Cooper Rush threw for a touchdown, and Brandon Aubrey kicked two 58-yarders among four field goals as the Dallas Cowboys defeated Tampa Bay 26-24 on Sunday night, denying Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers playoff hopes.
The Bucs (8-7) are tied with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South with two games remaining, but the Falcons have the tiebreaker because they have won both meetings with Tampa Bay.
The Cowboys (7-8) had a three-year playoff streak but were eliminated before kickoff due to the Washington Commanders’ last-gasp triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.
But it didn’t derail Dallas, who won for the fourth time in five games after a five-game losing streak put their playoff prospects in jeopardy.
Mayfield, a Texas native who plays near his high school and college origins, was in position to lead a comeback from a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes when he dodged a sack and shoveled the ball to Rachaad White in the final two minutes.
DaRon Bland grabbed the ball out of White’s hands before he fell to the ground, giving Dallas possession at the Tampa Bay 32-yard line and allowing the Cowboys to run out the clock.
Passing: Baker Mayfield, 31/43, 303 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Rushing: Bucky Irving (16 carries, 68 yards, 1 touchdown)
Mike Evans had five catches for 69 yards.
Dallas Cowboys
Cooper Rush passed 26/35 for 292 yards and one touchdown.
Rushing: Rico Dowdle (13 carries, 23 yards)
CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 105 yards.
Mayfield fired two touchdown passes, one a 13-yarder to Ryan Miller with 2:36 remaining.
The Bucs got the ball back with 1:50 left before Bland made the key play, forcing his first turnover in an injury-plagued season a year after setting an NFL record with five interception return touchdowns.
Tampa Bay’s defense struggled to contain Rush and receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had a 100-yard first half for the second week in a row.
Lamb, who has been dealing with a sore right shoulder for most of the season, landed hard on it again during a 52-yard grab in the second quarter. After going to the bench, Lamb returned for a grab underneath and battled his way inside the 1-yard line, setting up Ezekiel Elliott’s plunge for a 20-7 Dallas lead.
Lamb finished with 105 yards after gaining 100 yards before halftime versus Carolina the previous week.
Mayfield took less than a minute to complete an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan in the closing minute of the first half, but the Cowboys responded with Aubrey’s second 58-yard field goal on the penultimate play before halftime for a 23-14 lead.
What did they say?
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield: “I’ve said it all along: this bunch will not give up. That is the benchmark we try to set. It would have been good to avoid that circumstance if we had handled business earlier in the game. They made some crucial plays. It’s all about the ball, and they did an excellent job taking it away.”
What happens next?
The Chiefs visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, while the Texans return home to face the Baltimore Ravens.
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