Cowboys' chances of beating the Bills just got a lot better
The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 on the road. It won't be an easy game, and in fact, they're considered underdogs despite a recent 20-point win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bills themselves are fresh off of a huge win in Kansas City, which probably explains why. But on […]
The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 on the road.
It won't be an easy game, and in fact, they're considered underdogs despite a recent 20-point win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bills themselves are fresh off of a huge win in Kansas City, which probably explains why.
But on Friday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott provided an update that could really spell some trouble for the Cowboys'' rival on Sunday: They've ruled out two-time Second-Team All-Pro safety Micah Hyde and edge rusher A.J. Epenesa.
Both key defenders are dealing with key injuries, a stinger and a ribs injury respectively, and will be missed by the Bills. Hyde's absence in particular is guaranteed to be very relevant on Sunday and it makes the Cowboys' chances of beating the Bills even better.
McDermott's defense has always done a great job leveraging the elite safety duo made up of Hyde and Jordan Poyer. With Hyde out though, it'll be Taylor Rapp int he defensive backfield, which is a significant downgrade.
On top of that, the Bills are thin at defensive back and they've heavily relied on dime personnel groupings (six defensive backs) over the last few weeks.
In other words, the Cowboys could be matching up against a very thin and spread out secondary on Sunday. That certainly spells trouble against the high-powered offense that's pushed the ball downfield consistently with MVP frontrunner Dak Prescott at the wheel.
As for Epenesa, it's yet another hit to an already banged up defensive line. Von Miller hasn't been right for most of the season and he's been limited to low snap counts all season. That will need to change against the Cowboys with Epenesa out.
The Bills' pass rush is decent but far from being one of the best in the NFL. Chances are Prescott will be taken care of in the pocket, providing him with a chance to cook on Sunday.
Injuries suck but there's no denying the Cowboys benefit from the latest update on the Bills' side of things. All that being said, Dallas could be down a couple of defensive starters themselves, as both DL Johnathan Hankins and FS Malik Hooker have yet to practice.
