Dallas 5, Buccaneers 2
January 13th, 2023
What’s giving Bucs fans the most optimism when it comes to Monday’s playoff game?
An offensive explosion two weeks ago in a must-win game against Carolina probably tops the list along with the presence of Tom Brady. Some might cite overall team health. But Joe is sure nobody is talking about all the playoff teams the Bucs beat this season.
Tampa Bay owned Dallas on opening day and was dominant against Seattle two months ago. That’s it.
Dallas, however, has five wins against playoff teams. They beat the Giants twice, the Bengals, the Eagles and blew out Minnesota 40-3.
For Joe, that’s what makes the Cowboys’ massive stinkfest last Sunday against the Commandos feel more like a bizarre anomaly, though Joe did watch the Cowboys barely (and somewhat luckily) squeak out a win against the miserable Texans last month in Dallas. The Bucs have squeaked out wins against sorry teams all year.
Joe keeps hearing that all the pressure is on Dallas and their 12-5 record, but the Cowboys always play under major scrutiny and perceived pressure.
Regardless, Joe is a bit queasy knowing how well Dallas has done this season against strong opposition.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:41 am
What bothers me is that most NFL teams play like crap one week and come back and light it up the next. Crossing my fingers that the Cowboys are just trending downward and not bouncing back this week.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:41 am
Dallas intentionally played crappy last weekend because they know that is the inly tape that todd bowles and Byron leftwich will watch and analyze.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:42 am
You are only as good as your last game!
Never been more true than in Cowboy history, consistently falling apart at the end of their season FOR YEARS….
judging by both Bucs and Cowboys last game (while starters played) I can easily see this game ending Cowboys 6 / Bucs 11
January 13th, 2023 at 11:45 am
They definitely didn’t intentionally play like crap. They were playing for the 1 seed against Washington.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:46 am
You know who had 2 last year? LA Rams
And they had 5 losses to playoff teams last year but still won the Super Bowl.
So….. useless stat I’m afraid.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:49 am
Play good defense and let Brady do what he does best we win. Play good defense and left Leftnut do what he does. The season ends unless Brady and the offense have yet another miracle comeback in them left.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:50 am
Thought you were predicting the final score. 5 to 2. Haha
January 13th, 2023 at 11:50 am
The Cowboys always seem to play just well enough to beat the other team, good or bad. They rarely dominated anyone this year with the exception of the Colts and the Vikings. The true tell will be in Dak’s play Monday night and whether or not the Bucs force any turnovers. If Dak plays the way he did the last few weeks and/or if we can generate some turnovers, we’ll win this game.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:52 am
When brady had to stand in there and get a win in the panthers game he did. The playoffs is what brady had been waiting for . I think they open up the offense like they did against the panthers . Bucs 27 cowturds 17. Won’t be shocked if bucs go over 30
January 13th, 2023 at 11:52 am
None of that makes a hill of beans.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:53 am
Quality is more important than quantity and the only quality team the Cowboys beat were the Bengals because the Eagles were playing with their backup quarterback when the Cowboys defeated them. The Giants and Seahawks barely have a winning record so they are weak playoffs teams imo. And the Minnesota blow out was a fluke because the Cowboys didn’t dominate any other team like that (i.e. unless you count the Colts who literally have a pedestrian head coach with no experience). We already beat the Cowboys in their home stadium and we have a better chance of beating them again in our home stadium.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:55 am
Jack Sparrow I don’t know if the Cowgirls stunk up the field on purpose but your right about the game tape it will be the only one our coaching staff watches and they probably won’t watch it until Monday afternoon.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
Unless the offense is changed dramatically, the Bucs will be packing for home on Tuesday morning. I’m not happy about it, but the 8-9 record, mind numbing play calling and the lack of adjustments when needed say it’s so.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
How many of those wins Dak played in?
January 13th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Dallas hasn’t won a road playoff game since 1993 NFC Championship vs 49ers and even that’s probably because Joe Montana was on the bench.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Also. That’s the number of a Super Bowl wins each franchise has.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Schedule difficulty. Bucs #6, Cowboys #21.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:58 pm
1st off I think Prescott stinks but it will be a close game that the Bucs win 3pts or less.
January 13th, 2023 at 1:43 pm
And this is why they play the game.
January 13th, 2023 at 1:51 pm
Almost any other year, our record would place us in the lower half in most divisions. But with the topsy turvy NFC South, we are in the playoffs. No pressure…all gravy. Go Bucs.
January 13th, 2023 at 1:52 pm
Simone the schedule of difficulty is set before the season. That was then, this is now. Three teams from the NFC East made the playoffs. I doubt the Bucs schedule would be ranked #6 now.
What I do believe is Dak and Elliot are two if the most overrated players in the league. Pollard concerns me more than Elliot. Bucs will stop the run, this will come down to the secondary and we all know how Subject they can be.
January 13th, 2023 at 1:58 pm
I don’t see the Bucs playing that “flip of the coin” offense like they have almost every game! After all this is the playoffs!!! I don’t know who wins on Monday, no doubt it will be the team that makes the most impact full plays!!! The Bucs are capable!! We’ll see!!!
January 13th, 2023 at 2:03 pm
I sense something like I did watching the Giants warming up for the Bucs the year the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl.
It a chemistry thing and the Bucs are like picking up a flat beer!
January 13th, 2023 at 2:03 pm
Make.sure the AC is on for Jerry in his box Monday….
January 13th, 2023 at 2:27 pm
Let’s face it, the Bucs don’t make the playoffs all that often!! Most teams don’t!! So we have been blessed since TB12 arrived!! 3 years in a row!! When this current streak ends we’ll more likely salivate at the opportunity to get back in!! The players know this!!
Yes, the Bucs had a losing season!! Yes, a NEW SEASON begins tomorrow!! Come Monday Night, the Bucs play their first game of that new season!! if this Bucs team plays good enough to win, they will get to advance towards the Super Bowl!!!! Your regular season record now really means diddly squat!! All that matters now is playing hard enough/smart enough to beat your opponent!!!
January 13th, 2023 at 2:28 pm
It’s all about matchups. Some teams match up well against others and certain teams will just own you. Drew Brees owned the Bucs for a long time. The Bucs have owned the Falcons. The game last week was really a win. So much depends on how the refs call the game. Call everything or call nothing, but if those idiots, who are on the take, call a lopsided game slamming one team while ignoring the other, all bets are off. I just hope Jerruh hasn’t paid them big time to screw the Bucs. There really needs to be an investigation into football and hockey officials. They’re almost as corrupt as the US Congress (both sides).
January 13th, 2023 at 2:53 pm
The biggest problem is that the coaches are satisfied with what they are doing and use making the playoffs as their proof of delivery. They don’t except constructive criticism and fail when it comes to the most basic fundamentals. This is the perfect example how coaching can destroy a team.
January 13th, 2023 at 3:16 pm
Tom Brady has never ever lost to the Dallas Cowboys
January 13th, 2023 at 5:05 pm
In my opinion, stats about how many times Brady has beaten Dallas, or how many of them played winning record teams this season doesn’t matter.
What DOES matter is how they’ve been playing lately, and there’s pros and cons:
PRO: When Brady is in control of the offense, they look unstoppable.
CON: He’s only in control when they’re behind because they are so stoppable otherwise.
PRO: The Bucs defense looks like they can intercept or sack nearly every play.
CON: The Bucs defense looks like they can give up a 15 yard throw nearly every play.
PRO: Dak Prescott has thrown a lot of interceptions lately.
CON: So has Tom Brady.
PRO: The Bucs starting center may be starting this week.
CON: The Bucs starting center may be starting this week.
January 15th, 2023 at 11:14 am
Also…Brady ties their combined Superbowl wins with 7 lol.
And has more appearances they all the quarterbacks in the playoffs combined