The Buffalo Bills won big on Thanksgiving, landing their first “statement win”, against the Dallas Cowboys with the world watching. Buffalo, for the last 20 years, has been a team that collapsed when the national spotlight was placed on them, but …
The Buffalo Bills won big on Thanksgiving, landing their first “statement win”, against the Dallas Cowboys with the world watching. Buffalo, for the last 20 years, has been a team that collapsed when the national spotlight was placed on them, but this was different.
The Bills delivered in a big way, and embarrassing the Cowboys, in their home stadium, and in a game that they have played in every year, since the 1960’s. I’ll admit, that it was strange to watch the Bills in a scenario like this, and a player in a Bills jersey eating a turkey leg to close out the game.
The offense fired on all cylinders, with Josh Allen moving the ball efficiently, by air, connecting with Cole Beasley, who was out for revenge against his former team. Devin Singletary caught a touchdown pass himself, as well as dominating on the ground. Allen looked like the franchise quarterback that Buffalo has long awaited, for the first time. It was certainly a defining game.
The Bills defense handled itself well. Giving up touchdowns to Dallas on their first and last possessions only, they did well, disrupting the number one ranked offense in the NFL. Dak Prescott, in an important contract situation this season, turned the ball over several times. He had defenders in his face all night, and even Ezekiel Elliott couldn’t get anything going.
Buffalo looked good when the lights shined bright, but what lays in front of them is another challenge, in the form of the red hot Baltimore Ravens. It’s hard to not try and enjoy this win against Dallas on a special occasion. With 10 days to prepare for the offensive onslaught that Lamar Jackson has brought against the best of the NFL, there is a lot more work that has to be done before the real celebrating can commence.
Billswire Podcast host Matt Johnson explores the win and outlook towards Baltimore in Week 13:
Sep 15, 2019; Landover, MD, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) runs after a catch against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports For the first time since 1996, …
Sep 15, 2019; Landover, MD, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) runs after a catch against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time since 1996, the Buffalo Bills are 8-3, and for the first time since 1994, they are playing football on Thanksgiving. Dallas has been a regular host of the Thanksgiving Day series since 1966, and the Cowboys have a rich history against the Buffalo Bills. It is one of the most anticipated games of Thanksgiving this year.
Here is everything that you need to know about the history of the Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, including their respective Thanksgiving Day stats:
The Bills and Cowboys first met on September 17, 1971, in Buffalo. The Cowboys won that game 49-37.
They met in two Superbowls, 27 and 28, with Dallas winning both encounters.
Their most recent encounter took place on December 27, 2015, and the Bills won that encounter 16 – 6.
The Cowboys lead the all-time series, including the two Super Bowl games, 8 games to 4 and have outscored Buffalo 280-181 over those 12 encounters.
The Cowboys played their first Thanksgiving Day game on November 24, 1966, defeating the Cleveland Browns 26-14.
Dallas would hold that tradition annually, with the exception of 1975 and 1977, in an effort to help out the St. Louis (Arizona) Cardinals boost stadium ticket sales.
Dallas is 31-18-1 on Thanksgiving.
Buffalo started playing Thanksgiving Day games while in the AFL. They played their first against the New York Titans (Jets) in a 21-14 loss.
The modern iteration of the Buffalo Bills have never hosted a Thanksgiving Day game, but played in five during their AFL years when no team had that home game guaranteed.
The Bills are 3-4-1 on Thanksgiving.
2019 So Far
Coming off of a 10-6 season and winning the NFC East for the second time in three years, the Cowboys are having a interesting year to say the least. Dallas lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams, and there were very high expectations coming into this season.
The Cowboys are currently 6-5, narrowly sitting atop the NFC East with Philadelphia only one game back at 5-6. As close as the race for the NFC East has been, both Philadelphia and Dallas are not being viewed as very competitive amongst the entire NFL, and are currently the worst team by record in the NFC Playoffs. A rather disappointing year that has many of the Dallas fan base calling for Jason Garrett’s removal as head coach, again.
2019 has been rocky from the start, as star running back Ezekiel Elliott held out for a bigger contract, a few years short of the expiration of his rookie deal. Considering the workload that has been put on “Zeke” over his very young NFL career, it was relatively fair, considering the toll that running back’s endure. However, the hold out led to some awkward moments and uncomfortable statements between Owner Jerry Jones and Elliott.
Also, a looming question heading into 2019 was quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract situation. Prescott has played relatively well in his tenure, sporting a 38-21 record as a starter with 14,309 yards passing, 88 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He will most likely be extended with Dallas, as he’s given stability at his position that the Cowboys didn’t have during the latter years of Tony Romo’s career. Whether or not Dak has performed well in clutch moments, has been the question of his biggest detractors, and that is an area that he has lacked in.
Dallas began the season with three straight wins, defeating the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. A great start, and Dallas looked like a top tier team and a definite Super Bowl contender, granted the strength of schedule. Prescott was having some of his best numbers, and the team, as a unit, was a well oiled machine.
However, it was the three games after that win streak that gave the Cowboys a stigma for 2019 that they “couldn’t beat good teams”. Losing to the New Orleans Saints 10-12, Green Bay Packers 24-34, and even a massive upset by the New York Jets, left Dallas feeling like an average team that couldn’t compete against the class of the division.
Since then, they’ve defeated the Eagles 37-10, completed the sweep of the Giants by winning 37-18, lost to the Minnesota Vikings 24-28, beat Detroit 35-27 and fell to the New England Patriots 9-13.
Dallas currently ranks first in “Team Offense” earning 4,767 yards over their first 11 games. They are the number one passing offense as well, with 3,339 passing yards. They are the eighth ranked rushing offense with 1,428 rushing yards, nearly 1,000 yards behind the Baltimore Ravens who sit at first.
Dak is currently the number one passer in the NFL, with 3,433 yards passing, tied at fourth in passing touchdowns with Kirk Cousins at 21 and tied for fifth in interceptions at 10 with Jimmy Garoppolo, Matt Ryan, Sam Darnold and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“Zeke” is ranked seventh in rushing with 919 yards on the ground and tied at seven rushing touchdowns with Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs, Todd Gurley and Bills QB Josh Allen. Dak Prescott has 197 rushing yards to his credit, good enough for 60th in the NFL, as well as three rushing touchdowns of his own.
Amari Cooper comes in at sixth in receiving, amassing 886 yards and he’s tied for fifth with touchdown receptions, at seven. Michael Gallup is the next best receiver, sitting at 21st in the NFL with 733 receiving yards. Randall Cobb at 39th with 581 yards.
As a defense, Dallas sits sixth in the NFL, allowing 3,503 yards against them and the seventh most points scored against them at 210. They are sixth in passing defense, giving up 2,350 yards by air and 12 touchdowns. The weakest aspect of their defense is against the rush, with 1,153 yards ran against them, good enough for 15th in the NFL.
How they match up with Buffalo?
There is certainly some intrigue with this game. Both Dallas and Buffalo are teams with stigmas. They can beat who they are supposed to beat, but can’t get the job done against winning teams. It rings true, as Dallas has not yet defeated a team with a winning record as of Week 13. The only team that Buffalo has defeated with a winning record currently, is the Tennessee Titans.
The Bills rush defense is at great risk this week, although it has improved the last few weeks. Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best running backs in the game, and an excellent pass-catching back. We all watched the defense that New England brought forth on Dallas last week, limiting the best passing offense to no touchdowns. The Bills have a tough defense as well, and it will be interesting to see if the Bills can duplicate or come close to New England’s performance.
Offensively, the Bills moved the ball effectively against Denver, who is ranked in the Top 10. Smart, calculated football to keep moving the chains with more usage for Singletary and Gore. The Cowboys weak rush defense should be a target for Buffalo in this game. Also, Cole Beasley is making his big return to the team where he had spent many years at. Beasley was excellent in the short to mid-range passing game last week, and it would be a good idea to continue to build off of that.
The Cowboys obviously have home field advantage on their side, and that typically bodes well with teams on short weeks. Traveling teams are 5-7 on the year, which aren’t terrible odds for the Bills.
Enjoy this game, and the other two throughout the day, with family and friends, the best way to enjoy football. Happy Thanksgiving from myself and the rest of the Billswire staff to you and yours!
The Jets are now No. 19 in the latest USA Today Power Rankings after their big win over the Raiders.
After the Jets’ best win of the season against the Raiders, USA Today took notice and moved the Jets way up in its latest power rankings.
New York moved up eight spots from No. 27 to No. 19 after defeating the Raiders, 34-3. It was by far the biggest jump of the week for any NFL team. Before the Raiders game, the Jets beat the Giants and Redskins, which were okay wins against bad teams, but the Raiders win is a lot more respectable. USA Today even put the Jets ahead of the Raiders despite Oakland’s 6-5 record.
The Jets will have another opportunity to move up next week when they take on the 0-11 Bengals. Cincinnati is by far the worst team in the league, but the Bengals have been competitive in some games this season. The Jets cannot afford to overlook this team like they have in years past with other bad teams.
As for the rest of the AFC East, the Patriots stayed put at No. 2, while the Bills moved up three spots to No. 12. The Dolphins also didn’t move up or down as they sit at No. 29.
The Ravens are No. 1 followed by the Patriots, 49ers, Saints and Seahawks.
From Los Angeles to the Big Apple via New Jersey, here were the top 5 O-lines from Week 12.
Week 12 in the NFL was the stuff of legend, beginning with a grand entrance that reminded fan bases that November—up to this point—had been just as wild as October.
Selfies were snapped in Week 12, with an excited rookie QB, Dwayne Haskins, not realizing the Redskins had unfinished business against Detroit. (Luckily, Haskins didn’t hit anyone over the head with their phone, or worse, update it to the newest iOS.) The Steelers called on a “Duck” in Week 12, while the Cowboys inexplicably called on the kicking unit. And top of the favorites list was the Packers, reminding the football-watching world that some things are simply more significant and far more critical than seeding in the NFC:
The offensive lines kept on trudging through all of the organized chaos, too—diving, pulling here and there, and doing their collective parts to move the chains while keeping the quarterback upright and minimally pressured. From Los Angeles to the Big Apple via New Jersey, here were the top 5 O-lines from Week 12.
5. Tennessee Titans
Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
The Jaguars rolled into the Music City with a run-stopping defense that was a little light on the “stopping” part, which left them more of a blinking sign that just read: Run!
And run—run, run!—is precisely what the Titans did, and did very well.
Tennessee’s running attack racked up 219 yards and four touchdowns, with Derrick Henry bulldozing his way for over half of the grand total (159 yards) and two scores. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill continued his impressive Act II as the Titans stater, hitting on 14 of 18 passes for two touchdowns, while also adding another two scores on the ground.
New to the rankings, the Titans’ O-line was solid the entire game. Yes, this was Jacksonville and not the Patriots, 49ers or even a loosely roped-off door. But still, they created time for Tannehill while opening lanes for Henry. They didn’t fall victim to any creative schemes nor did they spend the afternoon shaking their head while the referee yelled out their name while making the universally accepted signal for “holding.”
And, of course, nothing seals the deal—on this ranking, anyway—better than…offensive lineman touchdowns!
Ben Jones, Rodger Saffold, Jake Conklin, Tyler Lewan, Nate Davis, and Dennis Kelly: A forced fumble during the lone sack surrendered on the day is not enough to neglect you guys the collective shine for a job well done.
Buffalo Bills podcast following Week 12 in over Denver Broncos, ahead of Thanksgiving meetings vs. Cowboys.
The Buffalo Bills won their second straight game to improve to 8-3 on the season for the first time since 1996. It was a remarkable game, with the team displaying proficiency in all three phases of football that put up points and yardage on a top defense, halting a strong run offense, and did it’s job on special teams.
Denver had played much better than it’s record until this point, and they hit an absolute brick wall at New Era Field. The Bills defense only allowed 167 yards of total offense in Week 12. Buffalo downed talented running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman. In fact, it seemed that Broncos play calling didn’t aim to target Buffalo’s sketchy run defense in the second half, as they became very pass happy and one-dimensional.
In the Broncos closest venture towards the end zone, they could not get the job done as Tre’Davious White was essentially handed an interception and a broken route intended for Courtland Sutton, who was held for one catch in the outing.
The offense did well, aside from a bad Josh Allen interception that gave Denver some of the best field positioning that they had all day. 244 yards on the ground, again dominated by Devin Singletary.
However, the big news was that, Frank Gore, the journeyman running back, passed Barry Sanders to become third all-time in rushing yards. A tremendous accomplishment, and extra satisfying that it happened with him wearing a Bills jersey.
Buffalo prepares for Dallas on a short week for this Thursday, as the Bills play their first Thanksgiving game in several years. The quick turnaround has affected many teams this year, not being allowed to play to their full potential. Everyone is already hard at work at One Bills Drive to ensure the Bills are prepared for their latest National Spotlight opportunity.
Podcast Hosts Matt and Jeremy examine the win over Denver, and the road to Dallas:
Previewing Sunday’s Bills at Dolphins NFL matchup with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets
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The Buffalo Bills (6-3) travel to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., for an AFC East tilt with the Miami Dolphins (2-7). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. We analyze the Bills-Dolphins sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 11 matchup.
Bills-Dolphins: Week 11 preview, betting trends and notes
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.
The Bills are coming off a loss in Cleveland in Week 10, while the Dolphins surprised the Colts in Indianapolis last week.
Buffalo topped Miami 31-21 on Oct. 20 in Western New York, although the Dolphins did cover.
The Bills are 5-2-1 against the spread in their last eight against AFC foes, while the Dolphins are a perfect 4-0 ATS in their past four vs. AFC.
Buffalo has posted a 4-0-1 ATS in the past five road games, but is 1-6-1 ATS in its past eight on the road against teams with a losing home mark.
The Buffalo defense ranks third in total yards allowed (304.2), passing yards allowed (188.7) and points allowed (16.7) per game.
The Dolphins rank 31st in scoring (13.2 points per game), but they are averaging 18.7 PPG across the past four.
Miami enters on a 5-0 ATS streak, too.
Bills at Dolphins: Key injuries
Bills: DE Jerry Hughes (groin) did not practice Friday and is considered questionable, while TE Dawson Knox (knee) practiced in full Friday and is off the injury report.
Dolphins: DE Taco Charlton (elbow), S Reshad Jones (chest), LB Raekwon McMillan (knee) and DE Avery Moss (ankle) are questionable, while CB Ken Webster (ankle) is out.
Bills at Dolphins: Odds, betting lines and prediction
The Bills (-295) should be able to ease by the Dolphins in South Florida, but a few things concern me about this game. One, the Bills will be playing in the heat and humidity of Miami, although it won’t be blazing hot. And, the Dolphins (+240) suddenly have a belief in themselves after two straight wins against the Jets and Colts.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Bills to win outright returns a $3.40 profit.
The DOLPHINS (+6.5, -110) were the laughingstock of the league earlier this season, getting their doors blown off in two straight games to open the season. However, they’re 5-0 ATS across the past five and look like an NFL-caliber team again with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. The Bills (-6.5, -110) are a risky play on the road against a team which covered against them in Buffalo in October.
The UNDER 40.5 (-106) is the way to go, although I’d go super light on this one. Miami’s defense is still not a juggernaut, and the Bills are much stronger running the football than slinging it around. As such, running teams equal under results.
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What are the key storylines to watch this week for the Miami Dolphins in Week 11?
The Miami Dolphins have gone from a winless tank job (or so many would have you believe) to holding back-to-back victories. And if the Dolphins can come back home this week and prevail in their second matchup of the year against the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins will officially be streaking with three straight wins for the first time since the beginning of the 2018 season.
The Bills represent a winnable game for Miami, based on each team’s play at this time. In fact, in the 31-21 decision on October 20th earlier this year in Buffalo, they played each other fairly close. The Dolphins were better on third down with fewer penalties. But unfortunately, the Bills didn’t give the ball away — while Miami had two turnovers. Step one to achieving streaking status will be protecting the football.
Ball security will be something to watch — but here are three more storylines in this week’s Dolphins Dive for NFL Week 11.
Mike Gesicki heating up
While critics have called tight end Mike Gesicki a late bloomer, since the departure of running back Kenyan Drake the second year tight end has become more involved when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to check down from a primary target.
In this past two games, Gesicki has caught 9 passes for 123 yards — but he also logged a fumble against the Colts. Can we see Gesicki log a touchdown next?
Jerome Baker has been on a roll
There have been signs of improvement from the Miami Dolphins as the year has gone on. This is in part thanks to the consistency of linebacker Jerome Baker.
Turning in eight tackles and a forced fumble last week against the Colts, Baker recorded his third straight contest with seven or more tackles posted. His communication and versatility are proving to be key as the Dolphins bank on him to cover a lot of ground and fill a lot of roles. Continuing this pattern would be helpful in securing the ‘W’ over Buffalo.
Frank Gore needs 73 more
In addition to facing his former team for the second time this season, future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore is close to beefing up his resume for gold jacket glory. Should he gain 73 yards on Sunday in South Florida, Gore will have passed former Detroit Lion and NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for third-highest career rushing yard total. Gore has slowly been phased out of the Bills offense in favor of Devin Singletary — but he’s one big run away from third place on the all-time rushing list.
