ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Well, the Buffalo Bills can still finish this season with an 8-8 record.
That's about the most hope there is for the Bills despite their 16-6 win Sunday over the lowly Dallas Cowboys. With a Dan Carpenter third-quarter field goal and a late touchdown run by Mike Gillislee, the Bills avoided what would have been an embarrassing loss to a team led by Kellen Moore, who was arguably the NFL's worst starting quarterback of Week 16.
The Bills got the job done, but their win still raised questions in all three phases of the game for a team that most agree has underperformed this season. Tyrod Taylor, who is still trying to make his case for a long-term extension, was intercepted in the end zone in the second quarter. Cowboys running back Darren McFadden and receivers Brice Butler and Terrance Williams all had some level of success against a once-vaunted Bills defense. And on special teams, Carpenter missed his fifth extra point of the season.
The Bills might have won, but was this really the team everyone expected it to be?
What it means: Nothing. The Bills, who improve to 7-8 on the season, were already eliminated from the playoffs. The Cowboys, who fell to 4-11, were also already eliminated. This game had little meaning beyond the evaluation of the players involved in it.
Ouch: Bills wide receiver Marcus Easley was carted off in the second quarter with a knee injury and was immediately ruled out for the game. Easley, who had a towel over his head as he departed, had his left leg immobilized in an air cast. The Bills also lost defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to a shoulder injury in the first half; he was initially ruled as probable to return before being downgraded to questionable and then out.
Fantasy watch: Much of the fantasy-related talk entering the game centered on how many carries Karlos Williams and Gillislee would receive in the absence of LeSean McCoy. The Bills gave the start to Gillislee but quickly worked Williams into the mix. Gillislee appeared to score on a 15-yard catch in the first quarter, but the touchdown was overturned by replay review and Gillislee ruled down before reaching the end zone, leading to a Williams 1-yard touchdown run. Williams finished with 76 yards on 17 carries, while Gillislee added 93 yards on nine runs, including a 50-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
One reason to get excited: Bills fans surely aren't too thrilled with their team being out of the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season, so there's little reason for them to get excited about Sunday's game. At least one of the most disappointing Bills seasons in recent memory is almost over.
One reason to panic: The Bills didn't win Sunday's game convincingly against a lowly team. This looked like two teams whose records were an accurate reflection of their abilities, and that's bad news for the Bills.