Bucs vs. Cowboys: Pewter Preview And Predictions

 

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

BUCCANEERS vs. COWBOYS

WHEN: Monday, January 16, 2023 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium | KICKOFF: 8:15 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Joe Buck | ANALYST: Troy Aikman | SIDELINE: Lisa Salters

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

Game day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report staff to make its weekly game predictions and offer up our game preview of this week’s matchup. Let us know what you think in the article comments section and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Bucs Defense, Brady Save The Day For Tampa Bay

When Todd Bowles elected not to fire Byron Leftwich during the season he made a calculated gamble. Bowles decided to trust his defense and the late-game heroics of quarterback Tom Brady for the rest of the year and then make a change at offensive coordinator after the season ended. Obviously there were no other candidates on the staff that Bowles felt could be an upgrade over Leftwich. As a result, Tampa Bay’s offense has scored an average of 18.4 points per game, which makes it one of the league’s worst scoring offenses. For Tampa Bay to win on Monday night, it will have to do it with the formula that Bowles has leaned on during the team’s NFC South title run – good defense and enough plays from Brady.

Tampa Bay matches up well with Dallas, evidenced by winning, 31-29, in the 2021 season opener and again in Week 1 this season, 19-3. Bowles’ defense got to quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 1, holding him to completing just 14-of-29 passes (48.3%) for 134 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. Before he left the game due to an injured throwing hand, Prescott was sacked twice. Expect Bowles to dial up some blitzes as the Bucs had success with them in Week 1. Linebacker Devin White had a pair of sacks and played his best game of the year against Dallas.

Tampa Bay’s defense can stymie Dallas’ offense enough to hold the Cowboys under three touchdowns. That should be enough leeway to allow Brady and the offense the chance to put over 20 points on the scoreboard. The key will be winning the turnover battle, as the Bucs have proven they don’t have a big margin for error and can’t beat themselves and the Cowboys. Tampa Bay’s defense has done a better job of taking the ball away and that will be key in helping to set up Brady and the underachieving offense to score enough points to win.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 23, Cowboys 19
REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 7-10

Matt Matera: Bucs Take Another From The Cowboys And Advance

It only seems right that the Bucs and Cowboys would finish off the Super Wild Card round of the playoffs by playing on Monday night. You have a star-studded matchup with Tom Brady leading the Bucs against the team that fans love or hate the most with the Cowboys. These teams meet for the second time this year, with their first game opening the season in Week 1. But that was a long time ago and both teams have changed since they first met.

While I still believe it’s going to be the Bucs’ defense that ultimately will decide if the Bucs can make a deep run in the playoffs, the offense has to do their part as well. They are somewhat riding momentum after a 30-point outburst in Week 17 that was essentially a playoff game. Though not as many starters played in Week 18, Tampa Bay did score a touchdown on their opening drive, which they haven’t done much this season. Dallas has played off-coverage this season, so Tampa Bay can take advantage with Chris Godwin getting yards after the catch. Mike Evans always asks for 1-on-1 coverage, which he might get with Trevon Diggs covering him. Who wins that matchup may determine the outcome of the game.

The two offensive rookies, Rachaad White and Cade Otton, are completely different players this time around. That’ll work to the Bucs advantage. They’ll have to rely on the defense, though, if they are going to advance. The good news is the Bucs are getting healthy in the secondary as Carlton Davis is expected to return at corner along with Mike Edwards and Logan Ryan at safety. If they can limit CeeDee Lamb again, that’s about it for the Cowboys’ passing game, which has seen many turnovers from Dak Prescott lately. The Bucs know they’ll have to stop the running game of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, but with Vita Vea, Akiem Hicks and Will Gholston in there, they should be up for the challenge. Should the Bucs get over 20 points, they’ll move onto the next round.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Cowboys 17
MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 8-9

JC Allen: Bucs Win Close One To Move To Divisional Round

It hasn’t been the season the Bucs wanted or many expected, but here we are. As the team prepares for it’s home playoff game versus the Cowboys there are a few reasons to have hope the season will continue past Monday. After spending most of the season banged up the Bucs are relatively healthy. While injury concerns loom at the center and left guard spot, the defense appears it will field it’s entire defense for one of the few times this season. The skill positions are as healthy as they have been all year, and look to pick up where they left off against the Panthers in Week 17.

Hosting a home playoff game is a place Tom Brady has been before and there’s not doubt he’ll have the offense ready to go. The Brady to Evans connection finally heated up in Week 17 with the pair exploding for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Godwin is finally looking like himself and the pair of receivers will provide a big challenge for Dallas’ defense.Though in order to allow Brady and his receivers to get going the line has a big test in containing Michah Parsons who sacked Brady twice in Week 1.

Dallas boasts a formidable cast of skill players, anchored by a two headed rushing attack behind Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott. Nose tackle Vita Vea might have been snubbed from Pro Bowl honors, but he’ll need to have an All-Pro performance if the Bucs hope to shut down the duo. The Bucs defense matches up well with the Cowboys cast of receivers. Though Carlton Davis will need to deliver another lock down game on Cee Dee Lamb as he did in Week 1. Dallas went 4-4 on the road this year, with all four of their losses coming on grass playing surfaces. The Bucs are hoping that trend continues Monday night.

ALLEN’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 27, Cowboys 24 

ALLEN’S SEASON RECORD: 6-11

Bailey Adams: Bucs Turn It On, Keep Their Season Alive

On the surface, you look at the 8-9 Bucs hosting the 12-5 Cowboys and think: “This is a mismatch, and it’s a testament to how poor the NFL’s playoff structure is that Tampa Bay gets to host this game just because it won the league’s worst division.” But a deeper look at this matchup shows that there’s plenty working in the Bucs’ favor. Tom Brady being undefeated all-time against the Cowboys, Dallas being winless on the road in the playoffs since the early 1990s and Mike McCarthy’s team having a bad 1-4 record on natural grass this season may not directly impact the game, but that’s all working in Tampa Bay’s favor. It doesn’t end there, though.

The actual matchup itself looks like a good one for the home team as well. No, Brady and the offense haven’t suddenly reverted to their 2020 and 2021 form, but there have been some improvements in recent weeks. Namely, Brady and Mike Evans getting on the same page again back in Week 17 felt like a good omen for the playoffs. Chris Godwin finished his Comeback Player of the Year bid with 104 catches, 1,023 yards and three touchdowns. And the last time these two teams met, Leonard Fournette ran wild in what ended up being his best performance of the season. As long as the offensive line is healthy enough, I think this group puts up enough points to complement another strong defensive effort.

I think the Bucs will handle Dak Prescott well once again, especially given the fact that he’s thrown 11 interceptions over the last seven games (with at least one in each of those seven games). The defensive line needs to win the line of scrimmage and stop both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. From there, let Carlton Davis III and the secondary hold CeeDee Lamb in check like they did in Week 1 and you have a winning formula. It’s not a given, of course, as the Bucs could just as easily come out and look like the team they were for most of the season. But I think Brady, this Bucs defense and the home crowd sends Dallas packing and propels Tampa Bay into the NFC Divisional Round for the third straight year.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Cowboys 20
ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 9-8

Josh Queipo: A Season That Never Quite Felt Right Ends In Disappointing Fashion

Are there paths to a Bucs’ victory against the Cowboys? There sure are. Afterall, these are largely the same teams that faced off in week one where the Bucs won in convincing fashion. But just because the Bucs can win doesn’t mean they will win. 

And please remember these are also two teams who have a 170-point spread in point differential for the season (and it doesn’t go in the Bucs favor in case you are wondering). Looking more granularly, I believe the Cowboys have an advantage when comparing their defensive line to the Bucs offensive line, and vice-versa.  The trenches are usually the first place I start when evaluating which team might win a matchup and when one team holds an advantage over the other on both sides of the ball that usually ticks the matchup to that team in my mind.

Add in that the Cowboys were the highest-scoring team in the league after quarterback Dak Prescott returned from the injury he sustained against the team in Week 1 and I just don’t see Tampa Bay’s offense being able to keep up for a full four quarters. Brady’s late-game heroics can only take the Bucs so far and I think this is the end of the line on Monday night. Tampa Bay will essentially finish the season 8-10.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Cowboys 24, Bucs 23
QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 11-6

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