The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't had much go their way in an 0-4 start, but Thursday night's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys presents some opportunities to take advantage of.
Dallas enters Week 5 with one of the NFL's better offenses, but its defense has struggled through the first month of the season. The Cowboys rank 30th in total defense, 31st against the run, and have generated only four sacks through four games. That could give a struggling Buccaneers offense a chance to finally find some consistency.
If Tampa Bay is going to pull off the upset on the road, these are three matchups it needs to exploit.
Buccaneers offensive line vs. Cowboys pass rush
There may not be a better opportunity for Tampa Bay's offensive line to get things moving in the right direction.
The Buccaneers enter Week
5 ranked last in the NFL in sacks allowed per pass attempt at 12.7%. Protection has been an issue throughout the first month of the season and continued against Green Bay, where Jalon Daniels was repeatedly pressured in his first NFL start.
Dallas hasn't exactly been taking advantage of opposing offensive lines, though. The Cowboys have produced only four sacks through four games and rank 29th in sack rate. They had just two sacks through their first three games before adding two more against Houston. Something has to give between two units that have struggled.
Daniels will be making only his second NFL start and his first on the road. Tampa Bay can't expect its rookie quarterback to consistently overcome immediate pressure, especially with the offense already struggling to sustain drives. Tristan Wirfs and the rest of the offensive line have to take advantage of a Dallas pass rush that hasn't consistently finished plays in the backfield.
If the Bucs can't protect their quarterback against this group, it becomes difficult to see where improvement will come from.
Jalon Daniels' legs vs. Cowboys rush containment
Jalon Daniels gave Tampa Bay's offense something different from what they might normally get with Baker Mayfield against Green Bay. The rookie rushed eight times for 55 yards in his first NFL start, giving the Bucs another way to create offense when plays broke down. That ability could become even more important against Dallas.
The Cowboys have allowed more rushing yards to quarterbacks than any defense in the NFL this season. Mobile quarterbacks have repeatedly escaped the Dallas pass rush and created yards once they got outside the pocket.
That makes Daniels' mobility something Tampa Bay should be willing to incorporate into the game plan rather than relying on it only when protection breaks down.
Designed quarterback runs don't need to become the foundation of the offense, but option looks, movement outside the pocket, and the threat of Daniels keeping the football could force Dallas to account for an element it has struggled to defend.
The Buccaneers saw against Green Bay that Daniels can create something when the original play isn't there. Against a Cowboys defense susceptible to quarterback rushing production, his legs could be one of Tampa Bay's best ways to generate explosive plays and keep drives alive.
Buccaneers run defense vs. Cowboys rushing attack
If Tampa Bay wants any chance of slowing down Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense, it starts with making Dallas one-dimensional.
The Buccaneers enter Thursday allowing just 78.5 rushing yards per game, the third-best mark in the NFL. Dallas is going in the opposite direction, averaging only 89.5 rushing yards per game and ranking 25th in the league. That's a matchup Tampa Bay's defensive front needs to control.
Dallas running back Javonte Williams has still found ways to impact games, particularly near the goal line, but the Cowboys haven't consistently built their offense around a dominant rushing attack. Vita Vea and the rest of Tampa Bay's front have an opportunity to make sure that doesn't change Thursday.
There is obviously danger in forcing Prescott to throw the football when CeeDee Lamb leads the NFL with 37 receptions and 498 receiving yards through four games. The alternative, however, is allowing Dallas to stay balanced and dictate the game offensively.
Tampa Bay's defense has been the team's strongest part over the past four weeks. Shutting down the Cowboys' running game and creating clear passing situations would give Todd Bowles more opportunities to dictate what Dallas has to do, rather than constantly reacting to it.
The Buccaneers don't have many margins for error right now. Winning these three matchups would at least give them a chance to change that Thursday night.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 3 matchups the Buccaneers must exploit to upset the Cowboys
