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The Morning After Week 15: Bullied Badly In Buffalo
Dallas thought they were ready for a chance at changing the narrative. They were not.
BOB STURM
DEC 18, 2023
I know where the concern really started setting in for me.
After a week of feeling like this was going to be an epic showdown that would require all afternoon and plenty of bruises and a fair amount of blood, there was an ominous feeling very early in the proceedings on Sunday in Buffalo.
It was the fifth play of the game and the first time either team touched the ball. Dallas had won the coin-toss and deferred to the second half, because the decision maker set up the team for a long day and wanted that “double-up” opportunity at the half; a trick Mike McCarthy has enjoyed for years.
But, to get to that stage of the game looking smart, your defense has to get some stops in the first half so that you are within range of your opponent.
Buffalo would get the ball first on this brilliant day and their stadium was rocking. Again, a non-scoring play out near midfield on the fifth snap of the afternoon should not make anyone’s optimism for earning a big road win sink too much.
Yet, for some reason, it seems like it might be the snap that most sticks with me here in the aftermath of a 31-10 drubbing.
It was 1st-and-10 at the Buffalo 48-yard line. James Cook had just run 10 yards for a first down and Buffalo’s new offensive coordinator Joe Brady had called for 22 personnel. This brings on 245-pound fullback Reggie Gilliam in front of Cook and an extra tight end in the form of 252-pound run blocker Quintin Morris. Only one wide receiver (Trent Sherfield) was on the field and Dallas had its normal personnel.
Not sure if everyone knows what this means, but normal personnel for Dallas is small. Very small. On this play where Buffalo is loading up with as much beef as they have on the roster, Dallas had Mazi Smith – who came sprinting on the field as a late substitute, Osa Odighizuwa, and Dorance Armstrong on the field. Whatever you think of any of them, they are at least reasonable men of size for the NFL on a defensive front. Armstrong is 255 pounds at DE and Micah Parsons is well undersized at the other spot at barely 245 pounds. Then, they have two small-ish linebackers and five more defensive backs. Markquese Bell is so tiny that several of the Cowboys safeties look as big or bigger.
I am sure I am spending too much time on this particular play because it fits all of my concerns about what would happen in a situation that somewhat resembles going to San Francisco and getting into a war of might at the point of attack. There might not be many occasions to replicate how that feels from a simple position of physics. What happens when a group of 11 men who are just bigger and stronger start pushing on an opposing force that is faster, but smaller. Could they defend themselves on a frontal assault that will attempt to bulldoze them?
You decide. Here is how that play went. The Bills called a simple run that would challenge the spine of the Cowboys defense. Both Cowboys defensive tackles ended up on the ground and the other nine players tried to get Cook to the ground after about a 4-yard gain.
Instead, he kept driving his legs and Bills linemen decided to help him keep pushing forward. Dallas’ defensive backs and linebackers that play like defensive backs were helpless to stop the pile. It kept moving. From the 48 to the 45-yard line. Then to the 43 and it kept going. All the way to the inside edge of the Dallas 40-yard line. A 4-yard play became a 12-yard play when Dallas could not handle the attitude and disposition of the Buffalo offensive line.
As it happened, the stadium started losing its mind. It was just one play, but they recognize the best running team in the NFL over the last six weeks. They also knew the game-plan for making Dallas look like a mid-level defense is to not allow the league’s best pass rush to even get a chance. Make them earn a chance to rush the passer by proving they can stop the run in a loud stadium that doesn’t think they can.
In other words, challenge the manhood of the Dallas defense. Specifically, challenge Dan Quinn’s entire approach to defense. If he wants to put all the speed on the field and to not even really employ physical linebackers, then the job of any opponent will be to make them prove that they can pull that off and force you into “must pass” situations.
To be honest with ourselves, we might have to concede that this drubbing in Buffalo is not that dissimilar to the drubbing in San Francisco and Arizona from earlier this year. They had incredibly eerie similarities that involve Dan Quinn and his defense.
“He bleeds. You see? He is not a machine! He is a man!”
Unfortunately, that is the defensive kryptonite of this Dan Quinn machine. It is the body blow strategy that has worked in football since the dawn of the sport at every single level. It is the DNA of a game we love. Hit them in the mouth and see if they can do anything about it.
That was one run in a sea of many. Buffalo accomplished very little through their traditional means. They do have Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs available and there were traces of their contributions for sure. But, this game was designed by the home team as a message that they don’t believe Quinn’s crew could take the physical challenge and stop it.
Here it is by Quarter:
The Bills never turned the ball over once and if that sounds like what happened in Arizona and San Francisco, it should. The defense never got the ball in any of these games even once.
Dallas was bullied badly in this game and I realize that there is more to it than just this particular theme, but no arguments about “can Dak win the big one” seems to be a focus in coaching rooms around the league like this one. The coaches in the NFL know that the Dallas defense bleeds. And you make it bleed by getting an early lead and making them play from behind. If you do, then you make them prove they can stop the run, which probably will remind them that at some point, they need to actually add the muscle to this roster than can do more than run fast.
Football – especially when we are deciding who gets to keep playing bigger games – is a test of strength and muscle. Dallas has made an active choice with its defense to get smaller and smaller. They play more dime defense than any team in the sport – by a mile. They have played 511 snaps of dime personnel when nobody else in the entire league is above 234. They are a tiny defense and it usually works.
Until it doesn’t.
There were many other issues with the performance on Sunday that now all but assures they will need to win three road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl this year. That sort of thing has been done in the NFL on several occasions, but the idea that this particular team has that in them seems a tad bit unlikely at the moment, given their identity change away from home.
The offense also resembled plenty from their trip to San Francisco, also looking bullied and mistake prone. They had moments of quality, but a Tyler Smith holding penalty ended the 1st drive (a drive in which Brandin Cooks was missed for a potential bomb TD on the offense’s 2nd play of the day) and the 3rd drive had a 2nd and inches from the 10-yard line and settled with a field goal from the 14 when the next two plays went horribly wrong against Buffalo pressures.
At that point, down 21-3, they were full of desperation after having given the Bills three personal fouls that extended drives and even missed a chance at challenging a Diggs fumble. These four major mistakes would be too much to overcome when neither the offense or defense performed well enough. The DeMarcus Lawrence personal foul was another patented Josh Allen flop-and-complain moment that fooled the refs. The Sam Williams personal foul was a roughing the punter on a punt that he absolutely should have blocked – except that it went by hip as he flew in and hit the leg, instead. And then the Jayron Kearse hit was very close to 15-yards for playing football, but helmet to helmet is a situation he has to avoid.
These moments extended drives and added damage to a defensive performance that allowed three touchdowns on four drives to start the game and like those other poor road games, did very little to generate big plays.
Then, the offense added to the misery by making their own mistakes all day. Dak Prescott, who had been playing the best football of his life, had a very poor day and never did enough with his arm to compensate for what was happening around him. The pass protection wasn’t great for sure, but Prescott was throwing the ball into trouble more times on this one day than he had in the two months since he left Santa Clara in Week 5.
It was not nearly good enough. Then, when it came time for the 4th and 5th drives – the coveted “double up” – they had to try to crawl back into the game.
Instead, those two drives never even made it out to their own 40-yard line. The drive out of halftime had another third-and-1 opportunity to be patient and put a march together to steady the game. Instead, they decide to send CeeDee Lamb and Cooks deep and try a big play-action shot off max protection. That protection did not hold up and with no options short, Prescott did what you simply cannot do – take a 10-yard sack on third-and-1.
Just brutal.
Look, there is no shame in losing to Buffalo – especially in that extreme desperation that the Bills were in. They are a team that was a reasonable and smart pick for the Super Bowl that has lost too many major pieces to injury and now need help to just make the playoffs. But, the quality is there, as Dallas found out in person.
But, the shame is the “how you lost” to Buffalo. The Cowboys were absolutely neutered and manhandled in a test of wills on both sides of the ball. Again. They had bad days at all the key spots from head coach to quarterback to star pieces stepping up at star moments.
You know the national narrative machine will be full of content this week and they can pick between the Cowboys “can’t beat good teams” or “can’t win big games in December” or “can’t win big games on the road” narratives and have all sorts of fun. Perhaps it will be easy just to say “they can’t beat good teams on the road in December” and make it a little less cumbersome for the t-shirts.
We have been here many times before and the answers this week will not seem satisfying, at all. The “I told you so” crowd will be right about Dallas until this organization can make them wrong.
And, quite clearly, that day wasn’t yesterday in Buffalo. Now, the Cowboys are beat-up and must get it back together for Miami this week, knowing that if any team knows how to challenge your manhood like the 49ers, it would be the guy who designed much of the 49ers machine, Dolphins Coach Mike McDaniel.
When we look back at this season, this Buffalo game can be a small bump in the road during a hard-charging year or it can be the day they realized they were nowhere close to contending for the big prize.
It is pretty clear what most observers will believe is the correct answer to that question after watching that mess.
Dallas thought they were ready for a chance at changing the narrative. They were not.
BOB STURM
DEC 18, 2023
I know where the concern really started setting in for me.
After a week of feeling like this was going to be an epic showdown that would require all afternoon and plenty of bruises and a fair amount of blood, there was an ominous feeling very early in the proceedings on Sunday in Buffalo.
It was the fifth play of the game and the first time either team touched the ball. Dallas had won the coin-toss and deferred to the second half, because the decision maker set up the team for a long day and wanted that “double-up” opportunity at the half; a trick Mike McCarthy has enjoyed for years.
But, to get to that stage of the game looking smart, your defense has to get some stops in the first half so that you are within range of your opponent.
Buffalo would get the ball first on this brilliant day and their stadium was rocking. Again, a non-scoring play out near midfield on the fifth snap of the afternoon should not make anyone’s optimism for earning a big road win sink too much.
Yet, for some reason, it seems like it might be the snap that most sticks with me here in the aftermath of a 31-10 drubbing.
It was 1st-and-10 at the Buffalo 48-yard line. James Cook had just run 10 yards for a first down and Buffalo’s new offensive coordinator Joe Brady had called for 22 personnel. This brings on 245-pound fullback Reggie Gilliam in front of Cook and an extra tight end in the form of 252-pound run blocker Quintin Morris. Only one wide receiver (Trent Sherfield) was on the field and Dallas had its normal personnel.
Not sure if everyone knows what this means, but normal personnel for Dallas is small. Very small. On this play where Buffalo is loading up with as much beef as they have on the roster, Dallas had Mazi Smith – who came sprinting on the field as a late substitute, Osa Odighizuwa, and Dorance Armstrong on the field. Whatever you think of any of them, they are at least reasonable men of size for the NFL on a defensive front. Armstrong is 255 pounds at DE and Micah Parsons is well undersized at the other spot at barely 245 pounds. Then, they have two small-ish linebackers and five more defensive backs. Markquese Bell is so tiny that several of the Cowboys safeties look as big or bigger.
I am sure I am spending too much time on this particular play because it fits all of my concerns about what would happen in a situation that somewhat resembles going to San Francisco and getting into a war of might at the point of attack. There might not be many occasions to replicate how that feels from a simple position of physics. What happens when a group of 11 men who are just bigger and stronger start pushing on an opposing force that is faster, but smaller. Could they defend themselves on a frontal assault that will attempt to bulldoze them?
You decide. Here is how that play went. The Bills called a simple run that would challenge the spine of the Cowboys defense. Both Cowboys defensive tackles ended up on the ground and the other nine players tried to get Cook to the ground after about a 4-yard gain.
Instead, he kept driving his legs and Bills linemen decided to help him keep pushing forward. Dallas’ defensive backs and linebackers that play like defensive backs were helpless to stop the pile. It kept moving. From the 48 to the 45-yard line. Then to the 43 and it kept going. All the way to the inside edge of the Dallas 40-yard line. A 4-yard play became a 12-yard play when Dallas could not handle the attitude and disposition of the Buffalo offensive line.
As it happened, the stadium started losing its mind. It was just one play, but they recognize the best running team in the NFL over the last six weeks. They also knew the game-plan for making Dallas look like a mid-level defense is to not allow the league’s best pass rush to even get a chance. Make them earn a chance to rush the passer by proving they can stop the run in a loud stadium that doesn’t think they can.
In other words, challenge the manhood of the Dallas defense. Specifically, challenge Dan Quinn’s entire approach to defense. If he wants to put all the speed on the field and to not even really employ physical linebackers, then the job of any opponent will be to make them prove that they can pull that off and force you into “must pass” situations.
To be honest with ourselves, we might have to concede that this drubbing in Buffalo is not that dissimilar to the drubbing in San Francisco and Arizona from earlier this year. They had incredibly eerie similarities that involve Dan Quinn and his defense.
- The opponent was determined to run the ball until Dallas could prove it could stop them and did this to prevent Dallas from even having opportunities to rush the passer.
- The strategy challenges the Cowboys run defense which, in turn, challenges the Cowboys personnel philosophy of who they put on the field. If Dallas could be forced to defend the run, then they could not generate potential big plays for the Cowboys big-play defense.
“He bleeds. You see? He is not a machine! He is a man!”
Unfortunately, that is the defensive kryptonite of this Dan Quinn machine. It is the body blow strategy that has worked in football since the dawn of the sport at every single level. It is the DNA of a game we love. Hit them in the mouth and see if they can do anything about it.
That was one run in a sea of many. Buffalo accomplished very little through their traditional means. They do have Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs available and there were traces of their contributions for sure. But, this game was designed by the home team as a message that they don’t believe Quinn’s crew could take the physical challenge and stop it.
Here it is by Quarter:
- 1st Quarter: 13 runs for 67 yards (5.15 per)
- 2nd Quarter: 13 runs for 79 yards (6.08 per)
- 3rd Quarter: 13 runs for 63 yards (4.85 per)
- 4th Quarter: 10 runs for 57 yards (5.7 per)
The Bills never turned the ball over once and if that sounds like what happened in Arizona and San Francisco, it should. The defense never got the ball in any of these games even once.
Dallas was bullied badly in this game and I realize that there is more to it than just this particular theme, but no arguments about “can Dak win the big one” seems to be a focus in coaching rooms around the league like this one. The coaches in the NFL know that the Dallas defense bleeds. And you make it bleed by getting an early lead and making them play from behind. If you do, then you make them prove they can stop the run, which probably will remind them that at some point, they need to actually add the muscle to this roster than can do more than run fast.
Football – especially when we are deciding who gets to keep playing bigger games – is a test of strength and muscle. Dallas has made an active choice with its defense to get smaller and smaller. They play more dime defense than any team in the sport – by a mile. They have played 511 snaps of dime personnel when nobody else in the entire league is above 234. They are a tiny defense and it usually works.
Until it doesn’t.
There were many other issues with the performance on Sunday that now all but assures they will need to win three road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl this year. That sort of thing has been done in the NFL on several occasions, but the idea that this particular team has that in them seems a tad bit unlikely at the moment, given their identity change away from home.
The offense also resembled plenty from their trip to San Francisco, also looking bullied and mistake prone. They had moments of quality, but a Tyler Smith holding penalty ended the 1st drive (a drive in which Brandin Cooks was missed for a potential bomb TD on the offense’s 2nd play of the day) and the 3rd drive had a 2nd and inches from the 10-yard line and settled with a field goal from the 14 when the next two plays went horribly wrong against Buffalo pressures.
At that point, down 21-3, they were full of desperation after having given the Bills three personal fouls that extended drives and even missed a chance at challenging a Diggs fumble. These four major mistakes would be too much to overcome when neither the offense or defense performed well enough. The DeMarcus Lawrence personal foul was another patented Josh Allen flop-and-complain moment that fooled the refs. The Sam Williams personal foul was a roughing the punter on a punt that he absolutely should have blocked – except that it went by hip as he flew in and hit the leg, instead. And then the Jayron Kearse hit was very close to 15-yards for playing football, but helmet to helmet is a situation he has to avoid.
These moments extended drives and added damage to a defensive performance that allowed three touchdowns on four drives to start the game and like those other poor road games, did very little to generate big plays.
Then, the offense added to the misery by making their own mistakes all day. Dak Prescott, who had been playing the best football of his life, had a very poor day and never did enough with his arm to compensate for what was happening around him. The pass protection wasn’t great for sure, but Prescott was throwing the ball into trouble more times on this one day than he had in the two months since he left Santa Clara in Week 5.
It was not nearly good enough. Then, when it came time for the 4th and 5th drives – the coveted “double up” – they had to try to crawl back into the game.
Instead, those two drives never even made it out to their own 40-yard line. The drive out of halftime had another third-and-1 opportunity to be patient and put a march together to steady the game. Instead, they decide to send CeeDee Lamb and Cooks deep and try a big play-action shot off max protection. That protection did not hold up and with no options short, Prescott did what you simply cannot do – take a 10-yard sack on third-and-1.
Just brutal.
Look, there is no shame in losing to Buffalo – especially in that extreme desperation that the Bills were in. They are a team that was a reasonable and smart pick for the Super Bowl that has lost too many major pieces to injury and now need help to just make the playoffs. But, the quality is there, as Dallas found out in person.
But, the shame is the “how you lost” to Buffalo. The Cowboys were absolutely neutered and manhandled in a test of wills on both sides of the ball. Again. They had bad days at all the key spots from head coach to quarterback to star pieces stepping up at star moments.
You know the national narrative machine will be full of content this week and they can pick between the Cowboys “can’t beat good teams” or “can’t win big games in December” or “can’t win big games on the road” narratives and have all sorts of fun. Perhaps it will be easy just to say “they can’t beat good teams on the road in December” and make it a little less cumbersome for the t-shirts.
We have been here many times before and the answers this week will not seem satisfying, at all. The “I told you so” crowd will be right about Dallas until this organization can make them wrong.
And, quite clearly, that day wasn’t yesterday in Buffalo. Now, the Cowboys are beat-up and must get it back together for Miami this week, knowing that if any team knows how to challenge your manhood like the 49ers, it would be the guy who designed much of the 49ers machine, Dolphins Coach Mike McDaniel.
When we look back at this season, this Buffalo game can be a small bump in the road during a hard-charging year or it can be the day they realized they were nowhere close to contending for the big prize.
It is pretty clear what most observers will believe is the correct answer to that question after watching that mess.
