Baker to Ryan Miller! And the Bucs are still alive.
📺: #TBvsDAL on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/CXjImAkMJL— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024
It took a fumble on a chaotic first-down play but the Dallas Cowboys earned their fourth win in five games, 26-24, over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football.”
Down two with 1:41 to go, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield escaped pressure on first down and flicked the ball to running back Rachaad White, who ran forward for five yards before Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis forced a fumble. Teammate DaRon Bland recovered the ball at the Tampa Bay 31 and the Cowboys’ offense kneeled out the clock for the narrow victory.
Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush had one of his best nights as a starter this season, including a career-high 226 passing yards in the first half. He finished the night 26 of 35 passing for 292 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys leaned on the passing game all night.
Tampa Bay struggled to start with a turnover on downs on their first drive due to a dropped pass on fourth down by wide receiver Sterling Shepard. They’d go three-and-out on their next drive but scored two touchdowns in their final three drives of the first half, the first on a two-yard run by running back Bucky Irving to cut Dallas’ lead to 10-7.
The Cowboys scored another 10 straight points on an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run and a Brandon Aubrey field goal for a 20-7 lead.
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Rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan had his fourth touchdown in the last three games with a sliding 11-yard catch in the end zone with less than a minute to go in the first half. Another Aubrey field goal from 58 yards out, one of four made field goals on the night, gave Dallas a 23-14 lead at halftime.
Both defenses tightened up in the second half. Dallas had more punts (four) than points (three) in the second half and managed just 68 yards. Tampa Bay had just 60 yards in their opening three drives of the second half.
Mayfield threw his lone interception of the game on a deep ball to McMillan to stop a promising drive. He’d come back on the next drive and complete all nine throws for 87 yards on the Buccaneers’ lone touchdown drive of the second half, finished off by a 13-yard pass to Ryan Miller for a touchdown to make it a two-point game.
Tampa Bay’s defense forced a three-and-out on the subsequent Dallas drive to give their offense the ball back with roughly two minutes to go. But White’s fumble on the opening play of that drive destroyed chances of a comeback.
The Cowboys (7-8) have now won four of their last five games. They’re eliminated from the playoffs and head on the road next week to take on the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles (12-3).
This loss stops Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak. The Buccaneers (8-7) are currently knotted on record with Atlanta atop the NFC South, but the Falcons have an advantage with two head-to-head wins. The Buccaneers will close the season out with two home games, starting against the Carolina Panthers (4-11) next week.
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