Talented quarterback. Great operating recreation. Star No. 1 receiver. Top-five protection with a celebrity move rusher. All inexperienced checks for the Dallas Cowboys.
Because it is the Cowboys, each slip turns into an exhausting examination of their flaws. If you are taking a break from that and go searching at the remainder of the NFL, you may notice each one of many eight remaining groups has flaws. The Cowboys certainly have their points. They even have as a lot upside as anybody.
Part of Monday evening’s 31-14 blowout win for the Cowboys was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being simply as unhealthy within the playoffs as they had been for the ultimate few months of the common season. Tom Brady appeared like a 45-year-old whose largest precedence was not getting hit by Dallas’ nice move rush. The Buccaneers had nothing on offense. If that was Brady’s final recreation, it was a troublesome approach for a legend to exit the NFL.
But do not forget to credit score the Cowboys for a dominant efficiency. People talked up the Buffalo Bills earlier than the season, the Philadelphia Eagles early within the season, the San Francisco 49ers late within the season and by no means needed to acknowledge that the Cowboys have all of the elements for a championship run too. They have an important check subsequent week within the divisional spherical towards the red-hot San Francisco 49ers.
Cowboys take massive 1st-half lead
The first half turned on a horrible interception by Brady. He hadn’t thrown an interception within the pink zone since 2019. But the Cowboys pressured him to carry it a beat too lengthy, Brady did not need to get hit so he rushed an aimless throw into the top zone. Cowboys security Jayron Kearse had a straightforward interception at the back of the top zone.
Dallas took benefit. The Cowboys went on an 80-play landing drive. On fourth-and-goal on the 1-yard line, Prescott had an important pretend handoff to Ezekiel Elliott, and he rolled to his left and walked into the top zone untouched. The recreation shortly went from the Buccaneers trailing 6-0 and on the verge of scoring to a 12-0 Dallas lead.
Story continues
The Cowboys saved it going. The Buccaneers determined to punt on fourth-and-3, and the Cowboys cashed that in with one other landing. Prescott hit Dalton Schultz for Schultz’s second landing of the evening. Cowboys kicker Brett Maher missed his third additional level, the primary time a kicker had ever completed that in a playoff recreation, and Dallas needed to accept an 18-0 lead at halftime as a substitute of a much bigger lead.
But at halftime 18 factors appeared like loads for Tampa Bay to beat, particularly with how the Cowboys’ protection was enjoying.
Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys rushes for a landing towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Cowboys proceed to drag away
The second half wasn’t a lot completely different. The Buccaneers went three-and-out. The Cowboys scored. Maher missed an additional level. The Cowboys appeared to have a fumble restoration proper after that however the Bucs caught a break and it was overturned. It did not matter; Tampa Bay punted a number of performs later.
Tampa Bay lastly scored on the final play of the third quarter, when Brady hit Julio Jones ultimately zone. Prescott answered. He led a drive downfield after which with the Cowboys not wanting to place Maher out for a field-goal try, Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for an 18-yard landing on fourth-and-4. Maher made the additional level. Prescott was nice, changing into the primary Cowboys quarterback with 300 yards and 4 touchdowns in a playoff recreation.
Other than preconceived notions and bias towards a well-liked Cowboys group, there is not any purpose to imagine they cannot make a deep run within the playoffs. Prescott was phenomenal on Monday evening, carving up the Buccaneers when he handed and making good selections on when to run. The Cowboys’ offensive line protected him properly. The protection was outstanding. Brady typically flipped the ball hopelessly incomplete to keep away from taking a success when he was pressured. And Brady was pressured loads. Tampa Bay put up some stats in rubbish time however that does not take away from what Dallas did on protection.
Monday was the primary playoff highway win for the Cowboys because the 1992 NFC championship recreation on the 49ers. The subsequent streak Dallas desires to interrupt is making it to the NFC championship recreation for the primary time because the 1995 season. The 49ers might be favored to win. Don’t depend out the Cowboys but.
