It's incredibly easy to panic about the Dallas Cowboys' 2023 NFL season after what happened on Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Cowboys were handed a beating on the ground as James Cook looked like Christian McCaffrey on steroids, racking up 179 yards rushing and adding 42 more as a receiver. 

The loss did nothing but further the notion that the Cowboys can be beaten if opponents decide to exploit their size deficit at linebacker and insist on wearing them down play after play. 

Even Bills quarterback Josh Allen admitted it wasn't really the original plan to pick apart the Cowboys defense through the run before the game started. Once they realized Dan Quinn would still match their 21 (two RBs) and 12 (two TEs) personnel groupings with nickel (5 DBs) and dime (6 DBs) defenses, it was an easy call for offensive coordinator Joe Brady, though. 

That's led to thoughts like "There's no way the Cowboys survive in the playoffs against teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles who will want to run on you!" 

This is a very fair concern until proven otherwise which is why I believe the Cowboys should thank the schedule makers for setting things up as they did back in May.

Cowboys get a blessing in disguise vs. Miami Dolphins in Week 16

Back when the Cowboys lost to the Niners in Week 5, it took almost a full month for them to be seriously tested again. In Week 9, finally they got the Eagles on the road. After losing to them, they had to wait another month until Week 14 for a rematch and another quality challenge.

But now, after losing to the Bills, they get the perfect test a week later: The high-powered 10-4 Miami Dolphins on the road.

Not only is that a test against a high-quality opponent but it happens to be one that checks a lot of boxes that will give us a better idea of whether or not the Cowboys can overcome the challenges they've struggled against. The Dolphins have:

• A Top 5 offense and Top 5 rushing offense: Mike McDaniel's scheme will put a lot of stress on a defense that missed 12 tackles in Buffalo. Will they look better if they get Malik Hooker back? Will they immediately ease concerns?
• A very good quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He might not be Top 5, but he has led one of the most dangerous passing games in the league alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He throws the ball the fastest than anyone else in the league and could very well mitigate the pass rush.
• A very respectable pass rush: Dak Prescott was never comfortable in Buffalo. The Dolphins have the second-highest sack rate in the NFL, which presents a good opportunity for Dak to bounce back and be less jittery in the pocket.
• A cornerback who can force Dak away from CeeDee Lamb: Jalen Ramsey is the real deal even in 2023. He can shadow receivers inside and outside like he did with Garrett Wilson in Week 15 and allowed no catches in one target after aligning across from him most of the game. Prescott will likely need to bank on other players on Sunday.

Overall, it's a tough game. But one that presents a huge opportunity to squash away every concern that's lived in the minds of Cowboys Nation since Sunday. To be able to do it within a week would be huge. 

The game itself might not be as meaningful for tiebreaking purposes but it might be the most important one remaining. 

Cowboys: Jayron Kearse directly calls out NFL officiating

Does he have a point?