Dallas Cowboys Thwart Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ NFC South Title Hopes
The Dallas Cowboys dealt a crushing blow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ NFC South division title hopes on Sunday, thanks to crucial defensive plays that halted crucial Buccaneers drives. A thrown interception by Baker Mayfield in the end zone by Jourdan Lewis and a fumbled strip of running back Rachaad White by DaRon Bland in the fourth quarter helped the Cowboys solidify a 26-24 win.
Cooper Rush was 26-of-35 with 292 passing yards and a touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert, while CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 105 yards. However, the story of the game was the defense, which sacked Mayfield four times and held him to only 304 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Chauncey Golston, Micah Parsons, Donovan Wilson, and Linval Joseph each had a sack, while the Cowboys’ defense managed to hold the Buccaneers to just three points in the second half.
The loss drops the Buccaneers to 8-7, behind the Atlanta Falcons, who defeated them twice this season. With only two games left in the regular season, the Buccaneers’ remaining schedule includes the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.