Bucs at Cowboys: Pewter Preview And Predictions

It’s GAME DAY at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux – Come watch football all season long!

BUCCANEERS at COWBOYS

WHEN: Sunday, September 11, 2022 | WHERE: AT&T Stadium | KICKOFF: 8:20 p.m. ET | TV: NBC

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Mike Tirico |ANALYST: Cris Collinsworth | SIDELINE: Melissa Stark

RADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

Bucs game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Beat Cowboys – Again – In A Close Opener

The Bucs and Cowboys season opener came down to the wire last year. Turnovers helped Dallas stay close and even take a late lead. But a Ryan Succop field goal beat the Cowboys and got the season started off right. This will be another close one – this time in Dallas. Although instead of it being a 31-29 come-from-behind win, the Bucs will win a lower scoring game on Sunday Night Football. The reason? Both teams have shaky offensive lines.

Dallas lost Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith to a serious hamstring injury and he’s likely out for the year. That forces rookie Tyler Smith, the team’s first-round pick, to move from guard to left tackle. Expect edge rushers Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to take turns feasting on the rookie. The same might happen to the Bucs with ultra-quick defensive tackle Oza Odighizuwa going against rookie left guard Luke Goedeke, who struggled with speed in the preseason. And don’t be surprised to see Cowboys Pro Bowl pass rushing linebacker to blitz inside against Goedeke.

But the Bucs are simply more talented. They have more weapons on offense where the Cowboys will be depleted without the injured Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper, who is no longer in Dallas. Tom Brady once again makes the difference for the Bucs. But he also gets help from a damn good performance by Tampa Bay defense and a 100-yard rushing day from Leonard Fournette. The Bucs pull away late in the fourth and hang on to win.

Reynolds’ Score Prediction: Bucs 24, Cowboys 20

Matt Matera: Bucs Get The Defensive Stops To Kickoff 2022

Although it’s a rematch from the season opener for the Bucs and Cowboys, the game this year has a different outlook. Each team has significant injuries on the offensive line and at wide receiver, so it appears that big moments by the defense are in store. The Bucs have better depth to counteract the losses – especially if Chris Godwin doesn’t play on Sunday night.

The question of Godwin’s status has loomed as the most-discussed topic in Tampa Bay after Tom Brady returned. If he doesn’t play, I have a lot of confidence that Russell Gage will pick up the slack. He’ll play Godwin’s role of lining up in the slot and should make catches over the middle. That’ll be more important as the Bucs try to counteract playing with Robert Hainsey at center and rookie Luke Goedeke at left guard. If the Cowboys decide to rush Micah Parsons up the middle, we’ll see the Bucs combat it by checking down to shorter throws. The passing game may not be as vertical-based on Sunday night, but the Bucs can still move the ball down the field.

While the Bucs have their struggles on the interior offensive line, the Cowboys have their struggles at tackle. Expect Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to have their way in those battles. The Cowboys have to find a way to get their running backs involved in the passing game with only CeeDee Lamb as a top target. It would be best for the Bucs to blitz Lavonte David and Devin White so those backs have to stay in and block, leaving one less target available. We’ll see if Carlton Davis III shadows Lamb or if they’ll keep him on the left side. It’s exciting to see which new starter will make the first splash play, whether that’s Logan Ryan in a versatile role or Mike Edwards getting more playing time this season. Brady stays undefeated against the Cowboys, and the Bucs use their defense to get the first win of the year.

Matera’s Score Prediction: Bucs 27, Cowboys 23

JC Allen: Bucs Start The Season With A Close Win Against Cowboys

For the second straight year the Bucs and Cowboys will face off in their first game of the season. After 31-29 victory on a last-second field goal on Super Bowl banner night at home a year ago, Tampa Bay heads to Dallas for Sunday Night Football. There are quite a few changes for both teams. Most noticeably at the wide receiver position and along the offensive line.

The Cowboys traded Amari Cooper to the Browns in the offseason and are currently without their number two and three receivers due to injury. Cooper led all receivers in last year’s meeting with 13 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Replacing that production won’t be easy and will be a storyline to watch for Dallas all season. Meanwhile the Bucs bolstered their receiving corps with Julio Jones and Russell Gage, and may have Chris Godwin back as well. It will be a busy night for Dallas’ secondary trying to contain a potent Tampa Bay aerial attack.

Defensively, Tampa Bay will aggressively attack Dallas’ offensive tackles early and often. With Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith out for the year, he’ll be replaced by rookie Tyler Smith. The Bucs lost a Pro Bowler as well in Ryan Jensen, thrusting second-year center Robert Hainsey into the starting role. They’re also starting a rookie of their own in left guard Luke Goedeke. He will have his hands full with a speedy Dallas D-line and Pro Bowler Micah Parsons blitzing up the middle. The X-factor in this game remains Tom Brady, who is poised to shut down the naysayers in his 23rd season.

Allen’s Score Prediction: Bucs 27, Cowboys 20

Bailey Adams: Bucs Escape Jerry World With A One-Possession Win

Last year’s game between these two teams was a thriller. It took a last-second field goal from Ryan Succop for the defending Super Bowl champions to come away as winners on opening night of the 2021 season. So, how will Tampa Bay and Dallas respond for an encore to open the 2022 season? Under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football, the Bucs often struggle. But this time around, I like Todd Bowles’ squad to emerge victorious in another close game with the Cowboys. Ultimately, this game comes down to two solid defenses battling it out until Tom Brady and Tampa Bay’s offensive firepower once again proves to be the difference.

This is a unique matchup. The Bucs have an offensive line that is breaking in a new center, as well as a rookie left guard. That gives Micah Parsons and a strong Dallas defense the opportunity to attack and dictate what Tampa Bay will be able to do offensively. But on the flip side, the Bucs defense can do the same thing. The Cowboys are without Tyron Smith, which creates problems for the offensive line as a whole. Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka should feast, with both of them perhaps coming away with multi-sack games.

So, which quarterback can overcome their offensive line question marks more effectively? In last year’s game, Dak Prescott hammered the Bucs with short passes, and it worked. But how well will he do so without Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper, especially if Tampa Bay takes Ezekiel Elliott away as expected? That remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Brady is a master of getting the ball out quickly, and he has a plethora of weapons to throw to. Look for a big receiving game from Leonard Fournette, as well as some big over-the-top throws to Mike Evans. This will be a battle, but the Bucs just have a bit more to work with right now.

Adams’ Score Prediction: Bucs 27, Cowboys 21

Josh Queipo: Bucs Silence Critics With A Convincing Blowout

The Bucs are more similar than they are different from the 2021 team they fielded a year ago in Week 1. They still have an elite quarterback with arguably better weapons. Tampa Bay still has more great-than-not offensive linemen with three of the five positions manned by above-average or better players. The Bucs defense should be better. They have one potential weakness on the interior of the offensive line.

Now the Cowboys are more different than they are similar from their 2021 product. The offense lacks the same depth at playmaking positions, and they too have worse pieces on Dallas’ offensive line. Now take a look at the previous matchup between these two teams. The play on the field wasn’t even close. Had it not been for four turnovers the Bucs offense would have hung 40 points on the Dallas defense. And the Cowboys offense would have scored only 16 points. So, I am going to buck the trend and call this a blowout.

Brady puts up four touchdown passes, hitting Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Cam Brate and rookie Ko Kieft for scores. Touchdown Lenny Fournette adds another on the ground to round out the scoring. Meanwhile the Bucs’ front seven swarms the Dallas offense to the tune of five sacks while registering two takeaways, as Tampa Bay sails easily to its first win of the season.

Queipo’s Score Prediction: Bucs 38, Cowboys 13

Kasey Hudson: Bucs Defense Locks Down Week 1 Win

New season, different turf, same matchup. The Bucs are set to take on the Cowboys in Week 1 yet again. Last year, Tom Brady and Co. capitalized on the final 1:24 of the game to secure a narrow victory. That left a bad taste in Dallas’ mouth. This year, Tampa Bay is favored to win again and not by much. I beg to differ. Both the Bucs and the Cowboys have their questions marks revolving around the offensive line. But it’s the revival of the Bucs defense that will lock down the Week 1 win.

Reports came out on Thursday that Dak Prescott left practice early due to an ankle injury. Prescott downplayed his reason for leaving the field, but that leaves me to believe that Tom Brady is the healthier quarterback behind a questionable offensive line. With that said, the pressure that this Bucs defense will bring can contain Dallas’ weapons. In Week 1 last year, Tampa Bay’s defense held Ezekiel Elliot to 33 yards rushing. It was Amari Cooper (11-134-2) and CeeDee Lamb ( 7-104-1) that helped stretch the field. This year, Cooper is gone and Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup are out. The Cowboys have defensive threats in DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and Jourdan Lewis, but they will have their hands full with the Bucs offense arsenal.

The game will start off neck-and-neck, but the Bucs will wear down the Cowboys. Last year I was banking on Tampa Bay having a day with more 12 personnel and that was not the case. This year I am circling back to idea. There is no Rob Gronkowski, but Cam Brate looks good and healthy. If Kyle Rudolph is caught up on the playbook and on the same page as Brady, he can be a threat. Rookie Cade Otton has also shown promise. And oh, KO KIEFT … let ‘er rip.

Hudson’s Score Prediction: Bucs 31, Cowboys 24