Thanksgiving football is something special.
For the Buffalo Bills (8-3) and Dallas Cowboys (6-5), it will be an afternoon to show that one of these two teams are true contenders for the postseason.
The Cowboys currently sit atop the NFC East standings, while the Bills hold a Wild Card spot in the AFC. Buffalo, for their part, is sporting their best record through 11 games since 1996. Dallas is working to claim its second consecutive NFC East crown.
Yet, some of their progress clouded as a bit of a mirage.
The Cowboys haven't been able to win the big games this season ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/WDq8BR1a8q
— ESPN (@espn) November 25, 2019
Dallas has struggled against superior competition, falling to New Orleans, Green Bay, Minnesota, and Dallas. Only their 10-point loss to the Packers was a defeat with a greater than one-score deficit.
In addition, they also have a horrendous two-point loss to the New York Jets.
For the most part, the Cowboys have still failed to knock off prospective playoff teams. In fact, they haven’t beaten a team with a winning record yet this season. Sound familiar?
Buffalo, for its part, has only played one game against a team that has a winning record. They lost this Week 4 matchup to the New England Patriots.
Now, it’s widely acknowledged that the teams don’t make their schedules, nor can they be responsible for the slew of teams they faced who are faltering or rebuilding this year.
But it does mean that something has to give on Thursday. Buffalo is starting a challenging slate of games, teams with a combined 30-13 record (as of Monday night). Dallas, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and New England are all on the cusp of punching a ticket into the postseason.
On Thursday, one of these teams will need to win in order put to rest the criticisms of the both team’s performances against prospective playoff teams. Buffalo can gain a signature win and solidify their playoff worthiness with a victory against a team with the top total offense in the league, as Dallas is averaging 433 yards per game. Meanwhile, the Cowboys could put to bed concerns (at least for the time being) about Jason Garrett’s coaching with a win.
After all, winning cures everything.
Someone is going to come out of this Thanksgiving clash looking for more desert, while the other will be the turkey. A win will also push a team forward in their quest for a playoff berth. More importantly, it will show that the team is capable of defeating a good team.
The nationally-televised game, the holiday, and the matchup should lead to an intense contest even on such a short week. For the other, it’s opening the door to more scrutiny, no matter their spot in the standings.
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