It’s just one game, but the Dallas Cowboys exorcised a lot of demons in their 31-14 blowout win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A wild-card win isn’t the ultimate goal but the Cowboys showed their mettle in winning a playoff game against one of the league’s best quarterbacks ever to wear a uniform.
Yet the better quarterback in this contest was the one with the star on his helmet. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott outplayed his legendary counterpart in an exquisite performance to help end several franchise droughts. The narrative that Dallas couldn’t win a playoff game on the road, or on grass, or in navy uniforms, or beat Tom Brady were all dispelled. Too many people forgot the Cowboys won 12 games this season, while the Buccaneers struggled to win just eight.
Those sins of the past had nothing to do with what would happen in this playoff game, and the Cowboys proved that this team wouldn’t let history decide the outcome. Here are four more takeaways from the Cowboys’ win over the Buccaneers.