Bucs at Cowboys: What To Watch For In Week 16

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 gained 4 straight video games and shall be seeking to make it 5 straight, which might get the crew 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 in opposition to the Panthers and Saints. Todd Bowles’ crew is 5-2 away from dwelling this 12 months and is seeking to make that a formidable 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 a complete 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 observe when these two groups – who met thrice between September 2021 and January 2023 – renew acquaintances on Sunday night time.

What Would possibly Determine This Bucs-Cowboys Matchup?

Bucs RB Bucky Irving Photograph by: USA In the present day

For the Bucs, it might be so simple as persevering with to let the bottom sport carry them on this week’s matchup. The Dallas run protection has been higher as of late, but it surely’s nonetheless permitting 136.1 yards per sport, which ranks twenty ninth within the league. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen could wish 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 in opposition to the Chargers. Tampa Bay’s offensive line is mauling within the run sport, and the massive heavies shall be able to roll once more in primetime.

As a lot because the run sport may have the ability to propel the Buccaneer offense, Baker Mayfield additionally must play a clear, turnover-free sport. 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 shortly like he did in opposition to 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 massive 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 sport, and the Bucs can’t let that occur on Sunday night time. Shutting Dowdle and the Cowboys run sport down could also be simply as necessary, 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‘ protection can cease the run, the extra it’ll have the ability to strain Rush and pressure him into some expensive errors.

Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle – Photograph by: USA In the present day

Alongside these traces, the Dallas offense might want to run via Lamb and Dowdle. The Cowboys will transfer Lamb everywhere in the discipline, so Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Tykee Smith and a number of Buccaneer defensive backs should collectively play sound soccer and do their finest to gradual him down. As for Dowdle, he’s topped 100 yards in three straight weeks, working for 112 in a win over the Giants on Thanksgiving, 131 in a troublesome loss to the Bengals and 149 in final week’s win over the Panthers. If he can go over 100 yards once more, it’d 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 placing distance of the Bucs on Sunday. If they will do what different groups are seemingly discovering unattainable and cease Irving and White, that can go a great distance, as it will probably assist Micah Parsons and the Dallas cross rush get after Mayfield.

It’s additionally value noting that each groups come into this sport with two of the league’s finest kicking video games. Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin is having one other distinctive season, as he’s 25-of-27 to date with a 7-of-9 mark from past 50 yards. Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey has confirmed to be up there among the many sport’s finest as nicely. 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 In the present day

Mike Evans is again on monitor in his quest to achieve 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 sizzling streak getting into primetime on Sunday night time, and he’ll look to take action in opposition to 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 sport in opposition to the Chargers wherein he led the crew with a team-high 12 tackles (eight solo), together with 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and a deal with 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 vulnerable to permitting large days from opposing tight ends this season, and regardless of Ferguson being much less of an element than he has been prior to now, he nonetheless has the potential to select up the straightforward yards that the Bucs may be vulnerable to giving him over the center of the sphere.

Cowboys OLB Micah Parsons – Photograph by: USA In the present day

To not point out, he has but to achieve the tip zone this season, and it might be a shock if he goes the total 12 months with out doing so.

In recent times, it’s been unattainable to assume “Cowboys protection” 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 in opposition to the Panthers final Sunday.

Tristan Wirfs and particularly Luke Goedeke should 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 cross rusher, it actually shall be finest on finest.