The Buccaneers are headed into a rough one on Thursday night, and the setup could hardly look worse for Tampa Bay.
They’ll be on the road against the Cowboys in front of a primetime crowd, with Dallas rolling and the Bucs stuck in a 0-4 hole. Add in Tampa Bay’s ugly history in standalone games and the fact that Baker Mayfield will be sidelined due to injury, and this matchup already feels like a steep climb for the visitors.
Still, there are a few ways this game could unfold, and the most realistic path for Tampa Bay starts with the offense doing more than it has so far. The Buccaneers have been stuck in the mud, averaging just 19 points per game.
Their best offensive output of the season is 20 points in Week 1, and that does not include Josiah Trotter’s pick-six. Against a Cowboys defense that has been generous all season - 30th in total defense at 389.5 yards allowed per game and 28th in scoring defense at 28 points allowed per game - Tampa Bay should at least be able to find some rhythm.
The bold call here is that the Bucs finally break through and post a season-high 24 points.
A big reason for that is the quarterback running game. Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels rushed for 55 yards in his NFL debut, setting the new single-game record for a Buccaneers QB.
That part of his game should matter again on Thursday night. Dallas has struggled to deal with quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs, giving up 50-plus rushing yards to opposing QBs in three of its first four games.
Daniels should have room to move again, and this time the prediction is that he pushes past his own mark and runs for more than 70 yards.
Even with those two things happening, the Cowboys still look positioned to take control in a big way. Dak Prescott is operating at an MVP level, and Dallas has firepower everywhere.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens headline one of the league’s most dangerous receiver tandems, while Jake Ferguson could also cause problems for a Tampa Bay defense that has struggled to handle tight ends. The Buccaneers will be missing Antoine Winfield Jr., their best defensive back, which only makes the task harder.
So while Tampa Bay may scrape together some offense, this still has the feel of a game where Dallas pulls away. The Cowboys have scored at least 30 points in three straight games, and that streak should keep going. The final call: a 38-24 Cowboys win that drops the Buccaneers to 0-5.
In Other News...
Buccaneers' Skid Just Raised An Ugly Question About Baker Mayfield
The Buccaneers four-game slide has put a spotlight on a much bigger problem than one bad Sunday, and the latest loss only sharpened the conversation around the offense. In a 17-14 defeat to the Packers, Tampa Bay had to turn to rookie Jalon Daniels for his NFL debut with Baker Mayfield sidelined by injury, and while the result was rocky, it also underscored how little breathing room this team has created for itself during the skid.
Daniels finished with two interceptions and a touchdown, but the performance did not look dramatically worse than what the Buccaneers have been getting overall, which is where the real discomfort starts to settle in. If the offense continues to sputter no matter who is taking snaps, the issue may be less about the quarterback room and more about the coaching and structure around it, leaving Tampa Bay with an uncomfortable question as the losses pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Have A Thursday Night Edge Fans Will Want To Track
A Thursday night trip to Dallas already comes with enough attention, but the Buccaneers are also walking into it with Baker Mayfield sidelined and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels set to make the start. Tampa Bay will be trying to steady itself against a Cowboys team that is coming off a win and has the kind of established passing game that can make a primetime game look very different by halftime.
Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb loom as the obvious problems for Tampa Bay to solve, especially with the Cowboys carrying the edge in the betting market. For fans tracking the matchup beyond the final score, the more interesting wrinkle is how the prop market and the defensive rankings line up with a Buccaneers offense forced into a different shape than the one it expected entering Week 5. [Read more 🡒]
Bruce Arians Sounds Off As Bucs Season Reaches A Breaking Point
The Buccaneers have stumbled into October at 0-4, a start that leaves almost no margin for error and puts their playoff hopes under immediate pressure. Bruce Arians, now serving as a Senior Football Consultant, still believes there is a path forward, and he pointed to the coming month as a critical stretch for a team dealing with major injuries, a tough slate and very little early momentum.
What has kept Tampa Bay from being buried entirely is the defense, which has stayed strong by advanced metrics even as the offense has struggled to find consistency. A big part of that offensive issue has been the play up front, where the line has not delivered at the level the Buccaneers need, and until that changes, the season is likely to keep hovering at a breaking point. [Read more 🡒]