Bills' send a message by dominating Cowboys 31-10

A spectacular performance on both sides of the ball led the Buffalo Bills to a 31-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Buffalo's ability to slow down the NFL's most explosive offense and end their five-game winning streak is a reminder of how dangerous they are.

The victory also improved the Bills record to (8-6), helping their chances of making the playoffs. However, they still need to win out and get help to make the playoffs.

If the Bills continue to play like they did against the Cowboys, winning out should not be an issue.

Offense

Ben Green/Buffalo Bills

Typically, the Bills' offense runs through quarterback Josh Allen because of his playmaking ability through the air and on the ground. However, the Cowboys' dangerous pass rush was an issue that the Bills needed to find ways to address. The best way to do so is by running the ball, but the Bills' running attack, led by James Cook, has struggled this season.

Thankfully, the Bills running game started out strong against the Cowboys, with 48 rushing yards on the opening drive. Cook had 34 yards, Allen had 66, Ty Johnson had six yards, and Latavius Murray had two yards and a touchdown.

The Bills' running success continued throughout the game as they finished with 266 total rushing yards from five players.

James Cook: 25 rushes, 179 rushing yards, and a touchdown

Ty Johnson 9 rushes, 54 rushing yards

Josh Allen: 8 rushes, 24 yards and one touchdown

Latavius Murray: 5 rushes, 11 yards, and one touchdown

Kyle Allen: 2 rushes -2 yads

Kyle Allen's rushing yards were kneel downs, so the Bills truly ran for 268 yards.

If the Bills are able to sneak into the playoff and balance this rushing attack with a passing attack, they are a true Super Bowl contender.

Defense

Bill Wippert/\Buffalo Bills

The Bills' pass defense played spectacularly against the Cowboys, holding Dak Prescott to 21 completions on 34 attempts for 134 yards. They did this by dialing up pressure regularly and playing sticky coverage. The Bills' pressure affected Dak the most on third downs, leading to three sacks. Getting sacks on these important downs kept the momentum with the Bills the whole game.

The rushing defense also played well, only allowing 89 total yards. This makes it two games in a row where they have held a team under 100 rushing yards. If the defense can continue that effort and sneak into the playoffs, their running-stopping ability will be useful.

The Bills look to continue their momentum this Saturday when they play the Chargers, who recently fired head coach Brandon Staley.

Cover Photo credit: Ben Ludeman/Buffalo Bills