Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) – Dallas Cowboys (5): 14-31
Four passing touchdowns, one more on the run. To say Dak Prescott rose to the occasion on Monday night is an understatement. The Cowboys quarterback carried his team to a quiet success, in a game dominated from start to finish.
Forced to throw the ball 66 times, Tom Brady did what he could. But without a ground game and with a defeat that ended up cracking, the step was too high.
The key moment: CeeDee Lamb puts an end to what was left of suspense
It would have been possible to draw earlier in the course of the match. But with Tom Brady (35/66, 351 yards, 2 TDs, 1 int), the small hope of an unlikely return still remains. When the veteran found Julio Jones (7 rec, 74 yards, 1 TD) to finally unlock his team’s counter on the last action of the third and return to 24-6, there was not really hope, except for yet another feat.
Hope was showered 4 minutes and 47 seconds later. The time it takes for Dallas to come up the field and score. A touchdown scored on an 18-yard pass from Dak Prescott for CeeDee Lamb (4 rec, 68 yards, 1 TD), alone in the end zone on a 4th&4. 31-6 for the Cowboys. Tom Brady or not, it was over.
.@Dak‘s FOURTH TD pass of the night! #DallasCowboys
📺: #DALvsTB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/HABicMhZeY pic.twitter.com/OstGmQwmlc— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2023
The movie of the game
Funny start to the match between two attacks yet full of talent. The first four offensives of the match come down to three actions and a punt. Dallas started first with a series of 80 yards, completed by a touchdown from Dalton Schultz (7 rec, 95 yards, 2 TDs). Brett Maher misses the extra point (0-6). What motivate Tom Brady and his family, who respond by traveling 70 yards. But arrived just 5 yards from the opposing in-goal, number 12 throws the ball into the hands of Jayron Kearse. A rare opportunity that Tampa will long regret. Because Dak Prescott and his gang don’t make feelings. They go up the ball over 80 yards in 15 actions and more than 8 minutes, alternating ground and aerial play. Finally, it is Prescott who scores on the ground. Maher misses again, it’s 12-0.
The Dallas offense was able to go slow to wear down the opposing defense, but it can also go fast. After a new local punt, it only takes a little over three minutes for the Cowboys to spin on 91 yards, with a new touchdown for Dalton Schultz at the key. The extra point? Failed again. 18-0 at the break for the visitors.
Half-time adjustments? Not really. Tampa punt upon returning from the locker room, again after only three actions. And again, Dallas rolls out. Schultz for 26 yards. Lamb for 26 more yards. Pollard on the ground for 18 lengths. Finally, Prescott sends Michael Gallup (5 rec, 46 yards, 1 TD) in the end zone on a connection of two small yards. Maher? Still not (0-24).
After an exchange of punts, Tampa finally reacts. A 95-yard offense ends with a touchdown from Julio Jones on a 30-yard pass. But the two-point conversion is a failure (6-24). Authoritarian, the Cowboys react immediately: 9 shares, 66 yards, and CeeDee Lamb’s touchdown on the fourth attempt. And this time, miracle, Maher succeeds his kick (6-31)!
The rest is anecdotal. The Buccaneers fail on their fourth attempt 11 yards from the end zone, but Dallas punts. So Brady has time to find Cameron Brate for a touchdown, with a bonus two-point conversion (14-31). Unfortunately, Russell Gage suffered a concussion during the drive and went out on a stretcher. Tampa recovers the onside kick, but fails on fourth attempt just over a minute from the end.
The MVP: Dak Prescott
Perfect timing to release his best game of the season. With a record of 25/33 for 305 yards and 4 passing touchdowns, with a ground touchdown as a bonus (on 4th attempt!), the Dallas quarterback was the boss on the field. If he was well helped by the ground game (128 yards) and the offensive game choices of coordinator Kellen Moore, Prescott necessarily reassured after a regular season marked by injury and several tasteless games.
The flop: Tampa did not react
” The Buccaneers have the talent, they just need the spark. It was kind of the theme of the season. But the spark never arrived. Once again, this Monday, the ground game was one of the weakest in the league. The offense’s first six possessions produced three 3&outs, two more punts and an interception. Enough to give Dallas time to fly away. Because the defense, which held on the first two possessions of the Cowboys, ended up taking four touchdowns in a row. The Buccaneers we saw on Monday are the ones we’ve seen all season. There was no reaction. And maybe there was actually no reaction to be expected.
The stat: 1/5
The Cowboys scored five touchdowns, but only fired one extra point. Brett Maher was terrifyingly clumsy on this exercise, leaving four units to escape his team. He was in such difficulty that his coaches preferred to play a 4th & 4 rather than attempt a field goal. A series ended with a touchdown, which he finally managed to improve with an extra point after his fifth attempt. It will not forgive in tighter matches in later rounds.
The following
Direction San Francisco for Dallas. With a complete offense and a defense that has regained bite, the Cowboys may not be favorites against the 49ers, but they will still have a card to play.
And now, what will Tom Brady do? Strangely, the quarterback seems less close to retirement than last season. Some American media are already suggesting that the Raiders are all about bringing him in. He is at the end of his contract, and this in any case poses a huge question mark on the near future of the Buccaneers.
