Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills continue their long road to the playoffs, as they will look to take down the NFC East leading Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Orchard Park. This matchup will be the first time since 2015 where both teams will play a contest against one another in Western New York.
As it stands right now, the Bills sit at 7-6 in the AFC standings with a 49% chance of making the playoffs, according to the New York Times Playoff Machine. With a win over the Cowboys, their chances of making the postseason increases to 63%, while a loss drops them to just 27%.
The Cowboys come to Orchard Park this week boasting a 7-1 record over their last right games, with their offense playing at their best under the leadership of quarterback Dak Prescott. Bills head coach Sean McDermott feels the Dallas offense has been a threat this season, especially with Prescott playing at a MVP level.
"Credit to coach [Mike] McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer, their offensive coordinator. It looks like [Prescott's] playing with just more clarity. Maybe they're keeping it simpler for them, I don't really know," said McDermott during his weekly appearance on the "Extra Point Show" on WGR. "He just seems like he's more comfortable in the system or comfortable in the pocket, knowing where he wants to go with the ball. Then on top of that, he uses his legs well when he needs to - third downs and red zone, two-minute, in particular."
Another game-changer for the Cowboys this season is on the defensive side of the ball, as linebacker Micah Parson continues to perform as one of the best defensive players in the NFL since his rookie season. McDermott says it comes down to his ability as an athlete, and the skills of the coaches identifying how to utilize him.
"Dan Quinn, their defensive coordinator, in this case, does a phenomenal job of moving him around," McDermott said with Sal Capaccio and Joe DiBiase. "It's a little bit like Lawrence Taylor. You think he's a defensive lineman one play, and then next play lines up as a off the ball linebacker, next play lines up as an on the ball linebacker. Just very unique, in terms of his talent. This team is very talented."
In this past Sunday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs, wide receiver Stefon Diggs saw a decrease in his production. McDermott says Diggs has the right mentality when it comes to fixing this sort of problem. He was also happy with how Diggs continued to perform to the best of his ability, despite some issues.
"I think he's spot-on. You don't want to force it and then you become predictable, and not always good things happen there when you do that," McDermott said. "I think at the end of the day, if he's doing things right, which I know he is in terms of all the details that are at that position, the ball finds you. I thought more than anything last week, even though he didn't have the numbers maybe he had the game or two before, I was most impressed with how he was blocking when others had the ball in their hand. I think that goes a long way, in terms of playing winning football down the stretch for us."
Hear more from McDermott's appearance during the "Extra Point Show" available in the player below:
