The Dallas Cowboys have dominated at home, going 7-0 in 2023. They’ve been average on the road, compiling a 3-3 record away from AT&T Stadium. With two massive road trips on tap — to Buffalo and Miami — the Cowboys know they need to find a way to bring that home energy on the road.
“I feel like we’ve gotta bring our own music,” receiver CeeDee Lamb said Thursday, via the team’s official website. “We’re gonna be in a hostile environment, so we’re not gonna get as much praise for making big plays, so we’ve gotta make that the new norm. We’ve gotta stick to our script, continue to play, make routine plays and score touchdowns.”
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The Cowboys are the only team in NFL history to record 30-plus points in each of their seven home games of a season. In their three road losses (at Arizona, San Francisco and Philadelphia), they’ve averaged 16.3 points per contest.
Dak Prescott has built an MVP resume on the back of his home performances. The Cowboys quarterback has sported a 122.5 passer rating at home and an 88.8 rating on the road, the biggest differential between home/road splits among qualifying QBs in 2023, per NFL Research.
“Right now, it’s about taking the momentum that we’ve created from these last few games that have been at home, and understanding that we’ve created a standard and expectations for ourselves — on offense, defense, special teams and really as a whole in playing complementary football,” Prescott said. “We have to feed off of success and be there for when, maybe, one side isn’t doing what they expect to do.
“I want to take this momentum [and make] sure our communication is at an all-time high on offense, going into a hectic environment and great atmosphere with great fans, I hear.”
Conversely, Allen and the Bills have played much better in Buffalo. Allen’s road/home passer rating differential is behind only Prescott’s this season. Allen owns a 109.7 passer rating at home and a 78.1 rating on the road (-31.6).
Passer rating has flaws, but in this case, it illustrates well enough how these QBs and teams perform differently on the road and at home. It’s a trend the Cowboys need to end Sunday in Buffalo if they’re to keep their top spot in the NFC East.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge, but right now, it’s not about home or away,” Prescott added. “These are playoff-type games, and it’s important for us to use this momentum and confidence we’ve built to take another step on the road.”
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