In a 31-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, second-year running back James Cook led the Bills to an impressive performance. Cook had two touchdowns and 221 total yards, with Georgia rushing back Latavius Murray contributing to his impressive highlight reel. Buffalo ran on 69% of their plays for the first three quarters, dominating time of possession with three drives lasting five and a half minutes or more. Cook was the offensive lineman that was used the most immediately, running 63 of the 86 yards on Buffalo’s second touchdown drive.
Baltimore, the first AFC team to reach ten victories, will play the leaders of the division in three of its upcoming games. However, due to Saturday’s losses for Pittsburgh and Denver, the Ravens just need to triumph Sunday night in Jacksonville to guarantee the AFC’s first slot. Miami returns to the top of the standings with a higher conference record (7-3). The remaining games are against the Dolphins, at 49ers, at Jaguars, and at Steelers.
The Miami Dolphins (10-4), leaders of the AFC East, Grounding the Jets on Sunday allowed them to get back on track. If the Fins manage to win, they will secure home field and a bye. The NFL playoff races remain unpredictable and perplexing as we move into Week 15. The AFC has the most winning teams through Week 14 of any conference since 1970, with 11 teams having winning records and six having 7-6 records going into the weekend.
Highmark Stadium roared when the second-year running back James Cook front flipped into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game, leading the Bills to a 31-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Cook ended with two touchdowns and 221 total yards. The Georgia rushing back produced play after explosive play, averaging more than eight yards per touch and amassing a plethora of highlights for his expanding highlight reel.
The opening score for the Bills was a great team effort. After a brief gain on first down close to the 50-yard line, Cook appeared to have been stopped by a mass of Cowboys defenders, but a wave of Bills pushed him ahead for a 12-yard gain. After eight plays, Latavius Murray took his turn riding the offensive line. Murray was pushed past the goal line by Connor McGovern, who had played three seasons in Dallas.
For the first three quarters, Buffalo ran on 69% of their plays, continuing to pound the rock. The Bills dominated time of possession with three drives lasting five and a half minutes or more, mostly due to their effectiveness on the ground.
Cook was the offensive lineman that was used the most right away. Cook ran 63 of the 86 yards on Buffalo’s second touchdown drive of the game, including an outstanding grab by Allen on a short pass to seal the victory.
Baltimore, the first AFC team reach ten victories, will play the leaders of the division in three of its upcoming games. However, because of the results from Saturday—losses for Pittsburgh and Denver—the Ravens just need to triumph Sunday night in Jacksonville to guarantee the AFC’s first slot. With a defeat, Miami returns to the top of the standings thanks to a higher conference record (7-3). The remaining games are against the Dolphins, at 49ers, at Jaguars, and at Steelers.
Miami Dolphins (10-4), leaders of the AFC East Grounding the Jets on Sunday allowed them to get back on track. However, with three strong opponents on the horizon, a club without a victory against anyone in 2023 enters the crucial portion of its campaign. If the Fins manage to win, they will secure home field and a bye. Schedule remaining: at Ravens, at Cowboys, and against Bills.
Through the Sunday 1 p.m. games in Week 15, the NFL playoff races remain as unpredictable and perplexing as ever, making this season’s homestretch one we’ll probably never forget. The AFC has the most winning teams through Week 14 of any conference since 1970, with 11 teams having winning records and six having 7-6 records going into the weekend.
We will no longer be using divisions in the playoff rankings; instead, we will be using conferences going forward. The explanation of each team’s tiebreaker is provided below.
Below is a summary of the current rankings and the challenges that each competitor must overcome as we move into Week 15.
Cook continued his amazing night with some late pyrotechnics, taking a handoff 24 yards for a score with the Bills leading 24-3 at the start of the fourth quarter.
There was never a need to escape the run game, therefore Allen only completed 15 passes. With four receptions for 48 yards in the end, Stefon Diggs was able to garner a well-earned cheer from the audience with an impressive one-handed catch.
An explosive Cowboys attack was limited to only 195 yards overall by the defense. Dallas only reached the 50-yard line three times during the whole game, and quarterback Dak Prescott was targeted three times by the pass rush.
Leonard Floyd, a defensive end, wrapped up Prescott for a nine-yard sack on the Cowboys’ first drive, forcing a lengthy fourth down. Their following drive ended with Shaq Lawson pushing Prescott out of bounds to force an inaccurate throw, Christian Benford breaking up a pass on first down, and Terrel Bernard forcing an incomplete pass to Tony Pollard.
In the second half, the assault persisted, beginning with Tyrel Dodson and Greg Rousseau taking Prescott to the ground for a 10-yard sack.
Even though the third quarter felt like it should have finished sooner, Christian Benford’s block of Prescott’s ball was the cherry on top of the Bills’ finest defensive effort of the season. The Cowboys were leading the league in third down % (52.9) and points per game (40.2) prior to Sunday’s defeat. They were also second in yards per game (437.4). With less than three minutes left in the game on Sunday, they scored their lone touchdown after going five for thirteen on third down.
The Bills sideline was humming when Kyle Allen checked in with more over ten minutes left in the fourth quarter, helping them get to 8-6 on the season.
