Can the Dallas Cowboys Prevent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Lead the NFC South in Week 16?
In the primetime slot of Sunday Night Football, the 8-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers make the trip to Arlington to play the 6-8 Dallas Cowboys. In 2024, the Bucs are 5-2 on the road this year and the Cowboys are a measly 1-6 in AT&T Stadium. The kickoff is set for Sunday night, December 22nd at 8:20 p.m. EST on NBC/Peacock. The Cowboys are currently four-point underdogs, and the total is set at 48.5 points per ESPNBET.
Last week, the Cowboys proved they can still win games despite being underdogs, steamrolling past a bad Carolina Panthers team on the road. The team is motivated by the chance to play spoiler in the NFC and believe it or not, still a slim mathematical shot at the postseason. The Cowboys would have to win out and some NFC teams have to start losing, tough sledding but not completely impossible. According to MSN, those odds are at a miniscule 0.1 percent.
In Week 16 the uphill climb continues against an effervescent and resilient Tampa Buccaneers. Despite losing key pieces like Chris Godwin for the season and at one point Mike Evans for several games, Baker Mayfield has put his team in a position to clinch a playoff spot in the coming weeks. The Bucs are hot, having won their last four games, most recently a decisive 40-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers who recently earned a ticket to postseason play. Mayfield has had a bend don’t break mentality through his entire career and looks to continue his success in his home state of Texas. He may have to do it without the standout rookie running back Bucky Irving who is currently listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with back and hip issues. Irving has been an absolute revelation in the backfield leading all rookies with 852 rushing yards, no other rookies have even cleared 700 yards through Week 15.
If the Cowboys want to pull off another upset this week, they will have to replicate some success they found last week. It is no secret the hits this team has had to take this year on both sides of the ball but if they can get the ball in Ceedee Lamb’s hands and the defense can force turnovers like they did last week, then there is a good chance the Cowboys can keep up with the Bucs. However, this week their competition is much stiffer. While the Panthers game seemed to be a toss up before it began, I believe that this week the Cowboys will fall short as they have done repeatedly on their home field this year. Please gamble responsibly.
