind Bryan Anger. Martin is punting an average of 44.7 yards per punt, while Anger is averaging 50.9 yards.
With the highest average return yardage in the league (31.5), KaVontae Turpin is still a kickoff wizard. However, the average yardage on his 11 punt returns has only been 6.6, a significant decline from both his performance from the previous year and the rankings. Neither is Deonte Henry performing much better for the Bills when it comes to punt returns. He ranks 19th among return specialists with 166 return yards overall and an average of 9.2 yards per return. This year, he has also botched one catch.
Cowboys prevail.
Sam Martin, the punter for the Bills, is much behind Bryan Anger. Martin is punting an average of 44.7 yards per punt, while Anger is averaging 50.9 yards.
With the highest average return yardage in the league (31.5), KaVontae Turpin is still a kickoff wizard. However, the average yardage on his 11 punt returns has only been 6.6, a significant decline from both his performance from the previous year and the rankings. Neither is Deonte Henry performing much better for the Bills when it comes to punt returns. He ranks 19th among return specialists with 166 return yards overall and an average of 9.2 yards per return. This year, he has also botched one catch.
Cowboys prevail.
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