BILLS vs COWBOYS preview: STARS set to SQUARE OFF in BUFFALO

Summary

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Buffalo Plus Podcast: Bills vs. Cowboys Preview

Episode Date: December 15, 2023
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes
Theme: An in-depth preview of the upcoming Week 15 Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys matchup in Buffalo, with discussion of recent team stories, strategies, and key players.

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the high-stakes Bills vs. Cowboys matchup in Orchard Park, exploring both teams’ recent performances, playoff implications, strategies, and off-field narratives. The Buffalo Plus team—Mike, Jenna, and Dan—bring their signature banter, candid analysis, and insider perspective, balancing humor with sharp football insight.

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Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. The State of the Buffalo Bills Post-Chiefs Win

• Relevance and Momentum: The Bills' win over Kansas City was framed as possibly Sean McDermott’s biggest as a head coach—keeping Buffalo's playoff hopes alive and restoring some "swagger" to the team.

  "That win against Kansas City, I think it's as big a win as Sean McDermott's had as the head coach of the Bills... in 2023, with where they are and where they've been, they needed that so badly." —Mike [00:58]

• Handling Adversity: The team rallied around its leaders in the face of off-field headlines (particularly regarding Von Miller’s situation and criticism of McDermott's character).

  "It did galvanize the team... you heard Micah Hyde come out here and say that was a low blow... I'll go to bat or I got Sean McDermott's back every single day of the week and twice on Sunday." —Dan [01:33]

• Imperfect But Resilient: The hosts note the Bills haven’t played a "complete game" recently but managed to "win ugly"—a mark of a mature, playoff-minded team.

2. Reflections on "Ugly Wins" and Fan Expectations

• Winning Matters More Than Style: The group counters the idea that style points or playing your “A game” is necessary at this time of year.

  "There is not a committee that decides who makes it right. You want pretty... It doesn't put another point on the board the next week." —Mike [03:04]

• Narrative Swings: Both victories and defeats prompt hyperbolic reactions, but what counts is stacking wins, especially in December.

  "When the Bills lose, they make excuses. Then when they win, people are like, well, they still barely won." —Dan [03:58]

3. McDermott’s Redemption and Defending in Big Moments

• Coaching Critique Responded To: The defense came through for McDermott in a key moment, bucking the trend of late-game collapses.

  "[It was] poetic justice... for Sean McDermott’s defense to come up in that moment." —Jenna [05:00] "They blitzed the crap out of Patrick Mahomes and it worked." —Dan [03:58]

4. Preview: Bills vs. Cowboys Matchup

Historical Context and the Rarity of the Matchup

• The Bills and Cowboys seldom meet; most recent games include 2019’s Thanksgiving in Dallas and the 5-interception Tony Romo game.

Cowboys’ Strengths & Stakes

• Dallas brings a 10-3 record, dangerous offense, and real NFC playoff stakes. They could finish as high as a 1-seed, or as low as a 5-seed despite winning out.

• Dak Prescott’s MVP Play:

  "Dak is playing an MVP caliber season this year." —Jenna [07:47]

  • The team jokes about LaShawn McCoy's infamous "Dak is ass" quote, then notes how wrong that take looks in 2023.

• Offensive Weapons: CD Lamb stakes a claim among the league’s best WRs, supported by Tony Pollard, Brandon Cooks, and the emergence of TE Ferguson.

  "You can make an argument for [Lamb] being the best wide receiver in the league this year, except for Tyreek Hill." —Mike [13:27]

• Mike McCarthy’s Narrative: Once seen as a laughingstock, McCarthy has quietly built a Super Bowl-resume-caliber season:

  "McCarthy gets laughed at by a lot of people. He has a resume of a Super Bowl champion..." —Mike [08:50]

• Home/Road Splits: Dallas is dominant at home (undefeated), more vulnerable on the road—a factor in Buffalo’s favor.

Weather Factor in Buffalo

• Potential bad weather could "muck up" the game and play to the Bills’ advantage.

  "I think they want it to be a little ugly... you want this to become a physical ground and pound game because the Bills have run the ball pretty well." —Dan [12:14]

5. Bills’ Gameplan: Offense Needs to Click

• Run Game Key: James Cook’s emergence is a highlight, though pass protection keeps some limitations on his snaps.

  "If you want to see more of Cook, let this offensive line be ready for the pressure... I'd split him out. I'd have him all over the place. He's a weapon." —Mike [28:17]

• Josh Allen's Legs Revitalized:

  "You know what else is a really good weapon? Josh Allen running the football." —Dan [29:55]

  • Under Joe Brady, Allen’s rushing attempts have nearly doubled (from 4.8 to 8 per game).
• Pre-Snap Motion as a Difference Maker:

  "The way to beat this Dallas defense... is to do pre-snap motion, which Joe Brady has brought in a ton of." —Dan [25:24]

  • With motion, opposing QBs’ QBR jumps from 36 (no motion) to 57 (with motion).

6. Concerns Over the Passing Game: Diggs & Davis

• Stefon Diggs Slump: Fewer explosive plays and more drops have cast concern, though the crew doesn’t question his effort or commitment.

  "He's pressing a little, and I don't know if he would really admit that, but he appears to be pressing a little bit." —Mike [18:06] "But at any moment, the guy can be back." —Mike [19:33]

• Gabe Davis’s Inconsistency: Minimal targets and production lately; missed opportunities (like being wide open late vs. KC) limit his impact.

7. Cowboys’ Defensive Threats

• Key Players: Stephon Gilmore’s return as a top corner is noted, but most attention centers on Micah Parsons.

  "Micah Parsons—he's a freak... Dion Dawkins called him himothy times two." —Jenna [24:02]

  • Joe Brady relates a story: when Parsons arrived at Penn State, he wanted to play wide receiver and was the best WR in camp [24:20].
• Defensive Scheme: Parsons' movement across the line makes protection challenging; Dallas also brings unpredictable pressure and features dynamic players like DaRon Bland (six pick-sixes this year).

8. Bills Defensive Outlook

• Buffalo’s defense has held most “number one” receivers in check this year despite secondary injuries.

  "They have done a pretty good job for the most part. And like I said, you can't take away everybody, but I think you've got to take away CeeDee Lamb." —Dan [16:06]

• Micah Hyde is likely out, but the defensive scheme has shown adaptability.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |-----------|---------|----------------| | 00:58 | Mike | "That win against Kansas City, I think it's as big a win as Sean McDermott's had as the head coach of the Bills..." | | 01:33 | Dan | "That's a low blow for somebody to do that... I'll go to bat or I got Sean McDermott's back every single day of the week and twice on Sunday." | | 03:04 | Mike | "There is not a committee that decides who makes it right... You want pretty... It doesn't put another point on the board the next week." | | 05:00 | Jenna | "It was poetic justice for Sean McDermott’s defense to come up in that moment." | | 07:47 | Jenna | "Dak... He is playing an MVP caliber season this year." | | 13:27 | Mike | "You can make an argument for [CeeDee Lamb] being the best wide receiver in the league this year, except for Tyreek Hill." | | 19:33 | Mike | "But at any moment, the guy can be back." (on Stefon Diggs) | | 24:02 | Jenna | "Micah Parsons... Dan, he's pretty good." and "Dion Dawkins called him himothy times two." | | 25:24 | Dan | "The way to beat this Dallas defense also—is to do pre-snap motion, which is something Joe Brady has brought in a ton of." | | 29:55 | Dan | "You know what else is a really good weapon? Josh Allen running the football well." | | 32:10 | Mike | "This is what you want, right? This is what you want? Yeah. In December. Relevant games." |

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Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:58-06:15 — State of the Bills after Chiefs win; impact on team psyche and playoff hopes
• 07:00-10:15 — Previewing the Cowboys game, Dallas backstory, and stakes for both teams
• 12:00-14:30 — Weather discussion and impact; importance of the Bills’ run game
• 15:07-16:22 — How Buffalo’s defense matches up with Cowboys’ offensive weapons
• 17:42-19:33 — Concerns over Stefon Diggs’ production and overall WR play
• 24:02-26:33 — Micah Parsons’ impact story and Dallas’s defensive approach
• 25:24-27:41 — The strategic value of pre-snap motion under Joe Brady
• 28:17-29:14 — James Cook’s emergence, but challenge of pass protection
• 29:55-31:26 — Allen as a running threat again under Joe Brady
• 32:10+ — Final notes on game implications, emotional wins, and the fun press box banter

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Podcast Tone and Banter

The episode is marked by warmth, quick-witted exchanges, and a sense of camaraderie—typical for Buffalo Plus. The humor (e.g., the recounting of McCoy’s “Dak is ass” quote, press box food disputes, weather "curse" jokes, and spilled coffee stories) balances the serious breakdowns—making for an accessible yet insightful listening experience.

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Takeaway

The Bills enter a pivotal matchup with both hope and urgency, knowing they haven’t put together their best game but have the pieces—and momentum—to challenge the Cowboys. The Cowboys, meanwhile, arrive as NFC contenders but face a new test in the cold, on the road, against a dangerous, desperate Buffalo side. With playoff implications, resurgent stars, and plenty of storylines, this is December football at its best.

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Transcript

[A]

You don't, you don't ever stop talking.

[B]

I'm at a table with Dan Fates.

[A]

I know, but during the game, you're like, oh, John, I need to see that. They can't be doing that. Like, I know, I love it, sir. I'm watching a tremendous game going on in front of me.

[B]

You're like, you're at Wendy's, sir.

[C]

This is the Buffalo plus podcast brought to you by Connors and Ferris.

[A]

All right, welcome to the Buffalo plus podcast, presented by Connors and Ferris. Mike Catalana, Dan Fates, I am Jenna Cottrell. We are talking this Bills Cowboys matchup in Orchard park on Sunday. The Cowboys 10 and 3. Entering this game, the Bills now 7 and 6. Please be sure to like, comment and subscribe to the podcast. We always appreciate it as we are in week 15, which that in itself is unbelievable. But, but we're talking about it. Mike, where is this team at now heading into this game against the Cowboys on Sunday?

[B]

They're relevant is what they are. That win against Kansas City, I said I think it's as big a win as Sean McDermit's had as the head coach of the Bills. For personally, we all know that. But for this team, where they are in the Josh Allen experience, with this team, you can go back to other ones. You can say when they finally broke the drought and all those things in 2023, with where they are and where they've been, they needed that so badly. I love the relevance and, you know, Miami's helped them stay in for the division. So this is what we want, this is what fans want. This is what we're going to get.

[C]

I think there are some off the field distractions and there can also be self inflicted wounds. The Von Miller thing is a, is a distraction to some respects, obviously, but the Sean McDermott story, the, the attack on his character and all those things. You talked about it when you guys went to Kansas City. I think it did galvanize the team. Yeah, I think when you heard Micah Hyde come out here and say that was a low blow and he talked about on Friday, that's a low blow for somebody to do that. And like, I'll go to all, I'm gonna go to bat or I got Sean McDermott's back every single day of the week and twice on Sunday, that was one of the moments where I was like, oh, this seems in a rally. And they did. And it wasn't the prettiest win against Kansas City. I think that that's also a good sign. What have we talked about here, okay. The Bills only win if they play their A game. They can't win with their beginning. They pretty much won with their B game. Yeah, that is also a shot or a knock at the Chiefs. But it was a testament to the Bills to pull out an ugly win. I thought says a lot and I think that helped get some of that. We talked about it on Wednesday, a little bit of that swagger back.

[A]

I, I, my thing is too two things. One is we haven't seen this Bills play a complete really game yet. I mean we talk about that Miami game, but we haven't seen that since know Joe Brady has taken over as offensive coordinator. And I like the point you mentioned about this team was able to win ugly. We had some comments after the game like the Bills shouldn't have won this game. All this stuff. I, I hear what people are saying like the Bills, it really felt like it was just the clock running out and the Chiefs were going to win, all that stuff. But at the same point a win is a win in the NFL and you can't complain how you get them done.

[B]

I, I checked with the league. There is not a committee that decides who makes it right. You want pretty, Everybody wants to feel so good about it.

[A]

Pretty.

[B]

Well, we have it, you know, but you, you, it doesn't put another point on the board the next week. You can win, you can look great and then you got to go out and do it again. And some people were saying, I felt better with that Philly game. No, you lost. No matter how you played, you lost.

[A]

I, I understand the sentiment, but at the end of the day, it's like it's December football games.

[B]

You gotta talk.

[C]

Shout out Tim Graham of the Athletic. He said it best when everybody was calling him that. Well, the Bill shouldn't have won because that shouldn't have been a penalty and all these things. And his response was, if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon. I thought that was the best way of putting it. You're right.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

If this didn't. Yeah, if Jake Ellie doesn't hit a 59 yarder, the Bills win.

[B]

Yeah, it did.

[C]

And it was a flag. And so like we're going back and forth and arguing these things. Like when the Bills lose, they make excuses. Then when they win, people are like, well, they still barely won. They won Shawn McDermott. And that was the thing. And I tweeted out after the game, love him or hate him, want him fired or not, Sean McDermott did it. Yeah, they had always been the knock. His defense crumbles in big moments late in games. Yeah, they didn't. They blitzed the crap out of. Out of Patrick Mahomes and it worked.

[B]

It worked.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And by the way, I just want to ask you, Jenna, am I okay lined up like this or am I too far forward? Is somebody going to throw a fly? So stop the whining. You know, stop the whining is what I tell everybody. The Bills got a break there.

[A]

They did.

[B]

They got a break because the Chiefs made a big mistake.

[C]

A wide receiver sucks.

[B]

Simple mistake. It really is. The week before or two weeks before when they lost to the Eagles, guy just dropped a pass. Guess what? That's happened to the Bills too. That's the NFL and you guys have to make plays. The Bills took advantage of it. And by the way, even after that play and the penalty, they still had a chance.

[C]

15 almost at midfield.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think it was poetic justice, though, for Sha McDermit's defense to come up in that moment and to have hit it all come together the way it.

[C]

Did, to see McDermott and his hands and then. And then he exhales. Then it's that moment of like, we did it, we did it like. And again, I. Sean is aware enough to know that his defense has failed. And the. Guess what? Of course, in three games this year, the Bills had leads in the final minute of three games and lost them. It looked like they could be heading to another one, and they didn't. And to get the test and to see Micah Hyde's arm around him on the sidelines and you got so many shots of him coming off the field like, man, that just felt like a win that rallies a team.

[B]

And three and nine tenths of of Gay's games were losses because I'm going to throw the Giants game in there. They basically blew that game and got. And they got bailed out a little bit at the end of that one. So, yeah, the defense needed that. The Mac Jones game is going to be burned into everybody's memory. But when they needed it. Love the play calls. Look, he was aggressive and it had worked against Mahomes and it really did. So they got a break, take advantage of it, move on, and now look to try to continue it.

[A]

It did make me laugh though, when people like, they didn't. They didn't look good enough. I'm like, okay, I hear you. There are things that could be cleaned up. The offense get really sputtered in the second half, but also a win is a win is a win in December. So take it, move on and keep it going.

[B]

Yeah. Imagine if that game would have ended that way. We would have had to name something else. I have been to too many named Bills losses in my career. They're all, you know, lined up. This would have been some sort of a throwback. Kelsey. I'm sure Taylor Swift's name would have been attached to it somewhere. And instead, you know what it is? It's the other team that did something dumb and it cost them. So yeah, look, clean it up. But they will take it eight days a week with a win like that.

[A]

Little poetic justice for Sean McDermott. All right, let's talk about this Cowboys matchup because obviously this is a team the Bills really don't see often. They saw them on Thanksgiving in Dallas. That was what, 2019. Last time they were in Buffalo was back in 2015.

[B]

Mike, horrible game. Like, nothing. Awful game. That was.

[A]

How many? Five?

[B]

Yeah, it was. Rex. The Cowboys were bad that year. I think they only won like four or five games, something like that. And then before that was the crazy 5 interception Tony Romo game where to makes a catch and they end up beating the Bills at the end. I think Romo might be the only guy to ever throw five interceptions and win.

[A]

I was like, yeah, I know someone else who's thrown.

[B]

Yes, but it was five interceptions and they won. So you're right. They don't see this team very often. And it's a really good team.

[A]

They are. I mean, Dan, they have playmakers all over the place. Let's start with the offensive side of the ball. But also just like, I know we joke and we constantly quote LaShawn McCoy saying that Dak Prescott is ass because it's just, it's phenomenal. But he is playing an MVP caliber season this year.

[C]

Dak his ass.

[B]

Like, it's just. That's where McCoy's Philly comes out.

[C]

It's just so good. And, and also the fact that Dak Prescott is. Is right now the fact to win the mvp. Like, like, yeah, I think we talked about it a little bit up on Wednesday. Like for everybody that counted out Dallas last year, that this team chokes, they can't get into. Like, look at all the. Look at all the ways they fail. They find new ways to lose. McCarthy's a laughing stock of the league. Dak can't win the big one. Like, can't even get to playoffs. All these things. They have used that as motivation. Yeah, they got dogs on. They got dudes on both sides of the ball as well. As like I said, talking about offensively, they can run the ball with Tony Pollard. CD Lamb is a true number one wide receiver, probably top five in the league this year. And Daka said is playing at an MVP caliber level.

[B]

Yeah, he is.

[C]

And McCarthy's doing a phenomenal.

[B]

That's what I was going to say. McCarthy gets laughed at by a lot of people. He has a resume of a Super bowl champion.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And then a lot of missteps. And then last year, you know, they can't beat the Niners. They. They've lost playoff games and you got the feeling like he might have been at the end.

[C]

I just remember us being all of us. The Bill season comes to an end against Cincinnati at home and we're at Chili's and we're watching the Niners Cowboys game and Zekiel Elliott is snapping the ball to Dak as he's the only guy. That's why.

[A]

Oh my gosh, I forgot about that.

[C]

We're sitting there eating endless bottomless chips.

[A]

And had about the highlight of the game.

[C]

They're like, this is some kind of smart trick play. What are they going to do? Gets pancaked.

[B]

That was so bad. So bad.

[A]

I forgot about that.

[B]

But they bounce back.

[A]

They are playing very good football right now.

[B]

But you know, I will say for people to talk about who needs this game more, it's just a funny thing that said, look, the Bills need every win because they're on the outside looking in. And Dallas has 10 wins, but Dallas is in the NFC, so they have a legitimate shot certainly to win the NFC East. They have a legitimate shot to still become the one seed, though they'd have to beat out San Francisco or pretty easily. I know this sounds strange. They could win the rest of their games and be the five seed. Correct.

[A]

That's crazy.

[B]

Yeah. Because if. If the Eagles were to win the rest and Dallas wins the rest, the Eagles win the division and they're the one or the two. So Dallas needs this. They are lethal at home. They get home, they could be in this. Not that they couldn't do it on the road, but that's been the thing. They've been great. Great at home and vulnerable.

[C]

What was that look for?

[A]

I was. I just. I'm not good at math.

[C]

Math.

[A]

She was good at math.

[C]

She was thinking seven, zero and three and three.

[A]

Yeah. Well, I was like three. Yeah. I didn't mean to take away from.

[C]

Smoke coming out of your head.

[B]

Well, they started the year and when we were in Jersey for the game, they had played the night before against the Giants and beat them 40 to nothing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Rest of their time on the road has been, you know, they got a few wins, but they've had some tough games. They lost Arizona, like, they have not been as good. But if they can get them at home now, this week, they got to be in Orchard Park. We'll see how much that changes things.

[A]

Which I think Dan Fates should apologize to people because when we looked at the forecast earlier on this week, it said, you know, clear skies to be a high of like 49. And now since Dan is going to be on the field.

[B]

Yeah. God realized that Dan was shooting the game. He's bringing the weather in. Or he or she is bringing the weather in. Want to be accurate.

[C]

Just so stupid.

[A]

For those of you that don't know the backstory, I gen, generally speaking, get great weather games. I had the game last week and weather was great. K Beautiful. I didn't even need the hand warmers.

[B]

Wow. Wow. Dan shoots the games and it's. Locusts are the next thing. Like, we get all kinds of storms and snow and. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. But in this case, I think Bill's fans might want there to be some weather.

[C]

I agree.

[B]

If.

[C]

If it is showers looks like kind of windy.

[A]

I think the wind is the biggest thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That as we're forecasting this or podcasting this on Thursday.

[B]

Forecasting in a podcast. Yeah.

[C]

I think they want it to be a little ugly.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I think you want to try and muck this game up.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Kind of thing. Like, I think you want this to become a physical ground and pound game because, hey, guess what? Bills have run the ball pretty well.

[A]

Yeah, they have that. I think that's really going to be the key. And also, how do you. How do you beat a team with finesse? It's obviously adding the physicality element and being able to go physical and see what the offense would be able to do. But you mentioned the run game. James Cookie's been playing pretty well. This is going to be a big opportunity for him to see how he can continue to add on top of that. Because the Bills are going to need him out there.

[B]

Yeah. Well, you made the good point in the beginning. We talk about their offense in Deck and lamb. It's funny, I. I don't know why he's with the Dallas Cowboys, but he doesn't seem to get that.

[C]

Because he was drafted by them.

[B]

Because he was drafted by them.

[C]

You said you don't know why he's with the Dallas Cowboys.

[B]

Oh. Oh. Oh, my God. I'M saying is he is a.

[A]

The worst. The worst is.

[B]

Is he. This year he's a top. What? Well, he's. I think he's even higher than that this year. Jefferson's been hurt. Diggs is slumped in the second half.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Chase has been hurt. Like A.J. brown got off to a great start and his slump. CD Lamb has been. You can make an argument for him being the best wide receiver in the league this year, except for Tyree Kill. I mean, Hill is number one. I mean, incredible.

[C]

Hill, Brown.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But.

[B]

But Lamb is right there and he just makes play after play for them. And you know, they've got Brandon Cooks, who's a pro who can run. Ferguson has been a really. A revelation for them at tight end. You know, Dallas has always wanted to do that. And you mentioned Pollard and also they can move the ball. Dax been really good last year. I think it was last year he led the league in interceptions. And that's not who Dak has been. He's not been a big turnover guy this year. He's turned that around. And decision making. Yes, decision making.

[A]

Seems very confident. He does see that kind of the rest.

[B]

Oh, I'm sorry. And the row line has been fantastic.

[A]

Well, yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That certainly.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

As well.

[C]

The Tyron Matthew wears a knee guard.

[B]

Tyron Smith.

[C]

Tyron Smith. Sorry. As his elbow guard. Like, what would fit on a normal person's.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Legend fits on his arm.

[B]

I was just thinking of Tyron Matthew tackle. My.

[C]

My joke didn't land and I'm just so rattled. I'm gonna sit a play out or two.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Awareness.

[B]

Advantage.

[A]

Awareness. Okay. That was good. That was so short lived.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You talked.

[A]

So short lived.

[C]

CD Lamb and the threat. And they also have Brandon Cooks and.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

They have other pieces around it. The Bills, for the most part, even with the injuries to their secondary and Micah Hyde's a big one that we still don't know about it. It's assuming that he's not gonna play practice.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Went with week to week instead of day to day.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Day to day usually means he's got a shot week to week. Seems like it's not. They've been pretty good at holding number one wide receivers.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Not to massive games. Philly's kind of a weird exception because of the weather. I don't know how much that affected it, but, like.

[A]

And that weather was awful.

[C]

That weather was. Was. Was really bad because I was there.

[A]

Yeah. Ben was.

[B]

He was on the field.

[C]

But, like, there was a lot of times this season where they have played good wide receivers, top, you know, top 20 wide receivers. And they've had a lot of, like, five catches, five or six catches for like 60 yards or in touchdowns.

[B]

Chase did not have a big game.

[C]

Chase didn't have a big game. A.J. brown didn't. Now, Devonta Smith had, Was. Was solid. He was. He was their number one, you know, target. But, like, they've held Garrett Wilson in check. I know he made the touchdown catch against, you know, Trey White, but, like, again, he was Zach Wilson. I understand all that stuff, but Cortland Sutton really didn't do anything. Mike Evans really didn't have a big day. Like, even going back to Devonte Adams, like, they have done a pretty good job of holding number one.

[A]

That's a fair point.

[C]

That's not saying that Brandon Cooks or Ferguson couldn't go off, but they've done a really good job for the most part. And like I said, you can't take away everybody. Like, yeah, somebody's gonna have a day, like, to form. Like you said Smith in the Philly game, like, was the guy. But I think it's. You got to take away CD Lamb. Like, you can't let him go off.

[B]

If.

[C]

If Brandon Cooks beats you, he beats.

[B]

You and so good. He's a good route runner. He runs in the slot. He gets himself open. He's got down field. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

He's a heck of a player. And Dak looks for him, but again, they have other options. And you're right about McCarthy. That offense has really come around this year and they move the ball very well and they protect Dak and he's not making mistakes, so they're tough to stop.

[C]

Points per game.

[A]

The last six, 40.2.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The last five.

[C]

Is that good?

[A]

Yeah. That's a lot of points.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I am curious to see what it'll be like for this team to be on the road. Like, we talk about them being three and three on the road. This is also. Now you add in the weather element. They've been at home the last three weeks.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So they've had a lot of consistency in terms of that. This is going to be. I mean, we kind of talked earlier on about no team wants to see the Bills if they were to get to the playoffs because of how, you know, they can put it together, having Josh Allen, all these things. I think it's going to be a huge test for Dallas and, I mean, obviously it is for Buffalo, too, but we talked kind of about, you know, what we expect to see when the Cowboys have The ball. But in terms of when the Bills have the ball, we mentioned it in the post game podcast about Stefan Diggs and about Gabe Davis and Dan. I mean, we know the caliber of player that Stefan Diggs is. We've seen that year in and year out. But really, these last five games, he.

[C]

Has really struggled and the offense has still been pretty good, which is.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Which is a big credit.

[A]

I think that can be true. But also to put together the postseason run that you want to have, you need to have him be him.

[B]

You concerned at all. Like, it's a different coordinator, everything. But second half of last year, Diggs's production went down. And. And again, we know he's a great player.

[C]

He.

[B]

It's not just targets. What, did he have 11 targets last week? Yeah, he's had some drops. He had drops behind the line of scrimmage. I think he's pressing a little, and I don't know if he would really admit that, but he appears to be pressing a little bit.

[C]

I agree. He's pressing. And I'll say that because early on in that game, there was like a third and four and he caught a little swing pass.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And Diggs is not a guy to take contact.

[B]

Oh, he added contact.

[C]

He put his shoulder into the guy's face mask and pushed him three yards down the field. Yeah, that was one of those moments that grabs your attention for the whole sideline.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, to me, that was a big moment of like, oh, Diggs means business.

[B]

What do you think he was saying when he was throwing that guy down?

[C]

That was one.

[A]

Stay off my Twitter.

[C]

That was one of the ones where I was, like, you said, I'm gonna buck up, buddy. Like, that was it.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Just. That was the one to meet.

[B]

So I see.

[A]

If you want. If you want fun, go to your local ice cream store.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

I. I thought that was. Was a tough moment because you're right, he has had some drops where I've gone.

[B]

That's.

[C]

That's unlikely.

[B]

Even the contested ones where it's like, Diggs makes that play, the one right.

[A]

Before the two minute warning.

[B]

Yeah, that was bad. And everybody's blaming, whether it's Brady McDermott, whatever, for the way they ran the ball or threw the ball at that. But that first play was a simple little dump off to Digs.

[C]

It's a run.

[A]

Yeah, it's a run.

[B]

And it dropped the ball. And that puts you in a spot. But. But regardless, at any moment, the guy can. Guy can be back.

[C]

I'm not a McDermott apologist. I want that on the record again. He's not the one that mismanaged the clock there. He's not calling the plays. That's Joe Brady mismanaging the clock.

[B]

It is, But I do think there are times the head coach could step in and say, I, I don't think.

[A]

Sean, I don't think you should. I think that says a lot, though, if you don't trust your guy.

[B]

It's not about trusting. I do think there's an idea of saying, first of all, they needed a touchdown, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They took the field goal.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But it ended up not working out the way they wanted.

[C]

For everybody that is upset for the longest time about Sean McDermott being too conservative.

[B]

I know.

[C]

Joe Brady then takes the shot in the end zone. He talked about on Monday, we wanted.

[B]

To score a touchdown and they were in field goal.

[C]

And we already feel, because we wanted to score touchdown, unfortunately, two plays took off six seconds and it was before the two minute warning. But everyone's like, you're mismanaging the clock. Could you imagine if they just kneeled it two times? Like, what are they doing?

[B]

What if they just ran it? Dallas calls time or Dallas Kansas City calls timeout. Then it goes to the two minute warning, third and long. You throw it incomplete, and you'd be like, well, you mismanaged the clock is what it is.

[C]

I think they, they looked at the clock was mismanaged.

[B]

They looked at the pass as a run because they assumed a completion there. It's basically, and, and that really hurt him.

[C]

It was just one of those things. I saw so many people being like, now McDermit's mismanaging the game. And it's like, there's more to that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, well, first of all, your number one receiver dropped the ball right in his hands.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And then he took a shot.

[A]

You see those moments more often lately. Before, it'd be like, all right, Stefan Diggs is getting the ball. This is an automatic catch, automatic first down, whatever big clutch moments. I expected to be Diggs now, we talked about it. Deontay Hardy having that big catch on third down.

[B]

He's the go to guy now.

[A]

You joke.

[B]

Party.

[A]

You joke, but unbelievable. It, it does.

[B]

Well, it helps when somebody does that for you, right?

[A]

Yeah. But it also is a level of concern where the guy that you expect to be doing that is not the one doing that.

[B]

Yeah, Yeah.

[C]

I, I, I, I think it's pressing a little bit too much. I think it's wanting to do too much. Yeah, it's not doing your 111. It's running around. Catch the ball. It's, hey, I'm gonna catch it. And then I want to break a tackle. And then I want to go, oh.

[B]

And by the way, if anybody nationally who doesn't pay attention to the Bills, they were all subscribers of Buffalo. Plus, Stefan Diggs was fully engaged in that game. Whatever happened in there, absolutely going off the field with. With Alan, like, so. When he didn't have. When he did not have a big game, Diggs was still all in. When Diggs. When Allen scored the touchdown, there's people that would think, like, well, Diggs isn't having a game. He's going to sulk. He's going to be on the side. He hasn't done that. He hasn't done that since been in Buffalo.

[A]

No.

[B]

And he's not playing the way he can play. Absolutely. So think about what they can do when they get the real digs back. And maybe it's this week, even though it's against a really good defense.

[A]

That's what I'm saying. I'm not saying, like, you know what Diggs can be, but you know what? You need him to be down the stretch, and maybe this is the week where he puts it all back together. But it. It's challenging because Diggs hasn't really been himself. And then you talk about Gabe Davis, and he had what? No, no, cats.

[B]

Two. Two.

[A]

Two targets.

[B]

Should have had one at the end of the game. He was wide open. So wide open. I. I don't know. Did anybody ask Josh that? I. We didn't even ask him after the game.

[A]

I don't think so, because it was mostly.

[B]

But it was so wide open. He just. He obviously didn't see him because, you know, even they were. I mean, he would have walked in the end zone. It was in. It would have been a touch easy touchdown. And it didn't happen on that play. But it's really. Diggs drives the whole thing.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

And if they get him going, it's different now with their defense. The game's on television, so Gilmore will be happy because he's in the secondary for. And he's played pretty well for them.

[A]

He has. Yeah, he certainly has.

[B]

He has. His family will be watching, which is good. So he gets to play.

[A]

I don't think it's that egregious, what he said when he left.

[B]

I know, but it's funny that he said it.

[A]

I know.

[B]

First of all, you make millions. Buy them the Sunday ticket so they can see every game anyhow. So are we really worried about that? But it was funny. The Bills deserve shots back then.

[A]

I was gonna say. Yeah, yeah, that's. That's varied. He wanted to go.

[B]

And they don't have Steph's brother playing Trayvon Diggs. Yes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Will he be tweeting during the game?

[A]

Will Aiden be there? His son?

[B]

I'm sure.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So cute.

[B]

Yeah. But they do have. What's. Duron Bland, who has got what, Six. Six pick sixes.

[A]

Which is. Which is insane. And they also have Mike Parsons, which. Dan. He's pretty good.

[C]

He's a freak.

[B]

He is.

[A]

Dion Dawkins called him himothy times two.

[B]

Yeah, he's.

[C]

He's insane. And Joe Brady, I thought had the best story. Like, he talked about him. He knew him. He was at Penn State when Parsons was coming in as the number one pass rusher in the country.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And they went into fall camp and he said, I just want to. Want to be a wide receiver. And he said he was the best wide receiver at camp.

[A]

That's insane.

[B]

Yeah. And when he first came to Dallas.

[A]

That shouldn't be allowed.

[B]

I don't think they thought of him as a pass rusher. I think they expected him to play more as a standard linebacker, and they turned him into a version of Lawrence Taylor. Just going after it. Now, where teams have had success or at least limiting him is basically to run Adam.

[C]

Run Adam.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Because the same thing you do with.

[B]

Aaron, they don't block him initially. Run Adam, bring the block over. Got to be able to run the ball to try to neutralize him a little bit. But you do. He is the rare guy. There's a few of them around the league where you're looking. Josh is going to be looking for 11 all the time, so.

[C]

And the other thing I wanted to say was because I'm trying to pull up our subscriber extraordinaire and my. What we call my Internet uncle Orlovsky.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's like, where are we going?

[C]

My fashion stylist.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

A way to beat this Dallas defense also.

[A]

Is it to run the ball?

[C]

No, it's not. It's to do pre snap motion, which is something that Joe Brady has brought in a ton of. And for everybody that thought Ken Dorsey was the scapegoat, the offense looks pretty good. And they're. They're motioning a ton more.

[B]

It's. I saw that Dorsey was the scapegoat on my Disney plus subscription.

[C]

I was pandering. While I was following along. So when the Cowboys defense face no pre step motion, quarterbacks have a 36 QBR against them. That's fourth best in the NFL.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

When they see pre snap motion, opposing quarterbacks QBR goes up to 57 and that's 20th in the in defensively. Pre snap motion them to death.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And that was something again that, that we saw it. It was the first game against the Jets. The Bills had pre sent motion like 60% of their plays. It was unlike anything they have done since 2019 with Brian Dable. Like these are things I was wrong.

[A]

Whoa, whoa. Did you hear that?

[B]

Yeah. It just went right by me. Yeah.

[C]

I didn't know how much Joe Brady could change this offense. He's made a big change.

[B]

And the way you always talk about play action working, whether you can run it or not, it doesn't matter. Motion works even if it's trench or field going in motion.

[A]

Yeah, they had.

[C]

It was the Cook play. Well, the Cook play also it was the other play. They showed it Orlovsky on his tweet. It was Reggie Gilliam going in motion.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Like it doesn't matter. People are moving around.

[B]

It's like they're looking to go shiny objects.

[C]

Where is this going? It's pre snap motion with a purpose. As Orlovsky says. Sean McDermott doesn't want to just run people to run them. Like you're not trying to tire out your own guys. And Joe Brady has done a phenomenal job. It helps dictate things. It helps Josh get to see, okay, he's going with him. We're in man. They're not going with him. Okay, it's in zone. Now you have what we always said. You didn't have it looked at. This offense didn't have the answers to what defenses were proposing to them and what they were doing. Now Josh knows, okay, if it's in zone, I know I have this is my answer. If it's man, I know I have this. That's the biggest difference that I've seen over the last three weeks. That is something that Ken Dorsey didn't have answers for going back to last season. This offense looks different not only just because of energy but because of execution and what they're doing, coordinating it.

[B]

Janet, I also wanted to add one thing. I know a lot of people get frustrated that James Cook isn't on the field as many times as they want because they do not trust him at all in any pass blocking, pass protection of Josh. And so you say, how do you get James Cook on the field more. The offensive line's got to be better. Better when pressure comes. And Dallas will bring pressure in different ways. They will move Parsons around. And what happens is Sunday against Kansas City, they brought pressure from all over. They bring it on all different downs. And I don't think they trust a back in those circumstances. They trust Murray because they need.

[A]

And even he won play.

[B]

Oh, he got lit up on that play. But that's so. So if you want to see more of Cook, let this offensive line be ready for the pressure. And that's on them a little bit too. Yeah, they have certain keys they have to go with when pressures come in at different spots and they bring it in different ways and Dallas will do that. But if you handle that pressure better, you can get Cook on the field more. And I think, honestly, I'd split him out. I'd have him all over the place. He's there. He's a weapon. Honestly, I'd say right now, I. I say you could argue that he's. He's their second best weapon behind Digs.

[C]

Kincaid is good banged up.

[A]

Yeah. I'm curious if that will affect him.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On Sunday. But yeah, I. I agree. And it's been fun to watch the maturation process of Cook and what he has meant to this offense as well. But yeah, you talk about that pass protection, you can tell that they need Murray in there. And that goes to show you that James Cook wouldn't cut it in terms of that situation.

[B]

I don't think they had him in pass protection the entire game. Every time he was there, he was out. And by the way, you had a great shot. Jenna did. Of James Cook doing the somersault. Oh, my gosh. So our friend and curmudgeon himself, Sal Mayorana, just went off and I was on a radio show with him. I hated that play. He's going to get hurt doing that. I'm like, oh, my God. You think the guy who's going to get hit by a 290 pound defensive lineman is worried about doing a little flip with nobody there in the end zone?

[A]

I'm not gonna lie though. I thought if I were to do that, my back would literally explode.

[B]

You're not James.

[A]

No, I know. When I saw him go up, I was like, oh, man. Yeah, that's gonna be a hard fall.

[C]

You know what else is a really good weapon? Josh Allen running the football well.

[A]

And they have done that more minus.

[C]

When he takes knees and goes back two yards.

[A]

Okay. I'm a little concerned though. He loves the when you're doing that a lot, I'm like, that could.

[B]

Chucking the ball.

[A]

Yeah. I don't love that.

[B]

Dallas plays a lot of man. When teams play man coverage, they turn their back. They turn their back. That is when he will have an opportunity to go. I think he's got to take advantage of those. He's been. When he. I mean, he was running all over the place to at least get open and, you know, go to the sidelines.

[C]

And weeks one, throw it to weeks one through ten with Kendor as the offensive coordinator, they were. Josh Allen had 4.8 rushing attempts per game. These last three. Three games with Joe Brady, eight rushing attempts per game. The philosophy hasn't changed. Sean McDermott said, but Joe. He said that Joe Brady has embraced Josh running the ball. And he also said, we're getting to the time of the year where it's like, anything goes, you got to do it. So. So as much as I would love to take another shot at Ken Dorsey, I will give some of this as it's desperate times. December, as you said, like, when desperate. You're not desperate until you're. You're desperate.

[B]

And when Josh has run the ball, he's been pretty smart about the way he's run.

[A]

He has, right? Yeah.

[B]

The. The don't.

[C]

You're doing great, sweetie.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Just.

[B]

Here's the thing, by the way, Josh, sometimes when you're on third and eight and they've got you hauled in, just fall down and take the sack. He threw that one. They called him down, which I was a little bit surprised.

[C]

In the grasp.

[B]

In the grasp.

[C]

And I'm like, is it grass or grasp.

[A]

Grasp with a P. Okay.

[B]

Is it in the grass?

[A]

Admirable. Yes.

[B]

Yes. But I'm saying is when the play doesn't. When I say it doesn't matter, it cost you a few yards. But seriously, don't go. Don't go doing that.

[A]

Yeah, I just. I think sometimes. I think. I think sometimes in some moments it's like, okay. But I felt like he was doing that a lot.

[B]

A lot. He was.

[A]

Joshi, don't be doing that.

[B]

Yeah. The line. Line's got to be really aware to protect him in this game.

[A]

Agreed. I'm excited.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This is going to be, I think, a very fun game.

[B]

Yep. Huge implications. Listen, implications for both teams.

[C]

Thought your teeth were gonna fall out.

[B]

Hold on a second. For both teams, I think. And this is what you want, right? This is what you want? Yeah. In December. Relevant games. And that's why if they would have if they would have lost on Sunday, this would have been, you know, they still have a chance like this way. No, no, they're in it. They are in it.

[C]

Both teams coming off very emotional wins. The difference is one team packs up, goes on the road, the other one is at home, you know, in a massive spot, which they talked about that.

[B]

This.

[C]

These are. When we looked at the schedule. These were the games.

[B]

Yep, these are the games. So we'll see how it goes.

[A]

Maybe the weather will shut up.

[B]

Hey, the plus is Bill's mafia Dan is shooting the game. So the weather's going to be lousy. Yeah, we know it. No, Jenna will be joining me in the elite press box.

[A]

In the press box. Gotta play my outfit. I got so much to do.

[B]

Dan, you know what she's planning on? How early in the second quarter she can get lunch.

[A]

Well, at that point, it's like dinner. I eat dinner really early.

[C]

Wegmans on the way home.

[A]

Yeah, no, that's fair.

[C]

You'd be exhausted in the press box listening to Mike talk to you.

[A]

Okay. Low key, though. You don't. You don't ever stop talking.

[B]

I'm hurt now.

[A]

Dan, help me out here.

[B]

Hold on. I'm at a table with Dan Fates.

[A]

I know, but during the game, you're like, oh, John, I need to see that. They can't be doing that. Like, I know. I love it, sir. I'm watching a tremendous game going on in front of me.

[B]

You're like, you're at Wendy's, sir.

[A]

So, like, did you see that? Yeah, I'm just staring right at it.

[B]

I just have so much to say.

[A]

You always too.

[B]

Man. I wish.

[C]

Come on, Dan. She's useless.

[B]

Not Janet.

[A]

That's not about me.

[B]

There are moments.

[A]

That's fair.

[B]

That is.

[A]

That is fair.

[C]

That'll be another podcast that we'll do with sauces that say that. Talk about that story.

[A]

Yeah, there's a lot of stories.

[B]

Yeah, that was. That was in Houston. That was Houston. Yeah. Playoff game. Oh, yeah.

[C]

Couldn't find a sports bar.

[B]

We found a version of a sports.

[C]

Bar on a lot of other things.

[A]

We told everyone about your coffee story. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Nope.

[B]

Hey, you know, they didn't put the lid on properly. I could make every excuse.

[C]

Did he get a scone with it?

[A]

No, no scone.

[B]

I think that's what threw me off. I needed the scone back.

[A]

He was carrying the camera.

[B]

Oh, believe me, somebody in security there is watching that on a loop, getting the biggest kick.

[A]

That's a little. It's legitimately. What I thought of. That's what it looked like.

[B]

It was brutal.

[A]

Are you okay? Nope. I was like, oh, my God. I thought.

[B]

I think your tone is a little off. It was.

[A]

Nope, that's exactly what it was.

[B]

And then you sat there and giggled like there was something wrong with you.

[A]

I did. I was at an empty gate by myself. Just.

[B]

So funny. Mike burned himself.

[A]

I asked you if you burned yourself.

[B]

And you said fine.

[A]

That's why it was okay to laugh.

[B]

It was fine. It was funny.

[A]

It was funny. I wish. I wish we got. Could get the security tape. Yeah, watch the all 22 of that one.

[C]

You can see right here. This is where the missteps.

[B]

Flying.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Okay. All right. Please be sure to.

[B]

Einstein Bagels, by the way, is where we were. Yeah, it's their fault.

[A]

It's not their fault.

[B]

Worry about their lids.

[A]

It was legitimately the.

[B]

The lid was fine.

[A]

The breakfast rush.

[B]

Yeah, they were fine. Jeez.

[A]

That was you.

[B]

That was me.

[A]

It's all your fault.

[B]

I'm done talking now.

[A]

Okay. Are you done? Bolt? Okay, please be sure to comment in what you. I said, like, already.

[B]

Change up.

[A]

Please be sure to, like, comment what your expectations are for this game. And please subscribe. Subscribe to the Buffalo.

[B]

That's like, false start. That's good. We're going to be lined up off sides like we played for the Chiefs. Like, go with what we said, please.

[A]

I already. I had already said, like, if you've.

[C]

Made it this far in the podcast, we're going to put the outtakes from the beginning of the podcast at the end here, and you're gonna get a treat.

[A]

I. Should we do that?

[B]

Yep, yep. Oh, I think we are doing that.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I edit everything, so.

[A]

That's true. All right. Please be sure to, like, comment and subscribe. Subscribe. We always appreciate it.

[B]

It's gonna be one of these.

[A]

Wait, what was that?

[B]

Did that change the voice?

[A]

Hello?

[C]

Yep, I'm back. It was mine.

[B]

There we go, man.

[A]

Okay, that's a bit much. Is it gonna stop?

[B]

We gotta hit the button.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. All right, Technical lizard.

[A]

All right, thanks for watching. Is exhausting for Dan and Mike, I'm Jenna. We'll catch you next time here on Buffalo plus, presented by Connors and Ferris. Oh, dang it.

[C]

Buffalo plus, your interactive look at the week in football, brought to you by by Connors and Ferris.

[A]

All right, in three, two. You got to look at the camera, Dan. Right? Is that wrong?

[C]

That's the camera.

[B]

He's looking at the camera.

[A]

Okay, look, it's we're all at that camera. It looked like you were looking above. It look like.

[C]

No, I was looking at this camera. You're like, well, we're keeping all this.

[A]

It looked like you were looking above.

[B]

Is for the Christmas party.

[A]

Okay. All right.