Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones Praises Buffalo Bills Before Week 15 Tilt: 'As Good As Anybody!'
The football gods and the NFL schedule makers have combined to give fans one of the most exciting home stretches in recent memory. Through 14 weeks, 13 teams are within one game of .500 and it seems like every contender has a premier matchup or two in the final quarter of the season.
For the Buffalo Bills, that started with beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14, and continues when they host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Dallas has been one of the best teams in football since its Week 7 bye, posting a 6-1 record headlined by last week’s 33-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Dak Prescott has cemented himself as an MVP candidate, if not the favorite. With the NFC’s top seed within reach, each game has an extra dose of intensity.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates after a big play against the Cowboys.
© Jerome Miron, USA TODAY
Of course, Buffalo has something to play for, too. At 7-6, and fresh of a momentous win, the Bills have a chance to sneak into the AFC playoffs. Stealing a win against Dallas would bring their playoff odds to about a two-thirds chance, and the Miami Dolphins’ recent stumble has opened up a path to an AFC East title.
Buffalo is amped up, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is well aware. Jones spoke on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday about the Week 15 matchup.
“They’re a dangerous team,” Jones said. “At any given time, they can be as good as anybody in the NFL, in my mind.”
The Bills have suffered some brutal defeats at the hands of fluky mishaps and ill-timed turnovers, but it’s clear they present a challenge on any given week. They rank fifth in point differential, and their offense ranks fourth in expected points added per play and third in success rate.
In Week 14, it was the defense that came up big, forcing two turnovers and ultimately holding Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to 17 points.
“They got the players. They’ve got the quarterback. They’re just a good team,” Jones said. “Of all the places that a home-field advantage is different than the normal games you play, it’s Buffalo, New York.”
Bills Mafia will certainly make itself known on Sunday. Dallas suffered each of its three losses in enemy territory and will have to overcome that disadvantage if it wants to avoid a road playoff game. Don’t expect Buffalo to make it easy for them.
For all of the Bills’ inconsistencies, they still have an MVP-caliber quarterback under center and enough offensive talent to make some noise. Defensible or not, they rallied around head coach Sean McDermott and put themselves in position to fight for their playoff lives before a Week 18 date with the Miami Dolphins.
This one has all the makings of yet another incredible finish. Kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. (ET) on FOX.
