James Cook recorded a career-high 179 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead Buffalo to a 31-10 victory over Dallas on Sunday, putting an end to the Cowboys’ five-game winning streak.
The Bills (8-6) won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning sequence ended on October 1. Josh Allen threw for just 94 yards. In the AFC playoff battle, Buffalo advanced one game in front of Denver and Pittsburgh.
Prior to kickoff, the Cowboys (10-4) secured their third-place seed in the playoffs on the strength of Green Bay and Atlanta’s defeats on Sunday and Detroit’s victory over Denver on Saturday. However, Dallas failed to perform well and fell a game behind NFC-leading San Francisco.
The Cowboys, who are 7-0 at home and have a 207-108 advantage over their opponents, have fallen to 3-4 on the road, where they have been outscored 156-152.
Buffalo outgained Dallas by 10 minutes in terms of ball possession and scored 266 yards on the ground with 28 first downs to 14 for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys, who had five victories this season in which they scored 40 or more points and eight by 20 or more, were limited to 195 yards of offense, the fewest of the season. With an interception, Dak Prescott finished 21 of 34 for 134 yards.
The momentum that Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had anticipated his squad would maintain following last week’s 33-13 victory over division rival Philadelphia has been dashed. Dallas completes its road trip with two of its final three games.
After defeating the Chiefs 20-17 in Kansas City, the Bills are vying for a fourth consecutive AFC East championship and a fifth consecutive postseason berth.
Joe Brady, the interim offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, employed a rushing game strategy of keep-away in response to the Dallas Cowboys’ 421-point weekly lead.
The Cook-led assault overwhelmed a defensive front that was devoid of Jonathan Hankins, a defensive tackle. Cook secured the victory with a 24-yard touchdown pass 2:30 into the fourth quarter, following an 18-yard reception that he obtained three minutes into the second half.
Allen had a lackluster day, making only 15 pass attempts and completing seven. He gained one yard on a touchdown pass and TD run.
Latavius Murray scored the game’s opening touchdown for Buffalo on the concluding two-yard run of their opening drive. And Dallas had little chance after Tyler Bass capped Buffalo’s opening drive of the third quarter, which consumed 8:22 minutes of clock, with a 23-yard field goal.
Cook amassed the most yards rushing for a Bills player since Fred Jackson amassed 212 in a season-ending victory over Indianapolis in 2010.
TRAUE INDURIES
Redskins: RG Zack Martin was unable to return due to a quadriceps injury sustained in the first quarter.
Tenders: DT Jordan Phillips abstained from his return following a wrist injury.
SEE NEXT
Cowboys: Next Sunday in Miami.
Bills: Saturday night at the Los Angeles Chargers.
