Bills vs Cowboys: 8 Things We Learned from Dallas' 44-7 Win

It was a game the Cowboys had to have. Dallas needed to beat the Buffalo Bills in order to stay afloat in the NFC playoff race. They needed this win for any shot at the NFC East crown, and they needed this win simply for their psyche.

Dallas dominated the Bills today with Tony Romo completing his first 13 passes and DeMarco Murray going for more than 100 yards rushing. Cornerback Terence Newman had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick barely managed more than 100 yards passing.

It was pure domination, and the Cowboys did almost everything right.

But before we get into the things we learned about the Cowboys' victory, allow me to send my regards to the career of Felix Jones as the Cowboys' starting running back. He can't stay healthy and during his absence Murray has emerged as the team's go-to offensive weapon.

At any rate, here are eight things we learned from the Cowboys' beatdown of the Bills on Sunday.

Dallas Is Inconsistent

A great way to start this slideshow, huh?

Dallas seemed to struggle against the Seahawks last week and blew the Bills out of the water this week. It seems like a recurring theme that Dallas looks great one week and off the next.

The Cowboys are still learning, and they show flashes of the type of team they can be as evidenced by the Bills game. But another test will come next week when Dallas travels to the struggling Washington Redskins, and if that game is made into an intricate—wink—part of their schedule, then we are right back to where we started.

Dallas needs to build on this victory and take that momentum into D.C. on Sunday.

Tony Romo Picked Buffalo Apart

Don't tell me Tony Romo isn't a good quarterback; Romo's completion percentage was 88.5 percent and his quarterback rating was 148.4.

He completed his first 13 passes, had 270 passing yards with three touchdowns. His performance was Aaron Rodgers-great, and due in part to his steady hand and leadership on Sunday Dallas was able to destroy Buffalo.

This is something Romo can definitely build upon, and this goes a long way toward getting his head coach to trust him again.

Dallas Can Win with Balance

It's easy to win with balance when the final score is 44-7.

But the Cowboys ran the ball 35 times compared to just 26 passing plays. DeMarco Murray rushed for 135 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown, and wide receiver Laurent Robinson had two touchdowns for 73 yards.

It was a great offensive day for Dallas with Romo, Murray, Bryant and Robinson leading the way.

It won't be this easy every single week, but it was nice to see that Dallas was able to win by running and passing the ball.

By the way—that's a nice balanced photo to represent balance, isn't it?

DeMarco Murray Can Run the Football

It's just as simple as that at this point.

Murray rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown, but the most telling stat for me is that he averaged almost seven yards per carry.

Felix Jones may have lost his starting job because Murray is playing so well, but it will be interesting to see the dynamic of Jones and Murray in the Dallas backfield when Jones is able to return.

Back to Murray. So far this season he has rushed for 674 yards on the season, and from the look of how he's playing he's only a few games away from a 1,000-yard season.

Laurent Robinson May Be Due for a Nice Payday

How great was the Robinson pick-up?

He was signed, released and re-signed, and now he's a certified graduate of Ball-So-Hard University.

On the day Robinson caught only three balls, but two went for touchdowns, and one was a 58-yard beautiful pitch-and-catch from Romo.

Robinson is playing pretty well right now, and with Austin down with an injury Robinson is stepping up to earn Romo and Garrett's trust. Sounds like a great way for an increase in pay to me.

Tony Fiammetta Is Having a Great Impact

Team owner Jerry Jones said Fiammetta was the best fullback Dallas has had since Daryl "Moose" Johnston. While I won’t agree or disagree with Jones, it's hard to argue with results.

Murray averaged 6.8 yards per carry today, and Fiammetta is opening great holes for Murray to sprint through. He played an integral role on Murray's 1-yard touchdown run.

It's sometimes tough to justify a fullback's position on the roster, but Fiammetta is doing a great job blocking for Murray and Phillip Tanner.

Dan Bailey Is a Certified Field Goal Kicker

What more can be said about how well Bailey is playing? He has made 22 consecutive field goals, and he's booting them from all over the field.

His play should give fans and coaches solace heading into the cold months knowing Bailey is capable of making easy field goals late in games.

Cowboys Defense Looks Good

DeMarcus Ware added another sack on the day, and the Cowboys' defense simply smothered the Bills' passing attack.

Buffalo was able to mange more than 100 yards rushing, which should be of concern for Dallas, but it didn't matter in the end.

The Bills only scored seven points, and that was due to a defensive breakdown by Dallas. Cornerback Terence Newman seems to be playing for his Cowboys career, as he had two interceptions with one going back for a touchdown. He's tackling well and playing like he's the best cornerback on the team.

Sean Lee returned from injury to record four tackles, and linebacker Keith Brooking had a nice impact with five tackles.

Brother Rob did a great job of taking away the Bills' passing game, and the defense did even better by executing a great game plan.