Score or go home, that’s the challenge in front of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.
Dallas put up 28 points in the second half to rally past the Texans last week. Through four games, the Cowboys (2-2) currently stand as one of the most prolific point producers of the past 25 years. The Cowboys are averaging an NFL-best 3.39 points per possession and are second in points per game at 30.5.
The Buccaneers haven’t topped 20 points since Week 1 — in a 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals — and pit rookie Jalon Daniels against Dak Prescott in the Texas spotlight.
“Size-wise, they’re huge,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said of the Cowboys. “They’ll probably be the most physically gifted team we’ll face this year. … It’s going to be a tough challenge for us from a talent standpoint. They’re very gifted.”
As the Buccaneers (0-4) look for their first win, Bowles has called on the offense to close out tight games. Doing it in primetime and with a backup quarterback slaps an extra layer of difficulty on the Tampa turnaround plot line. All four defeats this season are in one-score games.
“It’s been very tough for us to have a chance at the end of these games to close it out. That’s what you want. That’s what our guys want, those moments,” Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. “For us not to be able to close the game out on our terms has been tough.”
Quarterback Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb Week 3 and is expected to miss at least one more game after Thursday, which thrusts Daniels into the pressure cooker. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was sidelined in the fourth quarter of a 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers last week with a fractured rib and isn’t expected back for a few weeks.
Daniels threw two interceptions last week at home against the Packers but had Tampa within another first down of setting up a shot at a game-tying field goal. Making his first start on the road in a primetime spot teetering on must-win for the Bucs isn’t the framing Daniels wants to think about as he takes the field on Thursday.
“When I’m going into this game, I’m thinking: Play free, go out there, play with passion, and fire the troops up,” said Daniels. “Go out there and play confident. I think that the more confident you are, the more everybody is able to feed off that, and everybody notices that type of confidence.”
Plenty of quarterbacks have played with confidence against the Cowboys’ defense of late. Dallas has 14 total touchdowns while allowing 13 (nine TD passes). Opposing quarterbacks are completing 71.3 percent of their passes with a combined 122.7 passer rating. The Cowboys acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. last week and he didn’t allow a completion last Sunday, but Dallas has only four sacks in four games with zero interceptions.
Porter will get “a little more” work this week after playing for the first time this season on Sunday against Houston. He was inactive for all three games with the Pittsburgh Steelers before the trade due to a back injury.
“I think it’s going to be a great experience. It’s ‘Thursday Night Football.’ All eyes are on us,” Porter said. “I think I’m ready for that type of spotlight, so it’s going to be amazing.”
Bowles wants to avoid heaping pressure onto Daniels and expects his defense to carry the Bucs.
The Bucs haven’t allowed 300 total yards since the Week 1 loss at Cincinnati. Bowles has won a number of games against top-rated offenses in his career by getting pressure in the face of quarterbacks. Dak Prescott has thrown for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns with opponents unable to slow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He leads the NFL in receptions (37) and receiving yards (498).
Stopping Lamb isn’t a guarantee of defensive success. Dallas stayed committed to the running game last week and Javonte Williams scored three times in the win against Houston.
“I think we can get better,” Prescott said. “Am I complacent with what we’ve done? Absolutely not. Do I think what we’ve done is enough? Absolutely not. Do I still believe that that’s who we are and that’s who we’re going to be? Damn right.”
Cowboys All-Pro guard Tyler Smith (thumb) is back practicing with the team after his 21-day practice window to return was opened on Monday.