ESPN Insiders: Dallas vs Buffalo
How will Dallas utilize its tight ends against the Bills?
Because the Cowboys are so explosive on the perimeter with WRs Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton they can often open up the middle of the field. Tight end Jason Witten has great hands and runs excellent routes and he is very good at splitting the safeties against Cover 2, but he is also athletic enough to beat linebackers in man coverage. Playing against a Bills back seven that has marginal depth and matchup skills, Dallas QB Tony Romo could see a lot of defensive schemes in which safeties Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott are forced to bail out in the deep half of the field and give their corners help over the top versus Owens and Crayton. That may leave a linebacker on Witten and that is a matchup that he will win every time.
Buffalo is fully aware that CBs Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer cannot be left on an island, and if the safeties do stay inside Owens and Crayton can go deep. Also look for Dallas to use some two-tight end sets with Witten and Tony Fasano, and even though that looks like a power-run formation they Cowboys are very good at throwing out of that look.
2. How can Buffalo's defense get some pressure on Romo?
They Cowboys have a huge offensive line and can physically engulf the smaller and more athletic Buffalo defensive front seven if they get a hand on them. Romo has shown excellent poise in the pocket and if he is not pressured he will pick this secondary apart, so Buffalo will be forced to take some chances and bring some heat. Dallas right tackle Marc Colombo and RG Leonard Davis are big but quick and they will struggle if the Bills bring their linebackers off the edge and get in Romo's face.
Buffalo could play some games on the backside with twists and x-stunts involving their defensive tackles or linebackers, and especially their best pass rusher, RDE Aaron Schoebel, who has excellent speed and quickness. If Schoebel can get Dallas left tackle Flozell Adams on an island he can win some edge battles. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that Buffalo knows it cannot sit back in coverage and hope to contain Romo. But when the Bills do bring pressure they run the risk of allowing big plays against single coverage and to this point Romo has been great avoiding pressure in the pocket making good throws with defenders in his face.
3. How do the Bills kick-start their struggling offense?
With a rookie quarterback in Edwards and a rookie running back in Marshawn Lynch you would expect the Buffalo coaching staff to shrink their play book, which is not a good thing when you are facing a complex like Dallas defense that loves to attack. Look for Buffalo to run some counter plays that start right and come back over LT Jason Peters, who does a nice job of sealing off defenders to create an inside lane for Lynch or allow him to bounce it to the outside.
The Bills also need to get their young back more involved in the passing game. He has good receiving skills out of the backfield but has been a non-factor so far in that part of the offense. Look for Edwards to simplify his reads by zeroing in on Dallas FS Ken Hamlin and try to get the ball to WR Lee Evans on go routes on the left side, dump the ball off to Lynch on outlet passes to the left or look for his tight end inside on curl routes or skinny posts. That should give the Bills good options in the passing game with safe throws and fairly easy reads.
Scouts' Edge
The Scouts Inc. Position Advantage QB RB WR OL DL LB DB ST Coach
Dallas looks like a complete team that is clicking on all cylinders, while Buffalo is a young team showing flashes of improvement but is not yet a finished product. The Cowboys are getting a Pro Bowl year from Romo and he has a great group of targets in the passing game and he gets the ball to all of them. He also has a balanced running game behind a massive offensive line and the offense can adjust to any game plan. Dallas is facing an athletic but undersized Buffalo defense that can be pushed around against the run and the back seven lacks depth, and they just don't match up when the Cowboys spread the field.
On the flip side, the Bills' coaching staff is doing a nice job of reducing their playbook for Edwards and letting him make some easy reads. They are also getting the ball into Lynch's hands to take some pressure off Edwards, but this Dallas defense can apply pressure from a lot of directions. Look for the Cowboys to come out with a wide-open passing attack to build an early lead before they start pounding the ball with their 1-2 punch of RBs Julius Jones and Marion Barber to wear down the Buffalo defense. The Bills will play hard, but they are outmatched in this game.
Prediction: Cowboys 35, Bills 13
Because the Cowboys are so explosive on the perimeter with WRs Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton they can often open up the middle of the field. Tight end Jason Witten has great hands and runs excellent routes and he is very good at splitting the safeties against Cover 2, but he is also athletic enough to beat linebackers in man coverage. Playing against a Bills back seven that has marginal depth and matchup skills, Dallas QB Tony Romo could see a lot of defensive schemes in which safeties Donte Whitner and Bryan Scott are forced to bail out in the deep half of the field and give their corners help over the top versus Owens and Crayton. That may leave a linebacker on Witten and that is a matchup that he will win every time.
Buffalo is fully aware that CBs Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer cannot be left on an island, and if the safeties do stay inside Owens and Crayton can go deep. Also look for Dallas to use some two-tight end sets with Witten and Tony Fasano, and even though that looks like a power-run formation they Cowboys are very good at throwing out of that look.
2. How can Buffalo's defense get some pressure on Romo?
They Cowboys have a huge offensive line and can physically engulf the smaller and more athletic Buffalo defensive front seven if they get a hand on them. Romo has shown excellent poise in the pocket and if he is not pressured he will pick this secondary apart, so Buffalo will be forced to take some chances and bring some heat. Dallas right tackle Marc Colombo and RG Leonard Davis are big but quick and they will struggle if the Bills bring their linebackers off the edge and get in Romo's face.
Buffalo could play some games on the backside with twists and x-stunts involving their defensive tackles or linebackers, and especially their best pass rusher, RDE Aaron Schoebel, who has excellent speed and quickness. If Schoebel can get Dallas left tackle Flozell Adams on an island he can win some edge battles. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that Buffalo knows it cannot sit back in coverage and hope to contain Romo. But when the Bills do bring pressure they run the risk of allowing big plays against single coverage and to this point Romo has been great avoiding pressure in the pocket making good throws with defenders in his face.
3. How do the Bills kick-start their struggling offense?
With a rookie quarterback in Edwards and a rookie running back in Marshawn Lynch you would expect the Buffalo coaching staff to shrink their play book, which is not a good thing when you are facing a complex like Dallas defense that loves to attack. Look for Buffalo to run some counter plays that start right and come back over LT Jason Peters, who does a nice job of sealing off defenders to create an inside lane for Lynch or allow him to bounce it to the outside.
The Bills also need to get their young back more involved in the passing game. He has good receiving skills out of the backfield but has been a non-factor so far in that part of the offense. Look for Edwards to simplify his reads by zeroing in on Dallas FS Ken Hamlin and try to get the ball to WR Lee Evans on go routes on the left side, dump the ball off to Lynch on outlet passes to the left or look for his tight end inside on curl routes or skinny posts. That should give the Bills good options in the passing game with safe throws and fairly easy reads.
Scouts' Edge
The Scouts Inc. Position Advantage QB RB WR OL DL LB DB ST Coach
Dallas looks like a complete team that is clicking on all cylinders, while Buffalo is a young team showing flashes of improvement but is not yet a finished product. The Cowboys are getting a Pro Bowl year from Romo and he has a great group of targets in the passing game and he gets the ball to all of them. He also has a balanced running game behind a massive offensive line and the offense can adjust to any game plan. Dallas is facing an athletic but undersized Buffalo defense that can be pushed around against the run and the back seven lacks depth, and they just don't match up when the Cowboys spread the field.
On the flip side, the Bills' coaching staff is doing a nice job of reducing their playbook for Edwards and letting him make some easy reads. They are also getting the ball into Lynch's hands to take some pressure off Edwards, but this Dallas defense can apply pressure from a lot of directions. Look for the Cowboys to come out with a wide-open passing attack to build an early lead before they start pounding the ball with their 1-2 punch of RBs Julius Jones and Marion Barber to wear down the Buffalo defense. The Bills will play hard, but they are outmatched in this game.
Prediction: Cowboys 35, Bills 13
posted by The Gryphon at 10:42 PM
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