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The Buffalo Bills thumped the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, thanks to quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills stout defense. The Cowboys jumped on top 7-0 in the first quarter, but Buffalo responded in the second quarter and went on a 26-0 run en route to a 26-15 win.
The win improves Buffalo to 9-3 on the season and guaranteed themselves no worse than second place in the AFC East. They remain a game and a half back of the Patriots in the division and are 2.5 games ahead of the Steelers, Raiders, Colts, and Titans in the wild card race.
The Bills are in a strong position to earn a wild card berth, but they’ll have to earn it. The Bills schedule prior to Thursday was the weakest in the NFL. Their remaining schedule including this Cowboys game is the hardest in the NFL. They host Baltimore next week, travel to Pittsburgh and New England the next two weeks, and then host the Jets to close out the season. That Steelers game could be the make or break game for the Bills wild card chances.
On the other side of things, the Cowboys are in some trouble as they have dropped to 6-6. They remain in first place in the NFC East, a half game up on the Eagles. Philadelphia plays Miami this weekend and will move into a first place tie if they handle their business. The Cowboys remaining schedule includes at the Bears, home vs. the Rams, at the Eagles, and home vs. Washington. The Eagles schedule after Sundah at Miami is home against the Giants, at Washington, home vs. the Cowboys, and at the Giants. The NFC East is likely coming down to that Week 16 matchup.
Dallas and Philadelphia have little chance at a wild card berth. The two current wild card teams are 9-2 Seattle and 8-3 Minnesota. They face each other on Monday, but even with one losing, the Cowboys are likely too far back to compete for a wild card berth.