Bills vs. Cowboys score: Buffalo bullies Dallas on the ground behind James Cook’s career day

The Dallas Cowboys entered Sunday on a five-game winning streak and with a guaranteed playoff spot as they faced the Buffalo Bills in Week 15. However, that streak went down in flames as Buffalo punched Dallas over and over and over again with their running game en route to a 31-10 win. 

Buffalo outgained Dallas 351 to 195, a gap of 156 yards made up of mostly the Bills’ 266 yards on the ground. Sunday marked the first time under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, since 2021, in which the Cowboys defense allowed over 250 rushing yards. The star of the show this week up in Orchard Park wasn’t quarterback Josh Allen, who completed just 7 of his 15 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, as well as running for 24 yards and a score. 

No, the Bills’ standout on Sunday was running back James Cook. The second-year, second-round pick totaled a career-high 179 rushing yards on 25 carries with a touchdown, a 24-yarder. That comes out to a 7.2 yards per carry average. Cook also tallied 42 yards receiving on two catches, including an 18-yard receiving score in the second quarter. That performance makes Cook the first Bills player with 200+ scrimmage yards (221), one or more rushing touchdown and one or more receiving touchdowns in a game since Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas did so back in the 1991 season.  

Both of the Bills’ first two touchdowns came following critical Cowboys personal foul penalties. Following a roughing the passer penalty committed by Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, the Bills cashed in on the second chance two plays later with a Latavius Murray 2-yard touchdown run to cap their opening drive. 

Two drives later, Dallas gifted the Bills another extra opportunity. Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams collided in mid-air with Bills punter Sam Martin on fourth-and-8, resulting in a roughing the kicker penalty to extend the Buffalo drive. 

That’s two unnecessary roughness penalties by the Cowboys that extended drives, two touchdowns following those penalties by the Bills. Six plays later, Allen hit Cook, who was wide open in the right corner of the end zone, for an 18-yard touchdown. That put the Bills up 14-0 with 12:52 left in the half. 

Cowboys rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey connected on a 32-yard field goal after Dallas’ third drive stalled out for their lone points of the half. Aubrey improved to an NFL record 31-for-31 on field goals to begin his career. 

Allen and the Bills clapped right back with an 11-play touchdown drive. Allen concluded the possession with a 1-yard rushing score on the quarterback sneak. That put Buffalo up 21-3 Buffalo with 1:36 left in the half. The Bills scored touchdowns on three of their first four drives. Buffalo put in the backups midway through the fourth quarter. 

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who entered Sunday near the top of the NFL MVP conversation, completed 21 of 34 passes for 134 yards and an interception. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy left his starters in late, and they eventually came through with a touchdown thanks to a CeeDee Lamb’s three-yard rushing touchdown on a wide receiver reverse.

Dallas’ 10 points scored matches their season-low that they first put up in a 42-10 Week 5 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. Key injuries up front to defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, who was ruled out before the game with knee and ankle injuries, and to right guard Zack Martin, who suffered a thigh injury, played a major role in the Cowboys losing the battle along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

Why the Bills won

Buffalo dominated Dallas on both sides of the line of scrimmage and in time of possession. The Bills had the football for over 10 minutes longer than the Cowboys (35:05 to 24:55) and doubled up Dallas in first downs (28 to 14).

James Cook also did his best Thurman Thomas impersonation. Winning in such a dominant fashion when Josh Allen only has seven completions speaks volumes about the job the Bills’ run game and defense did on Sunday.

Why the Cowboys lost

Dallas allowed over 250 yards rushing for the first time under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and they allowed James Cook to be the first player since former Rams running back Todd Gurley in Week 4 of the 2017 season to rack up over 200 scrimmage yards on them.

Offensively, they struggled mightily to move the ball without six-time First-Team All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, who left the game with a thigh injury in the first half. The Cowboys are at their best when they get an early lead, which then allows Micah Parsons and their defense to tee off on opposing quarterbacks.

They allowed the Bills to score an opening drive touchdown, and they were never able to adjust to playing from behind. Some of that has to do with playing some defensive backs in linebacker spots thanks to injuries. It also is simply a style of defense they don’t enjoy playing. This is a loss in which Quinn and the defensive staff will be forced to look inward and do plenty of soul-searching.

Turning point

Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams’ roughing the punter penalty. Buffalo lead 7-0 late in the first quarter, and the Dallas defense just forced a punt after Williams’ pressure on Allen led to an incompletion. However, he jumped and collided in the air with Bills punter Sam Martin in an attempt to block the kick.

Six plays after the penalty, Allen threw his 18-yard touchdown pass to Cook to put the Bills up 14-0. The game then continued to slip away from the Cowboys from that point on.

Play of the game

Cook’s 24-yard touchdown run. He was the best player on the field, and this was far and away his most impressive play. He swiftly wove through the initial wave of Dallas defenders after taking the shotgun handoff from Allen, made just one cut to avoid a final diving defender and flipped into the end zone. This play encapsulated everything that went right for Buffalo as well as everything that went wrong for Dallas.

What’s Next

The 8-6 Bills hit the road in Week 16 to face the rudderless Los Angeles Chargers in their first game after firing head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco. The 10-4 Cowboys will continue their AFC East road trip with a Christmas Eve matchup at the 10-4 Miami Dolphins.