The Buccaneers fell to the Cowboys, 26-24 in Week 16. Miscues and turnovers (two) became the storyline for the Bucs on the road. Baker Mayfield was sacked four times and completed 31 of 43 attempts for 304 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
The Cowboys opening 30-yard drive ended in a Brandon Aubrey 58-yard field goal, which gave the home team an early 3-0 lead. The Bucs’ first offensive possession resulted in a turnover on downs following a drop from fourth-and-six. Dallas secured a touchdown on its second drive, as Cooper Rush found Jalen Tolbert in the back of the end zone for a 10-0 lead. On the aforementioned five-play, 52-yard scoring drive, a 29-yard gain by Brandin Cooks shifted the momentum in Dallas’ favor, providing positive field position.
To begin the second quarter, the Buccaneers reached the end zone. A Mike Evans’ pickup of 26-yards down the left sideline fueled the drive. Evans was one-on-one with DaRon Bland down the left sideline and worked over the top. Mayfield let it rip, hitting Evans in stride. Bucky Irving picked up gains of 15 and eight yards on the scoring drive with shifty moves post-cut to bring Tampa Bay to the two-yard line and he punched it in with a two-yard run. The Cowboys answered with an Aubrey 49-yard field goal to make it a 13-7 game.
The Cowboys crossed the goal line with less than two minutes in the second quarter. A 52-yard gain by CeeDee Lamb moved the Cowboys into the red area and they punched it in with an Ezekiel Elliott one-yard touchdown rush. The nine-play, 80-yard drive gave the Cowboys a 20-7 lead before the half. Tampa Bay quickly traveled 70 yards in seven plays with two plays of 15 yards for Evans and a gain of 20 for Sterling Shepard. The Bucs capped off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to Jalen McMillan. The Cowboys moved down the field until a Yaya Diaby six-yard sack on Rush set up third-and15. He won with quickness off the line and sped around the rush arc to bring down the signal-caller, which culminated in an Aubrey 58-yard field goal as time expired in the second frame.
In the third frame, Aubrey capped off a five-play, 30-yard drive with a 53-yard field goal and Chase McLaughlin followed suit with a 45-yarder. The Bucs’ promising drive midway through the fourth quarter stalled as Jourdan Lewis stole the ball away for an interception at the goal line, putting Rush and company back on the field. With just over two minutes to play in the fourth, Mayfield found Ryan Miller wide-open in the middle of the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown to make it a 26-24 game. Several quick out routes generated first downs to push the Bucs down the field on the late nine-play, 87-yard drive. The Bucs’ defense then forced a punt and Mayfield took over with 1:52 on the clock but a fumble by Tampa Bay was recovered by Bland at the Bucs’ 31-yard line to seal the victory for the Cowboys.
