Week 15 Preview – What getting a win means and why Buffalo has the advantage.
Coming into this big week 15 matchup, the Dallas Cowboys are the hottest team in the NFL. They have ripped off 5 in a row putting up astounding amounts of points and are looking to stretch that to 6 in a row with a win in Buffalo. The Bills however are coming off a much-needed win against the Kansas City Chiefs, and need to continue to rip off wins to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Cowboys are coming into Buffalo on Sunday and it looks to be the biggest game of the season for the Bills. Win this game and that momentum carries into a much weaker schedule where the Bills can pick off some wins against the injured Chargers and disappointing Patriots. This game seems to be a must-win for the Bills if they want a chance at the playoffs – or even the division.
The Cowboys are fighting for first place in the NFC East. They are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles at 10-3, but own the tie breaker over Philly. While trying to keep control of their division, they are also fighting for the NFC 1st seed which is owned by the San Francisco 49ers who also have a record of 10-3.
The Bills are fighting to get into the playoffs, and maybe their to win their division. They are sitting at 7-6 in a very crowed AFC currently at the 11 seed in the playoff picture. If Buffalo can pull this win off, they will get a very strong win to propel them into the end of the season where they can get some easier teams before their week 18 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins hit a wall against the Tennessee Titans in week 14 and with a rough schedule ahead, this could open the door for Buffalo to take the division with a win in week 18, if Buffalo can win against Dallas and the following games.
The Cowboys in their own way look unbeatable. Their roster seems to have no holes or flaws and they seem as confident as ever as a team. Their quarterback Dak Prescott is a leading MVP candidate and their leading wide receiver, Ceedee Lamb, is having the best year of his career, not to mention their corner Daron Bland, who has broken the NFL pick-6 record this year. The Cowboys also have the highest point differential in the league at +188. The Bills follow close at 5th with a differential of +104.
This game, however, is Buffalo’s to lose. I say this because Dallas has 2 huge factors working against them. The weather, and the travel.
The Weather
The weather at game time will be anywhere from 50 – 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a mild comfortable temperature but the real factor is rain and wind. There is a very high chance of rain on Sunday and the winds will be anywhere from 10-20 mph. This is something the Bills are used to, throwing and running in this kind of weather. The cowboys however play in a dome and are not used to the elements. This is a trivial point as they play in elements outside of Dallas, but Buffalo is known to throw some curveballs in terms of weather, especially wind gusts.
The Travel
The Cowboys are undefeated at home with a 7-0 record where they’ve scored 279 points scored. However, this trend flips on its back as they are 3-3 on the road with only 142 points scored. Dallas also has a bad history of traveling to Buffalo, being held to under 10 in 3 of their 4 visits to Buffalo in the past 40 years. The one game Dallas did win in Buffalo, they won by one point, 25-24, and Tony Romo threw 5 interceptions.
Also, I forgot to mention the real reason Buffalo has the advantage in this game. We have Josh Allen.
