The Dallas Cowboys have officially clinched a spot in the playoffs, but that’s coming with some implications. It was a sloppy and embarrassing circus show in Orchard Park, indeed, the Cowboys were the clowns. Issues are starting to ripple, even to the formidable doomsday defense. The road will only get more rocky as the Cowboys will face another tough road test against the Dolphins for a Christmas Eve Showdown.
The Cowboys keep checking off the boxes at home with their performance, silencing the doubters. No doubt, it’s tough no matter what on the road for any NFL team. This is why Dallas needs to remain disciplined and calm to go through the storm. Especially, when they’re expected to face a high-quality team on the road in the postseason next month.
Here are three ways the Dallas Cowboys can ride through the storm and come out with bursts of sunshine and rainbows to see the light on the road.
3 Ways the Dallas Cowboys Can Improve on the Road
Stay Aggressive
If anything, the time is now for the Cowboys to get serious. Yes, they clinched a playoff but they can’t get cute now. It’s time for the team to put on their big shoes and put the pedal to the metal to show why they’re America’s team. To have any playoff success, the Cowboys need to play at their best and replicate their home-field playing ability.
The run defense got exposed by Buffalo, while it was a historic 31-10 beating, Dallas is looking for redemption. They have that chance to do so, but they remain in the same division facing another AFC East team led by Mike McDaniel’s high-flying offense. The Cowboys knew Buffalo’s unique style in Josh Allen, and moments like these are where they must remain sturdy.
Dallas is still vigorous in their pass defense stacking the box with Stephon Gilmore and DaRon Bland, but their rush defense just all around falls flat. It’s like a floating balloon that’s near a needle that easily pops. The Cowboys need to be the ones to do the popping to show that they’re serious contenders.
Please Remain Calm
High adrenaline and emotions seem to be getting in the way of the Dallas Cowboys. They should replicate the same mentality at home but that’s always been the challenge for America’s team. The pressure and anticipation to do well on the field can be stressful so the only thing the Cowboys can do is take deep breaths and remain calm.
Screaming fans and new scenery are also distracting factors so the only thing the team can do is get ahead early on. When having possession, Dallas must score early to silence the crowd. This would be a huge momentum shifter which is why they should consider going into Miami.
Dallas is 3-4 on the road and the test will only get tougher. They need to win out and potentially it might come down to a tie-breaker if both Dallas and Philadephia win out the rest of the season. It’s up to Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff to help Dak Prescott and its stars like CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons to relax and do their job.
Stick to the Game Plan and Close the Gap
“It’s a gap” is the message that Mike McCarthy explains that they’ve got to get better in preparation for Miami next. However, if they can just stick to the same game plan as they do at home that always might not work. Buffalo came in and found a flaw in the Cowboys’ defense early on. The run defense is what they found and the Bills haven’t looked back taking advantage.
Dallas still has two more tough tests against highly competitive opponents, one being a home game. It’s becoming a daunting task for a team that’s already clinched the playoffs. So the only thing that Dallas can do is switch up their game plan on the road to keep an opponent like Miami off from their mojo.
Momentum plays a lot because one or two big plays can determine the outcome and that’s what Buffalo caught Dallas with. It was self-inflicting wounds from the get-go and Dallas had an ample opportunity to prove it right.
Main Photo: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
