NFC Wild Card
(5) Dallas Cowboys at (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cowboys: They hurt my head and I’m saying this in the most professional way possible. I wrote that sentence because I never know what to expect from them. Here’s my thing: When they are good, they’re good. When they have that running game going for them, it makes life so much easier for Dak Prescott because the game is able to come to him along with the field opening up and he doesn’t have to force anything. I guess what I’m trying to say is Dak isn’t the type of Quarterback that can win you a shootout and I’ve elaborated on this several times. He’s not in the same bracket as Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen who can each take a game into their own hands if it were to get into a shootout. Dak benefits from a running game which then allows him to use his play-action to throw the football. Last Sunday in Landover was the worst I’ve seen the Cowboys look all season long. They were beat up in the trenches, Dak made mistakes and the defense which has been a tough out for most of the year had a difficult time stopping much of anything. They also had a prime opportunity in front of them to win the division if the Philadelphia Eagles had lost their game to the New York Giants. This seems to be the question I always ask about them and I’ll continue to ask until they show me otherwise. Who are the real Dallas Cowboys? We saw them punch the Vikings in the mouth, but also blow a 14-point lead in Green Bay and drop games in Jacksonville against the Jaguars and in Maryland against the Commanders. Tomorrow night, they will battle the NFC South champions.
Buccaneers: I haven’t been impressed with them at all this year. Whenever they would win a game during the regular season after looking very pedestrian the week before, here I was saying to myself, “okay, maybe this is the game where they will turn the page and get it going”. That wasn’t the case at all. Even on the defensive side, they were just average at best and nothing else. Despite the struggles, they won the NFC South with an 8-9 record but the difference was their record in the division which was 4-2. Many of you know how much I admire Tom Brady. I’ve watched him his entire career win the biggest games and cement his legacy as the greatest ever to do it. Now, he doesn’t scare me as he has in years past. He is at the point in his career where he can’t throw the football 40 or more times and expect to win football games. The Buccaneers must run the football to help the Quarterback set up the pass down the field. The best their offense has looked all season long was a few weeks ago when they clinched the division against the Carolina Panthers. Mike Evans woke up and had himself a day at the office. The major issue with Tampa this year is the coaching and Bruce Arians’ presence has been sorely missed. Bruce would hold anyone accountable and if they made costly mistakes in the game, he had no problem benching you. I don’t get that with Todd Bowles. He’s way too conservative and doesn’t appear to correct the mental mistakes as the man he replaced did. They will host Dallas tomorrow night at Raymond James.
Cowboys X-Factor: Dorance Armstrong– His name might fly under the radar. However, Dorance is a key piece on that front seven that consists of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Keeping him after Randy Gregory left for Denver was huge for this defense. Dorance is second on the team in sacks with 8.5. He can play on the edge and use his quickness in the middle of the Defensive Line to be disruptive. Dorance is excellent when it comes to stopping the run and when it comes to rushing the passer, he does it in a variety of way to make sure he gets home.
Buccaneers X-Factor: Devin White– When he has it going, he’s a force within this Tampa defense. There’s been moments this season when he looked off his game and it caught the attention of a Buccaneers great and Pro Football Hall of Famer in Warren Sapp. He can’t be stopped when everything is going his way. Devin flies to the football and plays sideline to sideline. The tandem of Devin White and Lavonte David have become one of the best duos of Linebackers in the NFL. However, when one or both of them struggle, the entire defense struggles.
Final Thoughts: These two can’t seem to get away from one another. They opened up the 2021 season against one another and just this season, they did the same exact thing. Tampa Bay was victorious in both games. Now, they will wrap up Super Wild Card Weekend against one another on Monday night. This will be Tom Brady’s 48th career playoff game which is absolutely remarkable. The keys for Dallas are simple. The first is to win the battle in the red zone. I always say in order to beat Brady, you must come away with six and not three. Capitalize when the opportunity presents itself. This Tampa defense is middle of the pact when it comes to making stops in the red zone. The second key is Micah Parsons. He must be the most impactful non Quarterback in this game. Micah can impact the game in so many ways. Last weekend, Malik Hooker was able to intercept pass largely due to Micah being able to create pressure. That’s what Dallas needs from him. Lastly, the Cowboys can’t beat themselves. Stick to a game plan and don’t run from it. Limit your penalties and most importantly, Dak must take care of the ball.
Prediction: Cowboys 24, Buccaneers 20
