Cowboys vs. Buccaneers highlights: Dallas deals Tampa Bay setback in playoff picture

Admin December 22, 2024

It took a fumble on a chaotic first-down play but the Dallas Cowboys earned their fourth win in five games, 26-24, over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football.”

Down two with 1:41 to go, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield escaped pressure on first down and flicked the ball to running back Rachaad White, who ran forward for five yards before Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis forced a fumble. Teammate DaRon Bland recovered the ball at the Tampa Bay 31 and the Cowboys’ offense kneeled out the clock for the narrow victory.

Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush had one of his best nights as a starter this season, including a career-high 226 passing yards in the first half. He finished the night 26 of 35 passing for 292 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys leaned on the passing game all night.

Tampa Bay struggled to start with a turnover on downs on their first drive due to a dropped pass on fourth down by wide receiver Sterling Shepard. They’d go three-and-out on their next drive but scored two touchdowns in their final three drives of the first half, the first on a two-yard run by running back Bucky Irving to cut Dallas’ lead to 10-7.

The Cowboys scored another 10 straight points on an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run and a Brandon Aubrey field goal for a 20-7 lead.

Rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan had his fourth touchdown in the last three games with a sliding 11-yard catch in the end zone with less than a minute to go in the first half. Another Aubrey field goal from 58 yards out, one of four made field goals on the night, gave Dallas a 23-14 lead at halftime.

Both defenses tightened up in the second half. Dallas had more punts (four) than points (three) in the second half and managed just 68 yards. Tampa Bay had just 60 yards in their first three drives of the second half.

Mayfield threw his lone interception of the game on a deep shot to McMillan to end a promising drive. He’d come back on the next drive and complete all nine passes for 87 yards on the Buccaneers’ lone touchdown drive of the second half, capped off by a 13-yard pass to Ryan Miller for a touchdown to make it a two-point game.

Tampa Bay’s defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Dallas drive to give their offense the ball back with nearly two minutes to go. But White’s fumble on the first play of that drive ended hopes of a comeback.

The Cowboys (7-8) have now won four of their last five games. They’re eliminated from the playoffs and head on the road next week to take on the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles (12-3).

This loss snaps Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak. The Buccaneers (8-7) are now tied on record with Atlanta atop the NFC South, but the Falcons have an advantage with two head-to-head wins. The Buccaneers will close the season out with two home games, starting against the Carolina Panthers (4-11) next week.

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Baker Mayfield stepped up to avoid a costly sack on 1st-and-10 and pitched the ball forward to running back Rachaad White who ran for five yards before fumbling. Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland recovered the ball at the 31-yard line and Dallas takes over with 1:31 to go in the game.

Tampa Bay defensive lineman Vita Vea made a key stop on 3rd-and-6 to keep Cowboys’ tight end Jake Ferguson from converting. Dallas punted again and the Buccaneers take over on their own 26-yard line with 1:40 to go in the game.

Baker Mayfield completed all nine passes to march the Tampa Bay offense 87 yards down the field and score on a 13-yard pass to Ryan Miller. Chase McLaughlin’s extra point is good to cut the deficit to two with 2:36 to go in the fourth quarter.

Dallas couldn’t capitalize on the turnover and took 43 seconds off the clock before punting it back to Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers’ offense will take over at its own 23-yard line with 4:43 to go in the game.

On 1st-and-10 from the Dallas 46, Baker Mayfield dropped back and threw a deep shot to Jalen McMillan but Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis snagged the pass for an interception. He was downed in the end zone and the Cowboys take over on their own 20-yard line with 6:22 left in the game.

Dallas’ offense only managed 13 yards in three plays (10 from a penalty) in 98 seconds and the Cowboys settled for their second consecutive punt. Tampa Bay’s offense takes over from its own 9-yard line with 7:32 left in the game.

Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson got to Baker Mayfield on 1st-and-10 at the Buccaneers’ 18-yard line. Tampa Bay’s offense couldn’t recover and the Buccaneers had to punt from their own 14. Dallas takes over on its own 39-yard line with 9:10 to go in the game.

A holding call on the Cowboys on 2nd-and-9 from the 47 pushed Dallas’ offense back and they could not make up the difference. The Cowboys punted from their own 43 and pinned the Buccaneers inside their own 5-yard line. Tampa Bay takes over with 11:38 to go in the game.

Dallas has the ball at their own 32-yard line to start the final quarter with a nine-point advantage.

The Buccaneers drove past midfield and inside the Dallas 30 before a Linval Joseph sack forced a 3rd-and-15. Tampa Bay couldn’t overcome that setback and settled for a 45-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin to make it a nine-point deficit with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Cowboys passed midfield on the first play of their drive but only managed four more yards on the next four plays to set up Brandon Aubrey for a 53-yard field goal. Aubrey drilled it to continue his impressive night with three field goals from beyond 50 yards.

Baker Mayfield couldn’t connect with tight end Payne Durham on 3rd-and-40 from the Buccaneers’ 44. Tampa Bay was in that spot after Mayfield fumbled the ball on a sack and it went out of bounds after Cowboys linebacker couldn’t corral it in time.

Dallas takes over on its own 35 after a short punt.

Dallas managed to move the ball 30 yards within the final minute of the second half to set up kicker Brandon Aubrey for another long field goal. Aubrey made it inside the left upright from 58 yards out as time expired in the second quarter. Dallas holds a two-score lead to close the first half.

Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush completed 18 of 24 passes for a 224 yards, a career-high for a half. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has six catches for 100 yards.

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s gone 14 for 19 for 142 yards and a touchdown. Tampa Bay’s run game has been more effective than Dallas’ ground attack with rookie Bucky Irving leading the way with a game-high 47 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Tampa Bay’s offense managed to move 71 yards in less than a minute of game time to cut the deficit to one score ahead of halftime. Baker Mayfield extended the play on 1st-and-10 from the Dallas’ 11-yard line and found rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan for the touchdown. Chase McLaughlin’s extra point is good and the Buccaneers get on the board again with 48 seconds left in the half.

The Cowboys marched 80 yards in two and a half minutes to extend their lead late in the second half. Ezekiel Elliott scored his first touchdown since Oct. 27 with a one-yard run on the left side. Brandon Aubrey’s extra point is good and the Cowboys take a 13-point lead with 1:45 to go in the second quarter.

CeeDee Lamb made multiple crucial catches, including a 52-yard deep shot from Cooper Rush, to get the Cowboys into scoring range. He briefly left the field due to what appeared to be pain in his right shoulder.

The Buccaneers’ offense made it past midfield but on 3rd-and-5 from the Dallas 40, Cowboys’ defensive end Chauncey Golston brought down Baker Mayfield for a sack and a loss of five yards. Tampa Bay couldn’t pin the Cowboys deep and Dallas will take over at their own 20-yard line with 4:14 to go in the first half.

Dallas was driving into Tampa Bay territory but Cooper Rush overthrew CeeDee Lamb on 3rd-and-5 from the Buccaneers’ 31-yard line. The Cowboys settled for a field goal and Brandon Aubrey extended the lead with a 49-yard field goal, his second make of the night, with 9:15 to go in the first half.

Rookie running back Bucky Irving broke a tackle on 2nd-and-goal from the 2-yard line and powered forward for the Buccaneers’ first score of the night. Chase McLaughlin’s extra point is good to cut the deficit to three with 11:30 to go in the half.

Irving had four carries for 28 yards on the drive and Baker Mayfield found Mike Evans twice for 29 yards.

Cooper Rush threw just his second incomplete pass of the night on 3rd-and-8 as tight end Jake Ferguson couldn’t hang on to move the chains. Dallas kicked its first punt of the night and Tampa Bay will take over on its own 43-yard line with 14:45 to go in the half.

The first quarter comes to a close in AT&T Stadium and the Cowboys are in control early up 10-0. Dallas will face 3rd-and-8 from their own 22-yard line to open the second quarter. Quarterback Cooper Rush is 9-of-10 for 70 yards and a touchdown after the first 15 minutes of action.

Tampa Bay’s offense sputtered in their second drive of the night. Baker Mayfield’s pass deep down the middle to Sterling Shepard fell incomplete again on 2nd-and-4. Rachaad White couldn’t get the last yard needed to move the chains on third down and the Buccaneers punted for the first time on the night.

Dallas takes over at their own 20 with 1:12 left in the first quarter.

Dallas needed just over two minutes to march 48 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Cooper Rush threw to Jalen Tolbert in the back of the end zone on 3rd-and-9 for the score. Brandon Aubrey’s extra point is good and the Cowboys extend their lead at home.

Tampa Bay was facing 4th-and-3 from the Dallas 48 and decided to go for it. Baker Mayfield’s pass well beyond the first-down marker hit Sterling Shepard in the hands, but Shepard couldn’t hold on. The Cowboys take over on downs with 4:57 left in the first quarter.

Dallas’ offense picked up three first downs in the opening drive of the game but Tampa Bay’s defense stepped up on 3rd-and-6 to force a long field goal. Former MLS draft pick Brandon Aubrey was reliable as ever and knocked down the kick from 58 yards out to open the scoring of the game.

It’s the 12th made field goal of the season from 50-plus yards for Aubrey.

Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT)

The Cowboys and Buccaneers are set for kickoff for 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday night.

NBC is the broadcast home of “Sunday Night Football.” Mike Tirico will be on the call, and he will be flanked by Cris Collinsworth (play-by-play).

Live stream:  Fubo | Peacock

For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.

Peacock, the proprietary streaming service of NBC, will also carry the game.

Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) is inactive for a second straight week. Tampa Bay also will be without the services of tight end Cade Otton (knee).

LB K.J. Britt
DL Earnest Brown
OG Royce Newman
TE Cade Otton
LB Jose Ramirez
S Antoine Winfield Jr.

DB Juanyeh Thomas
RB Deuce Vaughn
LB Eric Kendricks
WR Jalen Brooks
OL T.J. Bass
DE Tyrus Wheat
DT Justin Rogers

Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the “SNF” tilt between the Cowboys and Buccaneers will play out:

Tyler Dragon: Buccaneers 27, Cowboys 20
Jordan Mendoza: Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 20

The Buccaneers are favorites to defeat the Cowboys, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.

Spread: Buccaneers (-4)
Moneyline: Buccaneers (-210); Cowboys (+170)
Over/under: 47.5

The Cowboys defend AT&T Stadium as the Buccaneers travel to Arlington, Texas.

AT&T Stadium has hosted one Super Bowl — Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. It also was the host site for the 2018 NFL draft. The stadium also hosted the first College Football Playoff national championship game in 2015, which was won by the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Oregon Ducks.

➤ Ranking NFL’s stadiums from 1 to 30: Where does Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium rate?

The roof is closed at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, so weather will not be a factor in Sunday night’s game.

x – clinched playoff berth

After the Washington Commanders’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention.

This season will mark the first time since 2020 that the Cowboys have not qualified for the postseason. The Cowboys have six playoff appearances in the last 11 seasons, with the furthest the team advanced in the postseason being the divisional round. The Cowboys haven’t reached the NFC championship game since the 1995 season, when the team went on to win Super Bowl XXX.

With the Atlanta Falcons’ win over the New York Giants on Sunday, the Buccaneers enter “Sunday Night Football” with a half-game edge in the NFC South.

The Buccaneers need to stay ahead of the Falcons in the standings, with Atlanta owning the head-to-head tiebreaker over Tampa Bay.

Seven teams had already clinched playoff berths entering Week 16. The Baltimore Ravens made it eight with their win Saturday over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

AFC

NFC

Here’s the projected 2025 NFL draft order ahead of “Sunday Night Football” in Week 16, according to Tankathon.com:

New York Giants: 2-13 record; .554 strength of schedule
New England Patriots: 3-12; .463 SOS
Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-12; .480 SOS
Tennessee Titans: 3-12; .512 SOS
Cleveland Browns: 3-12; .530 SOS
Las Vegas Raiders: 3-12; .545 SOS
Carolina Panthers: 4-11; .500 SOS
New York Jets: 4-11; .502 SOS
Chicago Bears: 4-11; .557 SOS
New Orleans Saints: 5-9; .506 SOS
San Francisco 49ers: 6-9; .563 SOS
Dallas Cowboys: 6-8; .518 SOS
Miami Dolphins: 7-8; .417 SOS
Indianapolis Colts: 7-8; .461 SOS
Cincinnati Bengals: 7-8; .476 SOS
Arizona Cardinals: 7-8; .532 SOS
Seattle Seahawks: 8-7; .508 SOS
Atlanta Falcons: 8-7; .520 SOS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-6; .508 SOS
Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6; .474 SOS
Houston Texans: 9-6; .482 SOS
Denver Broncos: 9-6; .498 SOS
Los Angeles Rams: 9-6; .506 SOS
Washington Commanders: 10-5; .434 SOS
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-5; .488 SOS
Baltimore Ravens: 10-5; .530 SOS
Green Bay Packers: 10-4; .535 SOS
Philadelphia Eagles: 12-3; .452 SOS
Buffalo Bills: 12-3; .459 SOS
Minnesota Vikings: 13-2; .474 SOS
Detroit Lions: 13-2; .526 SOS
Kansas City Chiefs: 14-1; .490 SOS

Jerry Jones hasn’t shared his hand one way or another when it comes to Mike McCarthy’s future in Dallas. He recently noted that the endorsements given to the coach by Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and Troy Aikman were “not surprising at all” and were indicative of the success McCarthy has enjoyed during his NFL career.

“He wouldn’t be in this job had he not had the kind of credibility that those endorsements reflect,” Jones said. “He’s a heck of a head coach in the NFL, and he’s got the skins on the wall to prove it.”

Dak Prescott suffered a partial hamstring avulsion – a tear during which part of the tendon rips off the bone – during Dallas’ 27-21 loss to the Falcons in Week 9. He told reporters after the contest that he wasn’t sure if the injury occurred while he was running or being tackled. He is out for the season.

Could edge rusher Micah Parsons be the odd man out after the Dallas Cowboys paid quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb last offseason?

If he is, Parsons doesn’t seem too worried about it.

“I understand how the business side goes,” he said when asked about the trade speculation on Sunday, per The Athletic. “There are no hard feelings in this business, whether I’m here or anywhere else. Obviously I’ve stated that I wanted to be here. But at the end of the day, I understand the business side.”

Jerry Jones squashed the trade rumors earlier this week.

“That’s never been uttered in this organization, that we don’t have a future with Micah Parsons,” he told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. — Jack McKessy

Baker Mayfield signed an extension with the Buccaneers this offseason to stay with Tampa Bay through the 2026 season.

Term: 3 years
Total value: $100 million
Average annual value (AAV): $33.33 million
Guaranteed money: $50 million

Mayfield’s cap hit per season varies across the contract. For 2024, Mayfield’s cap hit is $6.9 million. That escalates to $35.77 million in 2025 and $45.77 million in 2026. There are two void years tacked on to the end of the contract for 2027 and 2028.

The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six.

The Dallas Cowboys and Steelers have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups.

The Cowboys have appeared in eight Super Bowls (that’s tied with three other teams for the second-most ever), but have not played in a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. In all, the Cowboys have won five Super Bowl wins. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have appeared in two Super Bowls, winning both. The Buccaneers’ most recent Super Bowl win came during the 2020 season in Super Bowl 55.

NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:

➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game

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