Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills (8-6) continued to keep their postseason hopes alive after defeating Dallas Cowboys (10-4) at Highmark Stadium.
During Buffalo’s 31-10 win over one of the hottest teams in the league, quarterback Josh Allen completed just seven passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, along with a rushing score. However, Allen didn’t even finish out the game because running back James Cook was on fire.
Cook rushed 25 times for a career-high 179 yards and a touchdown along with two receptions for 42 yards and a score. Cook’s 221 yards from scrimmage are the third most by a player this season, per The Buffalo News. Overall, the Bills’ 266 rushing yards was a new record under head coach Sean McDermott.
James Cook today:
25 CAR
179 RUSH YDS
1 TD
2 REC
42 REC YDS
BEAST.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Allen was asked about their sudden commitment to the run game. The 27-year-old quarterback couldn’t explain what was different that led to such success on the ground. They didn’t enter the matchup with a run-heavy game plan, but everyone rolled with it.
“Just win,” Allen said of his message to the team.
Allen gave props to offensive coordinator Joe Brady for sticking with the run. As for how Cook went off like he did, averaging 7.2 yards per carry, Allen gave another two-word answer.
“James Cook,” Allen said.
Cook recorded his fifth straight game with over 100 all-purpose yards, the first Bills player to do so since LeSean McCoy in 2017, per NYup.com. With a 28-point lead, backup quarterback quarterback Kyle Allen entered the game with 10:37 left in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like the kid who didn’t do anything in the class project but got an A,” Josh Allen said. “I’ll do this 10 times out of 10 times.”
Josh Allen Broke an NFL Record, Bills Defense Deserves Applause
Josh Allen and #bills heading into victory Monday like 👏👏👏
While Allen wasn’t the star of the matchup, he broke a new NFL record with his 10th game with a passing and rushing score this season. He’s recorded at least one passing touchdown in 22 consecutive games, the longest streak in the league. Much to Bills Mafia’s delight, he also ended his nine-game streak of throwing at least one interception.
The Bills defense also deserves a huge round of applause for shutting down Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Considering Buffalo was playing without DaQuan Jones, Matt Milano, Micah Hyde, AJ Epenesa, and Tre’Davious White, keeping one of the leading MVP candidates to just 134 passing yards and zero touchdowns is nothing short of phenomenal.
Heading into Week 15, the Cowboys ranked first in the league in points per game (40.2) and second in yards per game (437.4). Prescott hadn’t thrown an interception in four straight games before he was picked off by Bills cornerback Christian Benford.
Defensive end Leonard Floyd proved once again that he was the team’s most valuable offseason pickup. After sacking Prescott in the first quarter, Floyd became the first Bill with 10 or more sacks in a single season since Lorenzo Alexander’s 12.5 in 2016, per the team’s website.
“Our defense went out there against a fantastic offense and did their thing. It was a complete team win today,” Allen said. “We just have to keep finding ways to win.”
The Bills Remain in 9th place in the AFC
The #Bills now sit in 9th in the AFC at 8-6.
While the Bills have a lot to celebrate after embarrassing the Cowboys on both sides of the ball, they still haven’t punched their ticket to the playoffs. As it stands, the Bills are in ninth place in the AFC and do not control their destiny.
“We understand what position we’re in right now,” Allen said, noting they can only control what they can control. “We gotta win games. It doesn’t matter how we get them done.”
After defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 20-17 and crushing Dallas, the Bills seem to be peaking at the right time. Next up, Buffalo faces the Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) on Saturday, December 23.
The Chargers fired their head coach and general manager after losing 63-21 to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15. The Bills open as 13.5-point favorite to defeat Los Angeles in Week 16.