NFL playoff race: Bills’ season hangs in balance as in-form Cowboys visit
As the regular season draws to a close, we’ll take a look each Friday at a game likely to affect the playoff race, along with the teams whose fortunes are rising and falling. And, so we don’t neglect the also-rans, we’ll see which teams are in the hunt for next year’s No 1 pick.
Dallas Cowboys (10-3) v Buffalo Bills (7-6)
Story of the season: Following the thread of the Bills is a must at this stage of such a white-knuckle ride for both the franchise and the AFC as a whole. After surviving a battle with the Super Bowl champions to keep their season alive, they are 7-6 but need to keep stacking wins owing to their poor divisional record and the minor detail of half of the conference having an identical win-loss column. Victory has the potential to send the Bills from 11th to squeezing inside the postseason running at seventh place, so beating Kansas City was vital but so now is toppling the Cowboys. Dallas roll into Buffalo fresh off dominating the Philadelphia Eagles, a statement victory that puts them in pole position in the NFC East and keeps their pedal to the metal across from the 49ers in the race for the NFC’s top seed. Winning out remains their most likely and possibly only shot at taking the conference crown. The pressure is intense.
What the Bills need to do to win: Buffalo may be down but their impressive home form (5-2) still gives them the advantage. They need to feed off Bills Mafia and their unique fervor to continue their impressive run. The fever will be pitched at a colossal height as the team comes home after a month away from Highmark Stadium. The crowd can also help in pumping up receiver Stefon Diggs who is suffering a slump at the wrong time for his team. Diggs started strong with 100 yards or more in five of his first six games but in his past six has averaged less than six catches and 58 receiving yards a game. The lack of usage needs to be addressed by the coaching staff, give the crowd what they want: the Diggs comeback special.
What the Cowboys need to do to win: Head coach Mike McCarthy’s offensive production is assured with quarterback Dak Prescott linking up with receiver CeeDee Lamb. The former’s sublime season has him leading the MVP race while the latter needs 107 yards and two touchdowns to beat his previous best year to date. The defense needs to keep quarterback Josh Allen stymied to avoid getting into a high-stakes shootout of whoever has the ball last wins. Statistically Allen provides both carrot and stick for them: he leads the NFL in giveaways and total touchdowns with 17 turnovers playing 33 scores. Pressure is where they can look to diminish Allen’s influence; he has completed 50.4% of passes when under fire compared to 75.2% in a clean pocket this year and has thrown six interceptions under pressure. The considerable talent of pass rushers Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Dante Fowler need to be unleashed by defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn. Rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey maintaining a perfect start to his career would be very useful, too. The former software engineer, aged 28, has yet to miss from his first 30 field goal attempts, an NFL record.
Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done,” Ben Roethlisberger said, on his podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, reflecting on his team’s defeat to the lowly Patriots. Now, if there is one thing Ben Roethlisberger knows it is Footbahlin, so their race is run, possibly for ever. (Definitely not still upset about the cost of living in Tom Brady’s shadow.) Meanwhile, the division’s three other franchises are thriving. The Baltimore Ravens soar above the AFC’s 7-6 dogfight while the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals are right in the mix thanks to their backup quarterbacks or backup backing up the backup’s backup in the Browns’ case.
The No 1 seed is right in the Ravens grasp – only the second in franchise history if they clinch it – while their flourishing passing attack can keep it so against a Jacksonville Jaguars’ team nervous of ceding further ground at the top of the AFC South. Cleveland’s unlikely success with the 38-year-old Joe Flacco feels fragile but at 8-6, two wins from their final four fixtures (Bears, Texans, Jets, Bengals) should put them into the postseason. Incredibly, Flacco’s last dance is being run close by the house that Jake Browning built for narrative interest. Back-to-back wins for the Bengals have brought hope from the ruins of Joe Burrow’s early exit and with the offensively inert Vikings and Steelers up next, Browning could be the story of such an unbelievable year across the league. Pittsburgh are 7-6, too.
