Dallas Cowboys clinch playoff spot for third straight season

The Dallas Cowboys clinched a playoff spot for the third consecutive year about 35 minutes before kickoff against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.The Cowboys will make the playoffs thanks to losses by the Green Bay Packers (to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Atlanta Falcons (to the Carolina Panthers), and a win by the Detroit Lions (over the Denver Broncos) on Saturday.But the Cowboys are figҺting for more than simply a playoff spot.With a tiebreaker against the Philadelphia Eagles, they are first in the NFC East at 10-3. If the Cowboys and Eagles both win, Philadelphia will win the NFC East since they have a higher conference record.The champion of each division will host at least one playoff game. This season, the Cowboys are 7-0 at home and averaging 39.9 points per game at AT&T Stadium. They still have a chance to clinch NFC home-field advantage, but the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles would have to lose one of their last games while Dallas wins. The Cowboys last held home-field advantage in 2016, quarterback Dak Prescott’s rookie year.The Cowboys last made the playoffs in three successive seasons from 1991 to 1996, when they won three Suρer Bowls.

James Cook dices up Dallas Cowboys in Buffalo Bills’ dominant win

James Cook, bow.

In Sunday’s 49-0 win against the Dallas Cowboys at Highmark Stadium, the Buffalo Bills’ second-year running back impersonated Thurman Thomas. This is a bold claim, but Cook looked like a Pro Football Hall of Famer in his team’s 31-10 win.

Cook rushed for 179 yards on 25 carries, averaging 7.2 yards per carry, including a third-quarter 24-yard score. His rushing total was the most by a Bills running back since Fred Jackson’s 212 yards in a 30-7 win over the Colts on Jan. 3, 2010.

Cook’s contributions went further. He added two 42-yard catches and a touchdown. His second consecutive receiving touchdown. The last Bills running back to do that? Thomas, 1995.

Yes, it’s a heavy comparison, but Cook’s Sunday performance makes it fair. In Week 3 against Denver, Miami running back De’Von Achane gained 233 yards from scrimmage, but his 221 are third highest this season.

The Bills ran for 266 yards under his leadership. Since their 272 running yards in a 34-31 overtime loss to Miami in December 2016, that’s their most in a Sean McDermott game since 2017.

2. Allen set NFL record. This was Allen’s 10th game this season with a touchdown pass and run. Josh Allen was replaced by Kyle Allen with 10:37 left in the fourth quarter, demonstrating the Bills’ dominance Sunday. Josh Allen was benched after a 7-of-15 performance for 94 yards, when the Bills were leading by 28 points. Anyone who saw that coming is hard to find. The NFL’s longest streak of passing touchdowns is 22 games for Allen. Allen also lost his nine-game interception streak.

5. Cam Lewis played well. The Bills began Taylor Rapp at safety opposite Jordan Poyer without Micah Hyde. Lewis served as the third safety in the dime package. Late in the second quarter, he made two tackles and defended a third-down pass for Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson. Lewis collected the Bills’ only two special teams tackles. Lewis’ accomplishment is noteworthy given the Bills’ season-long injuries.

6. Stefon Diggs ran 1,000. Bills No. 1 receiver had three first-half catches for 31 yards. His fourth straight 1,000-yard season made him the first Bills receiver in franchise history. Diggs had a team-leading four catches for 48 yards, including a second-half one-handed catch that converted a third-and-long play. After two Vikings seasons, Diggs has had six straight 1,000-yard seasons. Mike Evans’ seven-season stretch is the longest. 

7. Murray continued his streak. In the first quarter, the Bills’ 33-year-old running back, the NFL’s oldest, scored a 1-yard touchdown. It was his fourth running touchdown of the season and ninth straight. The NFL’s longest streak.

8. Jordan Phillips got hurt late. The Bills’ defensive tackle sacked Prescott late in the third quarter on a third-down play, forcing a Dallas punt. On the play, however, Phillips evidently suffered a wrist ιnjury. He went back to the locker room and was announced as being questionable to return to the game, but with the score so lopsided, there was no need for him to return.

3. Leonard Floyd made a big-money play. The Bills’ edge rusher sacked Dak Prescott in the first quarter, raising his season total to 10.5, matching his single-season career best set in 2020 with the Los Angles Rams. Floyd became the Bills’ first defensive player to reach 10 sacks in a season since Lorenzo Alexander had 12.5 sacks in 2016.

For Floyd, the sack also earned him a $1 million incentive in his contract for reaching 10 on the season. There are additional incentives in his one-year deal that are worth another $1 million. Floyd’s base salary this season is just $1.165 million, while his $5.835 million signing bonus is split over four seasons, as his contract had three void years tacked onto the end of it.

4. Christian Benford got his first interception of the season. With the Cowboys in desperation mode most of the second half, that meant Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott put the ball in the air a lot. He had several throws that looked like they might end up being picked, but it wasn’t until the second-year cornerback came down with one in the fourth quarter on a pass intended for Brandin Cooks.

5. Cam Lewis played well. The Bills began Taylor Rapp at safety opposite Jordan Poyer without Micah Hyde. Lewis served as the third safety in the dime package. Late in the second quarter, he made two tackles and defended a third-down pass for Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson. Lewis collected the Bills’ only two special teams tackles. Lewis’ accomplishment is noteworthy given the Bills’ season-long injuries.

6. Stefon Diggs ran 1,000. Bills No. 1 receiver had three first-half catches for 31 yards. His fourth straight 1,000-yard season made him the first Bills receiver in franchise history. Diggs had a team-leading four catches for 48 yards, including a second-half one-handed catch that converted a third-and-long play. After two Vikings seasons, Diggs has had six straight 1,000-yard seasons. Mike Evans’ seven-season stretch is the longest. 

7. Murray continued his streak. In the first quarter, the Bills’ 33-year-old running back, the NFL’s oldest, scored a 1-yard touchdown. It was his fourth running touchdown of the season and ninth straight. The NFL’s longest streak.

8. Jordan Phillips got hurt late. The Bills’ defensive tackle sacked Prescott late in the third quarter on a third-down play, forcing a Dallas punt. On the play, however, Phillips evidently suffered a wrist ιnjury. He went back to the locker room and was announced as being questionable to return to the game, but with the score so lopsided, there was no need for him to return.

9. Sam Martin was shaken. Dallas defensive end Sam Williams was penalized for roughing the Bills’ punter in the first quarter, injuring his right knee. Williams had a clear shot at blocking Martin’s punt, but Martin got the ball off and Williams slammed into him, giving the Bills an easy first down. The Cowboys paid dearly for the penalty because Allen found Cook for a touchdown six plays later. After Martin held for Tyler Bass on the extra point, the Bills announced that their punter was medically cleared to play.

10. Poona Ford was inactive for Bills. The defensive tackle sat for the eighth time this season and sixth straight. As in every game this season, Bills оffensive lineman Germain Ifedi and Alec Anderson were inactive. Defense end A.J. Epenesa (ribs) and Hyde (neck stinger) were already out.

Wide receiver Jalen Brooks, running back Deuce Vaughn, оffensive lineman Asim Richards, and cornerback Eric Scott Jr. were inactive for the Cowboys. Cowboys emerge𝚗cy third quarterback Trey Lance.