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Clutch forced fumble seals Cowboys win over Bucs as Dallas continues late-season surge
- A crazy finish puts Tampa Bay up against a wall. The Bucs will need some help — in the form of a Falcons loss in one of their last two games — and to beat both New Orleans and Carolina to close their season to win the NFC South.
- Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day and after its current hot streak, it’s a reminder that if the Cowboys could have done anything at home at the beginning of the season when they were getting blown out regularly, they could have found themselves in the mix down the stretch.
- Baker Mayfield will have one last shot to get Tampa Bay in field goal range after the Bryan Anger punt and the Trey Palmer punt return that sets Tampa Bay up at the 26 yard line.
- Nine plays, 87 yards and a touchdown pass to Ryan Miller, and its now a two-point game with 2:43 to go. The Bucs have two timeouts remaining, Mayfield is up to 298 passing yards for the game on 30-of-42.
- Tampa Bay picked up a couple of third down conversions, but the Bucs were unable to pick up a 3rd and 15 after a second down sack. The drive was highlighted by the chess match between Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and Bucs’ offensive coordinator Liam Cohen. Tampa wound up in a couple of 3rd and long situations after clever blitz and coverage disguises confused Baker Mayfield, before a couple of 3rd down conversions on screen passes.
- The Bucs are still down by nine, and will need touchdowns if they’re going to keep control of the NFC South.
- It was a 3rd and 40 — yep, you read that right — after a bouncing fumble rolled out of bounds on a second down to set up a third and forever. Liufau brought the wood to Payne to separate him from the ball to cause the incompletion. Who says there aren’t any big hits in the NFL anymore?
- Dallas hits the half ahead 23-14 and Brandon Aubrey is putting on a show again. The Bucs will get the ball first to open the second half, after an entertaining first half, in which the teams combined for 437 yards and 23 first downs. Even more points could be flying in the second half, if the Buccaneers can cut down on some dropped passes.
- Big hitters to Jake Ferguson and Brandin Cooks have Dallas in Brandon Aubrey’s field goal range after just two plays.
- The Bucs offense found rhythm again on this drive at the end of a now high-scoring first half, as the Cowboys lead 20-14 with less than a minute to go in the second quarter.
- The Dallas defense has bowed up for most of the first half against the Bucs. Tampa does have the one scoring drive, but other than that it’s been tough sledding for Baker Mayfield an company.
- This one was an easy chip shot, just 49 yards 🙄, for his 34th field goal of the season. He’s not leading the NFL in percentage, but of those 34 makes, 25 of them have now come from 40+ yards (He’s 25-of-29) in 2024.
- Cowboys lead, 13-7
- Six plays, 57 yards in 3:15.
- THAT looked like one of the NFL’s best offenses and Bucky Irving closed the deal for the Bucs with a 2-yard TD rush, his seventh on the ground this season. Dallas still leads, 10-7, with 11:30 left in the first half.
