Tag: Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

From @ToddBrock247: All 4 of Aubrey’s field goals vs Tampa Bay were from 49 yards or longer. The performance helped the second-year star set several records.

Mr. Claus, if you’re reading this before your sleigh is fully loaded up for this year’s ride, you may want to grab a bigger trophy case to drop off for Brandon Aubrey.

He’s quickly running out of space in his current one.

The Cowboys kicker has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his four-field goal performance in Sunday night’s 26-24 win over the Tampa bay Buccaneers. Incredibly, all four boots came from 49 yards or beyond.

Aubrey won the weekly award twice last season as a rookie. He won the monthly version of the award for September of this season, as well in both October and December of last year.

The second-year phenom nailed kicks of 49 and 53 yards on Sunday night, as well as two from 58 yards in the Week 16 win. That gave him 14 so far in 2024 from 50-plus, the most in league history from that distance in a single season (although Texans specialist Ka’imi Fairbairn has 13 and could theoretically be the recordholder by season’s end).

Per NFL.com, Sunday marked just the fourth time ever that a kicker has converted multiple field goals from 58 yards or longer, and Aubrey’s done it two of those times.

The 29-year-old seems a strong contender to be named to his second Pro Bowl and could bring home a second straight All-Pro nod. He is a perfect 28-for-28 on PATs and has connected on 85.7% of his field goal tries this season, including a remarkable 87.5% on attempts from 50 or longer.

Aubrey drilled a 66-yarder earlier in the season, the second-longest in NFL history. He tried one from 70 yards in Week 15 but sailed the attempt wide left. Coaches blamed windy conditions at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium for the miss and believe 70 yards is within Aubrey’s range.

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Aubrey’s long-distance efforts Sunday gave him back-to-back seasons with 10 or more field goals from 50 yards or beyond, the first time that’s ever happened.

Additionally, he has now attempted more field goals -42- in a single season than any kicker in Cowboys franchise history.

And he still has two more games on the regular-season schedule.

That’s plenty of time for Aubrey to rack up a few more trophies for the case.

Maybe you’d better make it an extra large, Santa.

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Final Stats, best pics from Cowboys’ big win over Bucs despite elimination

The Cowboys have won four of their last five games, winning over the Bucs in one of their hardest-hitting performances of 2024. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys knew they weren’t making it to the playoffs this season, but they didn’t play like it. Eliminated earlier in the afternoon when Washington pulled out a last-second win over Philadelphia, the Cowboys had no inclination of mailing things in.

With no incentive to playing down-roster guys just to help the organization, lame-duck coach Mike McCarthy’s troops put their best foot forward, dominating the still-playoff hopeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys’ defense used relentless pressure on QB Baker Mayfield and unyielding hitting on ball carriers to bully their way to a double-digit lead in the third quarter.

Despite letting the Bucs make the game close and have a last chance to win, the Cowboys beared down and left AT&T with their second home win of the season, 26-24. Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, Dallas kept their hope of finishing above .500 alive and improved to 7-8.

Cooper Rush played his best game of the season, throwing for 292 yards and only having one egregious head scratcher of a throw. He focused his attention on CeeDee Lamb in the first half as the wide receiver crossed the 100-catch threshold with 100 yards through two quarters.

The defense, led by Micah Parsons and a turnover-focused secondary, corralled one of the league’s hottest offenses. Corners Jourdan Lewis and DaRon Bland made huge fourth-quarter plays, ripping balls away from ball carriers to thwart both a touchdown and a game extender with time running out.

Dallas will now prepare for their rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17. Here’s a look at the stats and some great captures from the wonderful photographers of USA Today Images and Getty Images.

Is CeeDee Lamb playing today? Injury news update for Cowboys wide receiver

Here’s the latest status for the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb for Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Dallas Cowboys return to action on Sunday night, hoping they have something to play for. After winning their third game in four attempts last week, Dallas has inched closer to .500 and want to improve to 7-8 with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The hobbled, mangled crew currently still has a chance to make the playoffs, but that ends with any loss in their final three games or any win by Washington. The Commanders take on the NFC East leading Philadelphia in the early window of games. If the Eagles win, the Cowboys game still means something towards this pursuit.

To accomplish a victory in the NBC-aired contest, Dallas is in need of their No. 1 receiver, CeeDee Lamb.

Fortunately for Dallas, Lamb’s limited status from Wednesday’s practice over his lingering shoulder injury seems precautionary. Lamb was a full participant in Thursday and Friday’s work confirms things have not gotten worse, and the ailment does not seem to preclude him from suiting up. He should play as long as nothing wild happens during pre-game warmups.

The fifth-year wideout enters Week 16 third in the NFL in receptions with 94, already surpassing the millenium yardage mark with 1,089. Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase has already run away with Lamb’s receiving yardage crown from 2023, with the Cowboys’ passing game dearly missing Dak Prescott for the majority of the season. Perhaps Lamb will be catching passes from both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance in this contest.

Is Mike Evans playing today? Injury news update for Buccaneers wide receiver

Here’s the latest status for the Buccaneers Mike Evans against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have enjoyed one of the most accomplished wide receiver runs in NFL history. From the get go, Mike Evans has been the go to for the NFC South squad. The Galveston, TX native and Texas A&M alum had no issues acclimating himself to the NFL all the way back in 2014, gaining 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie campaign.

He’s achieved the mark every season since, an incredible 11-year run that’s put him in strong contention to one day earn a bust in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame in canton. This year, however, has been a bit of a struggle as injuries have robbed him of significant playing time for just the second time in his career.

Evans has only appeared in 11 of the Bucs 14 games so far this year, meaning he can max out at 14 games if he’s able to make it through the final three games on the schedule. Chasing the playoffs, the 8-6 Bucs need him more than ever as they’ve already lost his counterpart, Chris Godwin, for the year.

Evans appeared on this week’s injury report after missing practice on Wednesday. The question is, will he be able to play against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16?

The answer appears to be yes, as Evans sat out strictly for rest purposes. He has completely put his midseason injury woes behind him and has appeared in Tampa Bay’s last four games with great results.

In Week 15 he caught nine passes for 159 yards, both season highs, to help the Bucs throttle the Los Angeles Chargers, 40-17. It put him within striking distance of 1,000 yards once again, as he now has 749 on the season with three contests to go.

With Trevon Diggs out for this game, Dallas will have to rely on DaRon Bland and Caelon Carson to try and corral the 6-foot-5, 231-pound terror on the boundary.

Is Trey Lance playing today? Update for Cowboys backup QB

Here’s the latest narrative surrounding Lance’s shot to play in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys 2024 season has been a total mess from the get go. It may effectively be put out of its misery on Sunday, and possibly before Dallas even takes the field. Part of Sunday Night Football, the Cowboys could be officially eliminated from the playoffs if Washington can beat Philadelphia earlier in the day. If so, then the direction of who should see the field in the final three weeks should change.

And that could impact whether or not Trey Lance sees the field on Sunday night.

The offseason was a maddening experience for the fanbase, as the club failed to not only avoid signing any impact free agents from the outside, but also failed to bring back many of their own. With contract extensions looming over their biggest stars in Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, the coaching staff were all on lame duck status.

All in all, it forced several fans to be lose interest in the brand. One thing that united fans, though, especially under the looming 2025 of Prescott (at the time) was whether or not Lance had what it took to be the next franchise quarterback. Acquired towards the end of the 2023 offseason, Lance didn’t play that year, so no one really knew what to expect from the former No. 3 overall pick the Cowboys traded a 2024 fourth-round pick for.

As head coach Mike McCarthy avoids playing his stars in the preseason, Lance got plenty of snaps in the exhibitions and acquitted himself relatively well until the final performance when he bombed. He really hasn’t been seen since, which in a lost season where Prescott has been out with injury has frustrated fans even more.

Nothing crystalized this animosity more than in Week 11, when in a blowout loss to the Houston Texans where Cooper Rush struggled mightily, McCarthy refused to let Lance get snaps.

Now, with elimination right around the corner, the subject returns. In the last month or so, owner Jerry Jones has hinted that McCarthy might not be five-and-done as the head coach. Don’t believe it.

McCarthy and his staff are likely goners and as such, have no vested interest in playing guys so the front office and the next coaching staff has a better understanding of what they may have.

Lance is a free agent, as is current starter Cooper Rush, in 2025. Rush’s ceiling is obvious; the offense is ridiculously dumbed down due to his arm talent limitations and lack of athleticism. Lance offers upside in that regard, with nowhere near the polish or experience Rush brings to the table.

If the season is officially over before they take the field, fans hope Lance is given a shot to show what he can do.

Is Trevon Diggs playing today? Injury news update for Cowboys CB

Here’s the latest status for the Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs for Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has had a rough couple of seasons. This 2024 season has been particularly trying, as he returned from missing almost all of 2023 due to an ACL tear suffered prior to Week 3. After an extensive rehabilitation process, the 2021 All-Pro was able to return for the first part of this season. However, as is often the case with speed-dependent positions, returning to top form after an ACL injury was a bit elusive.

Diggs was decent, but he wasn’t what fans remembered from the 2020 through 2022 years. The frustration of his and the team’s sluggish start boiled over after a loss to the San Francisco 49ers, when he came out the locker room to confront a media member for a derogatory tweet made during the contest. It was a bad look that eventually Diggs made amends for, but that was a precursor to more problems.

Diggs suffered a calf tear prior to Week 9 and though he played a strong Week 11 game against Philadelphia, he missed the following two contests just when secondary mate DaRon Bland returned from offseason foot surgery. Diggs would return in Week 14, but it appears that is the last action he will see for some time.

Diggs has now been placed on IR for a knee injury that will require surgery. It is a significant surgery in which they will use a bone graft to help repair the cartilage in the knee that had the torn ACL and it could cause him to miss most or all of the 2025 season as well.

Cowboys schedule: Is Dallas playing today?

Are the Cowboys playing today? Here’s a look at the 2024 schedule; results and the games to come.

Week 16 of the NFL football schedule is underway, with every NFL team taking the field this weekend. Sunday and Monday are going to have a decidely NFC feel, however, as three games are already in the books and they were all AFC matchups.

The early and late windows are highlighted by NFC on NFC violence and both night games feature two NFC teams as well. Will the Dallas Cowboys be in one of those matchups today?

The Cowboys’ last-ditch effort to turn around is still on life support after a win over the Carolina Panthers, 30-14. The team’s negative magic number is now one, a loss or a victory by Washington officially ends Dallas’ campaign. And they will find out early on Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles will look to clinch the division with a win over Washington. If they can’t, and the Commanders win, Dallas will be officially eliminated before they take the field for Sunday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here’s a look at Dallas’ schedule so far this year.

TEAM 2024 schedule

Week Date Opponent Time (CT) Result
1 Sep. 8 @ Cleveland Browns 3:25 p.m. W, 33-17
2 Sep. 15 vs New Orleans Saints Noon L, 44–19
3 Sep. 22 vs Baltimore Ravens 3:25 p.m. L, 28-25
4 Sep. 26 @ New York Giants (TNF) 7:15 p.m. W, 20-15
5 Oct. 6 @ Pittsburgh Steelers (SNF) 7:20 p.m. W, 20-17
6 Oct. 13 vs Detroit Lions 3:25 p.m. L, 47-9
7 BYE WEEK
8 Oct. 27 @ San Francisco 49ers (SNF) 7:20 p.m. L, 30-24
9 Nov. 3 @ Atlanta Falcons Noon L, 27-21
10 Nov. 10 vs Philadelphia Eagles 3:25 p.m. L, 34-6
11 Nov. 18 vs Houston Texans (MNF) 7:15 p.m. L, 34-10
12 Nov. 24 @ Washington Commanders Noon W, 34-26
13 Nov. 28 vs New York Giants (Thanksgiving) 3:30 p.m. W, 27-20
14 Dec. 9 vs Cincinnati Bengals (MNF) 7:15 p.m. L, 27-20
15 Dec. 15 @ Carolina Panthers Noon W,  30-14
16 Dec. 22 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (SNF) 7:20 p.m. TBD
17 Dec. 29 @ Philadelphia Eagles 3:25 p.m. TBD
18 Jan. 5 vs Washington Commanders TBD TBD

*prime-time game

Time for Cowboys to test WRs Jalen Brooks and Jonathan Mingo

It’s time for the Cowboys to see what they have in Jonathan Mingo and Jalen Brooks

The 2024 postseason is still technically in play but for all intents and purposes the Cowboys seem to understand their fate. With less than a one percent chance of advancing, the Cowboys front office knows it’s more about next season than this season.

The team is nobly taking it each game at a time. Players and coaches don’t have the luxury of shifting focus onto next year because for them there might not be a next year.  It’s why talks of tanking earlier in the year were shot down the moment they began percolating.

But there’s a difference between winning at all costs and losing on purpose and that’s an area the Cowboys should be residing in today. With just three games remaining on Dallas’ schedule, it’s important the Cowboys learn what they can about a few young players who, up to this point, look like major question marks heading into the offseason.

Receivers Jalen Brooks and Jonathan Mingo are two of such players who deserve an extra look these last three games. As things stand now, WR is one of the Cowboys biggest needs heading into 2025. Brandin Cooks is set to leave in free agency and Jalen Tolbert has been too inconsistent to be responsibly trusted as a top option.

It’s safe to say the Cowboys need two WRs this offseason to fill top four spots on the depth chart, and one of those spots needs to be WR2. Based on what we’ve seen (and haven’t seen) of Brooks and Mingo, it’s unlikely either are the No. 2 option Dallas so desperately needs. But maybe one can be a WR3 or WR4?

Tolbert, fresh off possibly the best catch of career in Week 15, is a player fans have been excited about for some time. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound pass catcher from South Carolina flashed potential since joining the Cowboys as a draft pick in 2023. He’s a top special teams player with a killer instinct and someone who can handle the physical demands of playing the x spot on offense.

Mingo, acquired in a midseason trade this season, is another player with the ability to play snaps as an x. At 6-foot-2, 220-pounds he has the size the Cowboys love, but with only two catches for a total of 10 yards since joining Dallas, he’s extremely green and unproven.

Either player has the potential to be that WR3 or WR4 the Cowboys need, just like either player could bust out and never break the top four on the depth chart at all. The point is the Cowboys don’t know either way and it would go a long way in their planning for 2025 if they had an idea which direction these two are trending.

Mike McCarthy and staff are clearly playing for wins each and every week. With expiring deals, they have no interest in the long-term health of the team. Therefore, this is not something the front office could push if McCarthy thought it would be detrimental to winning.

Though if all things are equal, making a concentrated effort to get answers from a couple of the Cowboys’ biggest question marks is something the front office would seemingly appreciate.

At this point Tolbert probably is what he is. He’s a shifty playmaker who’s good for a nice play or two each week but also someone who’s going to get bullied off the ball and who’s liable to disappear for long stretches. Handing some of his snaps to Brooks and/or Mingo wouldn’t exactly be seppuku to the offense. It could be win-win.

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Vegas doesn’t think the Cowboys will beat the Buccaneers in Week 16

The Cowboys are home underdogs against the Buccaneers. In related shocking news, water is wet. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys find themselves two games under .500 yet again. It’s been a tale of two seasons for America’s Team this season. In recent years, the club is used to being dominant at home and average on the road, leading to 12-win seasons. In 2024 they’re now used to being dominated at home and are surprisingly good on the road.

Sunday’s victory in Carolina improved their travel record to 5-2 on the season. Unfortunately the club is just 1-6 at AT&T Stadium and until recently they weren’t very competitive in those contests. Mix it all together and there aren’t many reasons for the Vegas sharps to have much confidence in the Cowboys earning their second home win since December 2023. The Cowboys open as 45-point underdogs in Week 16 when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to BetMGM.

Any fan feeling super comfortable about things can wager on the money line, which sits at +165 for a Dallas home win, and -200 to bet on Baker Mayfield’s Bucs winning outright.

The over/under is set to 48.5.

Dallas could be eliminated from playoff contention by the time they take the field on Sunday night. If the Washington Commanders win their noon kickoff against the NFC East leading Philadelphia Eagles, then Dallas’ hopes are dashed.

That win would give the Eagles the NFC East title.

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‘We were all over them’: Cowboys defense sinks 66-pass effort from Tom Brady

The greatest QB to ever play threw more passes than he ever has in one game, but the Cowboys defense had new wrinkles ready to stop him. | From @ToddBrock24f7

In what could end up being a landmark game in the football life of Tom Brady, the Cowboys forced the 23-year veteran to do something not even he had ever done before.

The Bucs’ 45-year-old quarterback put up a staggering 66 pass attempts in the wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night, the most in any game of Brady’s pro career, and one of the highest numbers ever seen in an NFL game, postseason or otherwise.

The Cowboys had come into the contest expecting a heavy dose of the air attack, with Tampa Bay ranking last leaguewide in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards-per-carry over the course of the regular season.

So the mission of Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s unit was clear: suffocate the notoriously quick-trigger Brady in the pocket, and simultaneously cut off his receiving targets downfield.

At the end of the 31-14 Cowboys victory, it’s safe to say the mission was accomplished.

“Defensively, I thought we were all over them as soon as we got off the bus. I think our defense really set the tempo for the game,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters in his postgame press conference.

Brady ended the night 35-of-66 passing for 351 yards, with two touchdowns, an interception, and a 72.2 passer rating.

His 66 attempts were the second-most all-time for a playoff game and put him in very rare company for the most passes thrown in any NFL game. Only ten other men have ever attempted that many throws in a single contest. Brady’s previous high was 65 attempts in a 2012 meeting between the Patriots and 49ers.

“Take away the deep shots they got,” Cowboys linebacker/edge rusher Micah Parsons said of the defense’s strategy after the win. “We made them earn it every time. I think that’s the key. We made the adjustments, did what we had to do. [We] said they couldn’t beat us deep. We executed our gameplan for the most part.”

Indeed. The Buccaneers had just one successful play of over 20 yards on the night.

The Cowboys defense stymied Brady with two sacks, six QB hits, and 12 defended passes.

“We got our hands on a number of balls today,” McCarthy commented. “I know we didn’t get the takeaways we normally get, but most importantly, we were in position for takeaways.”

The one takeaway they did get, however, was monumental. Jayron Kearse’s end-zone interception ruined an early second-quarter Tampa Bay drive which would have (likely) given the Bucs a 7-6 lead and changed the entire complexion of the game.

“We just would not and could not ever let him get to within distance of winning that football game, because he just goes to another level when those things happen,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “That’s his [m.o.], that’s his background. We basically managed our way and performed our way and kept him looking uphill all night long.”

And that included new players, new personnel groupings, and new wrinkles from a Cowboys defense that wanted to make sure they showed Brady something far different from the unit the Bucs thumped, 19-3, in the season opener.

“Everybody kind of knows you have to get to the quarterback someway, somehow,” offered Parsons. “My job had to go to the extra step, and going back-and-forth, blitzing on the ball, off the ball, giving him different looks. Understanding that they were sliding and chipping, trying to create short edges. We got creative today.”

Several key Dallas defenders were brand-new faces to Brady. Rookie cornerback DaRon Bland played only special teams in Week 1, but he was on the field for every defensive snap Monday night. Safety Israel Mukuamu was inactive on opening night; he logged a career-high snaps on defense in Tampa. Corner Xavier Rhodes and nose tackle Johnathan Hankins weren’t even on the Dallas roster for the two teams’ previous meeting.

But all played crucial roles for Quinn’s crew Monday, holding Brady to a completion percentage of just 53%.

“The biggest thing we were able to accomplish coming out of the last three weeks of the season was really to get our defensive personnel flowing,” McCarthy explained. “We had some new players we needed to try out in there, and you could see it clearly this week where we were really able to get into a groove and a rhythm. Dan was spitting the plays in there quickly, and I thought our defense played with great pace throughout the operation. Most importantly, they performed at an extremely high level.”

And when that happens on the defense, the Dallas offense tends to follow suit.

“Complementary football,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said from the podium. “I mean, that’s the way it’s been when this team is on fire. And when this team is on, they make stops, we turn them into points, and we just have to continue to build off of that. When we’re able to do that, we’re a tough team to beat.”

Even for the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, throwing more times than he ever has before.

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