Takeaways from the Cowboys Victory Over the Buccaneers
After the Cowboys were officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier on Sunday, they still found a way to fight hard and emerge victorious against the Buccaneers. The Cowboys have had a disappointing season after losing several key players to injuries including their franchise quarterback, Dak Prescott, several weeks ago. However, the Cowboys were able to rally behind their backup quarterback Cooper Rush in this game and win as the underdog at home. With the loss, the Buccaneers have now lost control of their playoff fate and now they will need the Falcons to suffer a loss in the last two weeks of the regular season. So what are the takeaways from this game for both sides?
Cowboys: Mike McCarthy Hasn’t Lost the Locker Room
There have been loads of rumors circling the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy’s coaching ability for the past several seasons that have led a lot of people to believe that Jerry Jones would fire him after this season. However, this team fought extremely hard against the Buccaneers and pulled off the surprising victory despite being eliminated from the playoffs just hours before kickoff. Mike McCarthy has found a way to stabilize this team and as a result, they have won four of their past five games. They have managed to find a way to win all of these games with Cooper Rush leading this team and he has played well in his games filling in for Dak Prescott. He has amassed nearly 1700 yards, 11 touchdowns, and has only thrown three interceptions. The Cowboys may be playing themselves out of a top draft pick, but this team has shown some resilience by winning several games recently despite all the injuries that have decimated this team.
Buccaneers: Can This Defense Correct Course Before the Playoffs?
The Buccaneers were on a four-game winning straight prior to losing last night. They lost a lot of games in the middle of the season by close margins and this loss really put them in a tough spot as they try to win the NFC South. This offense led by Baker Mayfield and rookie breakout Bucky Irving has been very dynamic all year. However, similar to the Cowboys, the Buccaneers have suffered several injuries to wide receivers like Chris Godwin and Mike Evans which have hampered their success. However, the offense has not been the Buccaneers limiting factor to winning games this year. This Buccaneers defense has been one of the worst in the league. In this game against the Cowboys, Cooper Rush was able to throw for nearly 300 yards. They only sacked him once and they couldn’t force a single turnover all game. If the Buccaneers defense cannot improve between now and the end of the regular season, they are unlikely to make the playoffs or make any type of run if they make the playoffs.
