Bucs at Cowboys: What To Watch For In Week 16 | Pewter Report

The 8-6 Bucs head into Jerry World in Week 16 to match up with the 6-8 Cowboys on Sunday Evening Soccer. Tampa Bay has received 4 straight video games and will likely be seeking to make it 5 straight, which might get the group nearer to locking up a fourth consecutive NFC South title.

This would be the Bucs’ common season highway finale, as they end out the season with back-to-back dwelling video games towards the Panthers and Saints. Todd Bowles’ group is 5-2 away from dwelling this 12 months and is seeking to make that a powerful 6-2, one thing that would give the group confidence if it has to move out on the highway deeper into the playoffs. Dallas is 1-6 at dwelling this season, so the house followers haven’t seen an entire lot of profitable at AT&T Stadium this fall.

Let’s dive into what may determine this matchup, in addition to some key gamers to look at when these two groups – who met 3 times between September 2021 and January 2023 – renew acquaintances on Sunday night time.

What May Resolve This Bucs-Cowboys Matchup?

Bucs RB Bucky Irving Photograph by: USA Right now

For the Bucs, it might be so simple as persevering with to let the bottom recreation carry them on this week’s matchup. The Dallas run protection has been higher as of late, nevertheless it’s nonetheless permitting 136.1 yards per recreation, which ranks twenty ninth within the league. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen might need to lean on Bucky Irving and Rachaad White on this one, particularly with the way in which that duo – and particularly Irving – completed final week’s win towards the Chargers. Tampa Bay’s offensive line is mauling within the run recreation, and the large heavies will likely be able to roll once more in primetime.

As a lot because the run recreation may have the ability to propel the Buccaneer offense, Baker Mayfield additionally must play a clear, turnover-free recreation. Nothing will rile up the house crowd on Sunday Evening Soccer fairly like a possible game-swinging turnover, so Mayfield must keep away from the errors on this one. And if he does flip the ball over, he must snap again rapidly like he did towards Los Angeles. Mayfield threw a second-quarter interception earlier than happening to complete off a four-touchdown day that earned him NFC Offensive Participant of the Week honors. He’ll be seeking to get in a rhythm with Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton early on to set the tone proper.

For Tampa Bay’s protection, the large keys are getting after Cooper Rush and containing each CeeDee Lamb and Rico Dowdle. Lamb is the kind of receiver who can take over a recreation, and the Bucs can’t let that occur on Sunday night time. Shutting Dowdle and the Cowboys run recreation down could also be simply as vital, although, because the protection’s potential to neutralize the Chargers on the bottom final week performed an enormous position of their dominant efficiency. The higher Todd Bowles‘ defense can stop the run, the more it’ll have the ability to strain Rush and pressure him into some pricey errors.

Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle – Photograph by: USA Right now

Alongside these traces, the Dallas offense might want to run by Lamb and Dowdle. The Cowboys will transfer Lamb all around the area, so Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Tykee Smith and a number of Buccaneer defensive backs should collectively play sound soccer and do their greatest to sluggish him down. As for Dowdle, he’s topped 100 yards in three straight weeks, operating for 112 in a win over the Giants on Thanksgiving, 131 in a tricky loss to the Bengals and 149 in final week’s win over the Panthers. If he can go over 100 yards once more, it would have the ability to give Dallas an opportunity for the upset.

Defensively, the Cowboys should hone in on the run and create some takeaways. Their 19 takeaways ties them for Eleventh-most within the league, and it might take two or three to maintain them inside hanging distance of the Bucs on Sunday. If they’ll do what different groups are seemingly discovering unattainable and cease Irving and White, that may go a good distance, as it could actually assist Micah Parsons and the Dallas go rush get after Mayfield.

It’s additionally price noting that each groups come into this recreation with two of the league’s greatest kicking video games. Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin is having one other distinctive season, as he’s 25-of-27 so far with a 7-of-9 mark from past 50 yards. Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey has confirmed to be up there among the many recreation’s greatest as properly. Although his 32-of-38 mark general equals out to a less-than-impressive 84.2%, he’s 12-of-14 from 40-49 yards and 11-of-13 from 50+.

Key Gamers To Watch

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: USA Right now

Mike Evans is again on monitor in his quest to succeed in 1,000 yards for an NFL-record-tying Eleventh straight season. He has two 100-yard video games within the final three weeks and is now 251 yards away from attending to that 1,000-yard mark regardless of lacking three video games this season.

He’ll look to maintain his scorching streak entering into primetime on Sunday night time, and he’ll look to take action towards a Cowboys secondary that simply misplaced Trevon Diggs for the season.

From one Bucs legend to a different. Lavonte David could also be approaching his thirty fifth birthday, however the truth that he’s taking part in on the stage he’s taking part in at is unbelievably spectacular.

He’s coming off a recreation towards the Chargers wherein he led the group with a team-high 12 tackles (eight solo), together with 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and a sort out for loss. He’ll be key in making an attempt to decelerate Rico Dowdle on Sunday night time.

As a lot focus as there must be on Dowdle and CeeDee Lamb, Tampa Bay can’t neglect about tight finish Jake Ferguson. This can be a protection that has been susceptible to permitting massive days from opposing tight ends this season, and regardless of Ferguson being much less of an element than he has been up to now, he nonetheless has the potential to select up the simple yards that the Bucs could be vulnerable to giving him over the center of the sector.

Cowboys OLB Micah Parsons – Photograph by: USA Right now

To not point out, he has but to succeed in the top zone this season, and it will be a shock if he goes the total 12 months with out doing so.

Lately, it’s been unattainable to suppose “Cowboys defense” with out instantly going to Micah Parsons. He hasn’t been as dominant of a pressure this 12 months and has missed a while, however he’s nonetheless as much as 8.5 sacks after a two-sack afternoon towards the Panthers final Sunday.

Tristan Wirfs and particularly Luke Goedeke have to be as much as the duty of dealing with Parsons. Each tackles have been taking part in dominant soccer this season, so when both matches up with Dallas’ high go rusher, it actually will likely be greatest on greatest.