Stephon Gilmore, Cowboys handed major contagious health scare ahead of Week 15 game vs Bills

A stomach bug has wracked the Dallas Cowboys ahead of what amounts to a massive matchup with the Buffalo Bills. One of the best teams the Cowboys face the rest of the way, this is a huge matchup as Dallas looks to fend off their opponents and win the NFC East.

Stephon Gilmore was among those hit the hardest, but several players and coaches were thrown off their weekly rhythm by the sickness. That could be detrimental to a team's flow for a game.

Ari Meirov, NFL insider tweeted:

"The Cowboys had 10+ players and coaches, including WR Brandin Cooks, CB Stephon Gilmore, and DC Dan Quinn, who caught a stomach bug, which threw off their rhythm for the week, per Jay Glazer. They expect everyone to be good for today's game vs. Buffalo."

Every player who was sick is expected to play. There are some on the injury report, but they're all expected to be in the game. How effective they will be remains to be seen, though.

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Cowboys need all hands on deck for Bills matchup

Dallas Cowboys were hit with an illness.

The Dallas Cowboys, somehow, come into Sunday's game as an underdog of sorts. Despite being one of the NFL's best teams, they're not favored against a team struggling to grab an AFC Wild Card spot.

Nevertheless, this should be a hotly contested game. The Cowboys are good, but the Bills are, too. They're also fighting for wins when they need them the most, so it should be a tight matchup.

The health scare for the Cowboys is in the past, but its effects are going to be in the future. These players missed practice and couldn't get into a rhythm. They could be a little disjointed at times, and that can be hugely disadvantageous in an NFL game.

They have enough talent to compete with anyone, but when that talent is disrupted like this, it could have unforeseen consequences.