As the week progresses, the Dallas Cowboys versus the Buffalo Bills matchup is gaining some steam.
The biggest headline is the quarterback battle, led by Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and Bills QB Josh Allen.
Buffalo's season has not gone as planned.
Many considered the Bills to be preseason Super Bowl favorites, and rightfully so.
They have advanced in the playoffs each of the past four seasons, and have several playmakers on each side of the ball.
Despite the high expectations, the Bills find themselves with a 7-6 record, and on the fringe of the playoff picture in the AFC.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys lead the NFC East after a dominating win over the Philadelphia Eagles to improve their record to 10-3.
Dallas has not beaten Buffalo since 2011, and has not won a road game versus the Bills since the 2007 Monday Night Football thriller.
Playing up in Orchard Park, NY in mid-December will surely berth some bold performances or occurrences, and that's what we will discuss today.
Here are three bold predictions for the dynamic matchup between the Cowboys and Bills.
As always, my bold predictions are calculated predictions that may seem far-fetched but are still in the realm of possibility.
Brandon Aubrey Will Miss a Field Goal
Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey should be the front-runner for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after his surprising performance in 2023.
Aubrey has set an NFL record with consecutive successful field goal attempts to start a career.
It currently sits at 30, but he resets his own record each time he boots the football through the uprights.
Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY brings a new challenge that Aubrey has not had to face yet: wind.
The swirling wind in Buffalo is notorious for discouraging teams from punting or kicking field goals, instead forcing them to risk more 4th down attempts.
December in the Northeast always brings the threat of inclement weather.
Currently, the forecast for Orchard Park on Sunday is a high of 49 degrees and a low of 43 degrees.
Winds will be a steady 15-20 mph with gusts north of 30 mph, and there is an 80% chance of precipitation.
Looking forward to Monday, there is a strong cold front blowing in, and if it arrives any sooner, more wind and snow is possible on Sunday.
My bold prediction is that the swirling winds will push one of Aubrey's field goal attempts outside of the uprights for the first time in his career.
Josh Allen Will Commit at Least 3 Turnovers
Bills QB Josh Allen has been a turnover machine since he was drafted in 2018, so three turnovers in a game wouldn't be completely out of the question.
Allen is tied for the league lead this season (Joshua Dobbs) with 17 total turnovers.
He has at least one turnover in each game this season except for two of them and is currently on a nine-game streak of games with at least one interception thrown.
One thing the Bills can hang their helmet on is the fact that Allen plays much better at home than he does on the road.
Allen has 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions on the road this season, compared to 21 touchdowns and six interceptions at home.
He is averaging less than one turnover per game while playing in Orchard Park this year, so three turnovers in one game is a bold prediction.
Look for the Cowboys' defense to take advantage of Allen forcing throws to WR Stefon Diggs.
Diggs has been targeted by Allen 132 times, with the next closest pass catcher (Dalton Kincaid) coming in with just 72.
Dallas Will Rush For 200 Yards
I believe this game is the perfect opportunity for Mike McCarthy and the offense to show that they can get the running game going when needed.
Previously I mentioned the swirling winds in Buffalo can alter a team's gameplan.
The likelihood of gusting winds is high, and the most logical move would be to lean on the rushing attack led by Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle.
I believe McCarthy will be creative with the rushing attack, also involving Dak in read-option concepts, and throwing in some end-arounds for CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin.
The Bills currently rank 19th in the NFL defending the run, allowing 114.0 yards per game.
In their six losses, Buffalo has allowed at least 120 yards rushing, and has three such games allowing over 173 yards on the ground.
The closest that the Cowboys have come to the 200 yard rushing milestone was 185 yards, and that was actually a loss at Arizona.
Dallas has surpassed 120 yards seven other times, but 168 yards against the Giants is the only other time they have rushed for more than 140 yards in a game.
Pollard, Dowdle, and whoever else McCarthy calls plays for will help Dallas reach the 200 yard rushing mark for the first time this season.
