After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 31-14 at Raymond James Stadium to round out Super Wild Card Weekend, the Dallas Cowboys advanced to the divisional round.
Beginning the game with straight three-and-outs, both offences displayed a slow start. On their third drive of the evening, Dallas finally came to life as Dak Prescott connected with Dalton Schultz for the game's opening touchdown. Dallas covered 80 yards in seven plays. After then, Tampa Bay started moving the ball and eventually made it all the way to the Cowboys five-yard line, which did appear to open the floodgates. Tom Brady, on the other hand, threw an interception to Jayron Kearse in the end zone at that same moment. One of the few successful Bucs possessions of the game and their lone attempt at a goal while the game was still in reach was that one. Dallas then scored three touchdowns on subsequent drives, contributing to the establishment of a 24-point margin.
Even when Tampa Bay finally found the end zone at the end of the third quarter with a Brady 30-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones, the Cowboys answered with a nine-play, 66-yard touchdown drive to go up 31-6. That really eliminate any slight inkling that Brady may pull another miraculous comeback out of his helmet.
Prescott had an outstanding final stat line. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns. In addition, he gained 24 yards on the ground and scored while rushing. His primary target that night was Schultz, who caught seven of his eight passes for a team-high 95 yards and two scores. Brady, meanwhile, completed 35 of 66 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick.
why the Cowboys prevailed
For a brief moment, it appeared as though Dallas might continue their Week 18 performance against Washington. Approximately 10 seconds into their first possession, they punted the ball away, and their subsequent drive ended in a three-and-out. Dak Prescott was unable to complete a pass at that time. The switch was then turned on.
The arm of Prescott, who ripped off 11 straight completions to set a new franchise playoff record, was the reason the Cowboys offence erupted. He ran three consecutive 80-yard touchdown drives during that period. Dalton Schultz scored the game's final touchdown in the first quarter, and Dak Prescott later scored on a clever fourth-and-goal play by Mike McCarthy. Prescott added the rushing touchdown in addition to throwing for 135 yards and a score during his 11-play winning streak.
Prescott didn't let up after that either, throwing two more touchdowns in quick succession to help Dallas go on a 24-0 run, one before and one after the break. Those touchdown drives covered 80, 80, 91, and 86 yards, tearing this Tampa Bay defence to pieces, so they weren't even layups. That advantage turned out to be more than enough to maintain a significant gap in front of Bucs. Even when they did eventually enter the end zone, Dallas made sure to put an end to any momentum they may have had by swiftly retaliating with a 66-yard touchdown drive to increase their lead to 31-6.
After a poor start on the first two drives, Dallas' offensive improved in crunch time, converting seven of their 11 third down opportunities and both of their fourth down attempts. Additionally, they were successful on all four of their visits into the red zone, while the Buccaneers were kept out of the end zone on only two of their three trips.
It's also noteworthy that Prescott did not throw a single interception in this game, which is notably relevant. That had been a problem for him throughout the regular season, and despite missing five games due to injury, he was tied for the league lead in interceptions. Dallas will remain dangerous if he can keep the opposing team's players off the ball.
The one significant drawback for the Cowboys in this game was the kicker Brett Maher, who missed four extra point tries on special teams.
The reasons the Buccaneers lost
The main debate surrounding the Buccaneers heading into these playoffs was whether or not they represented a legitimate postseason threat rather than just the division's worst consolation prize. By any stretch of the imagination, based on what we saw on Monday night, Tampa Bay did not appear to be a serious playoff candidate.
The offence was incredibly uninspired, and early on, Mike Evans in particular and Tom Brady both seemed to struggle to establish any sort of connection. The Bucs offence was unable to score before the end of the first half as the Cowboys cruised to a 24-0 lead, punting five times (three three-and-outs), having an interception in the end zone, and having time run out. The game was already over by the time they appeared on the scoreboard, and those who were still holding out hope for a comeback were doing so more because of the quarterback's track record than because of what they were actually doing on the field.
Tampa Bay's running game was nonexistent, as it has been all season, which inevitably affects how defenders approach the ball. The Buccaneers were not getting much out of a backfield that rushed for 24 yards on seven carries in the first half before they abandoned the run to try and get themselves back into this matchup.
The defence also didn't exactly ring the bell, and the offence continues to have its fair share of problems. They were unable to leave the field as Dallas tore them apart for protracted, agonising drives and, in particular, broke down in crucial parts of the field. No one followed Dak Prescott as he slid out to his left and simply walked in for a touchdown, which caused the entire defence to bite on the play. Brady's 30-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones after Tampa Bay had finally entered the end zone was one of the more heartbreaking moments of this defeat. Dallas made quick progress down the field, reaching the Buccaneers' 18-yard line before electing to try for it on the next play. CeeDee Lamb was given an open field for the score that put Tampa Bay down by 25 due to a complete breakdown in coverage on that particular play.
Tom Brady is on his fourth straight one-and-done postseason journey. Now, everyone will be watching the quarterback to see what he does next. While there will be plenty of time to study all that, this was a game — and a season — to forget for TB12.
pivotal moment
There were a few pivotal swings in this game, as there are in most games. Brady's interception in the end zone was obviously a huge speed bump that flattened the Bucs offense's tyres. Since joining Tampa Bay, he had never thrown an interception in the red zone, but that one ended the longest streak (407 attempts) in NFL history.
That error was made worse by the fact that it occurred between two Cowboys touchdowns.
Even if the quarterback was the target of that swing, Todd Bowles made a choice in the first half that should be questioned. Following that interception, the Bucs found themselves down by 12 points but were starting to find their offensive rhythm. When they faced a fourth-and-3 after starting at their own 25-yard line, Bowles decided to send out the punting unit. They then moved the ball to midfield. That should have been the time to keep the unit on the field and go for it because the offence had started to show signs of life and because of where they were on the field.
They instead turned the ball over, and Dallas drove 91 yards down the field to take an 18-point lead. Bowles could have played a little more aggressively in a playoff game like this one rather than playing it safe, especially when his team started to gain some momentum.
Undoubtedly, Prescott's second passing touchdown of the evening was his best. He was forced out to his left and rolling towards the sideline because his initial reads were locked up and pressure was coming up the middle. He then twisted his body to attempt an off-balanced pass that zipped directly into Schulz's arms. Right before the break, Dallas put together a 91-yard touchdown drive that gave them the lead they would need to secure the victory.
Prescott joined the likes of legends Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach by passing for four touchdowns in this game, tying a Cowboys postseason record. Additionally, Prescott recorded the highest passing rating (143.3) in a playoff game for the Cowboys (min. 20 attempts).
Next steps
Next Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, the Cowboys will prepare for their divisional-round game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. As Brady, who will soon be a free agent, decides what to do, the Buccaneers are ready to embark on what is sure to be a transformative summer.
