Thursday night brings a great opportunity for the Dallas Cowboys as they have a chance to hold a winning record for the first time all season, and build a little momentum after squeaking out a much-needed win on Sunday. The only thing standing in their way is the down-on-their-luck Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are still searching for their first victory of the season.
Hopefully, that search will continue while the Cowboys walk away with a winning streak and a mini-bye. For that to happen, they’ll have
to show up and perform on short rest, as nothing comes easy in this league. Here are five things to keep an eye on when the Cowboys host the Bucs on Thursday night.
1. Another escape artist
The Cowboys have struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks this year, allowing over 50 rushing yards to QBs in each of their first three games. Fortunately, that annoying streak ended last week when the not-so-mobile C.J. Stroud was held in check.
That running reprieve quickly ends Thursday as the Cowboys now draw rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, who is filling in for Baker Mayfield after the veteran injured his thumb a couple of weeks ago. Daniels is very elusive, and he does a great job extending plays and keeping his eyes downfield.
He’s one of those quarterbacks who does his best work on the run, showing the ability to make good throws without resetting his feet. But more concerning is how the Bucs will likely have a good dose of rollouts and designed keepers to exploit the Cowboys’ undisciplined defense. They’d be foolish not to.
Don’t be surprised if the Cowboys’ defense clamps down most of the time, but gives them extra chances because of their inability to contain Daniels. Expect a little frustration.
2. Thumbs up for Smith
The Bucs are without a key offensive player due to a thumb injury, but the Cowboys might be getting a guy back who is coming off his own thumb injury. Left guard Tyler Smith has missed the first four games of the season recovering from a surprise injury we all learned about at the end of training camp, and he could make his highly anticipated season debut.
His timing is perfect because this Bucs defense is incredibly hard to run on. Tampa Bay is coming off three straight games allowing less than 3.5 yards per carry on the ground. Vita Vea and A’Shawn Robinson anchor the trenches, with rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter cleaning things up.
If the Cowboys cannot get some sort of ground game going, it will shrink the playbook for Brian Schottenheimer and the offense, and that could open the door for problems.
3. Shutting down the passing game
Over the last two games, the Cowboys have dealt with some playmakers at wide receiver. The Ravens’ Zay Flowers was a problem, coming up with a few big plays and over 100 scrimmage yards. The Texans’ Nico Collins also had a big day with 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.
When there is a big weapon on the opposing team, the Cowboys’ defense tends to have issues with them.
Against Tampa Bay, they do not have any excuses. The Bucs wideouts are not terrible, as Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin are solid players, but neither is a star. In fact, every Buccaneers receiver is averaging less than 40 yards per game this year, and their leading pass catcher is tight end Cade Otton.
The Cowboys’ defense is still finding its way under Christian Parker, but this should not be difficult for them, especially with a rookie quarterback and with recently added Joey Porter Jr. seeing even more action. If one of those Bucs receivers has a career night on Thursday, the Dallas defense has serious issues.
4. Don’t let Bucky get lucky
Without a threatening quarterback or any receivers who pose a massive cause for concern, you have to wonder how the Bucs offense will move the chains. Well, if it happens, it will come from an effective ground attack.
Bucky Irving is Tampa’s best chance to move the ball. He hasn’t had a 100-yard game yet this season, but he started out solid by averaging over five yards per carry in each of his first two games.
The Cowboys defense has done a much better job containing running backs than they have quarterbacks, so they should be up for the task. Still, Irving is shifty, and if the Cowboys get lazy with their tackling or gap integrity, it could open the door for some big, stupid runs.
5. It could get ugly
If we could script this game, it would consist of trouncing the Bucs in front of a roaring AT&T crowd. Dak Prescott would look completely unstoppable, CeeDee Lamb would catch a gazillion passes, and the defense would put out a dominant performance. We can dream.
While the Bucs are practically waiting to give this game away, the Cowboys must be careful not to be in a giving mood as well. There is no need to take unnecessary risks or try to get fancy. If the Cowboys start getting sloppy with the football, this could turn into another stressful nail-biter, and nobody wants that.
Tampa’s defense is no joke. They have not allowed 300 yards of offense in any of their last three games, and they took away the ball twice in the fourth quarter this past Sunday when the Packers kept trying to put the game away. If the Cowboys play around instead of taking care of business, it could get uncomfortable real quick.
