The Buccaneers having been officially eliminated from the playoffs, they travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas can clinch a playoff spot with a win against the Bucs, but they are coming off a tough loss to the Indianapolis Colts in which they were shut out. Tampa will try to keep their offensive struggles going.
Keeping Ezekiel Elliott in check will be key for Tampa Bay. Elliott is one of the better running backs in the league—he has rushed for 1,349 yards on 286 attempts and has scored 6 touchdowns on the ground so far this season. To make matters worse for the Bucs, he is also a dangerous threat in the passing game. He already has 72 receptions for 543 yards and another 3 touchdowns through the air.
However, Duffner and his defense have been doing a great job lately. If they continue with another strong performance against America’s team, they might be able to put the outcome of the game in the hands of Jameis Winston and the offense. The defense will have linebacker Adarius Taylor at their disposal again in this game because his son was born this week. Taylor would have been much-needed against the Ravens last week. He should be an immediate improvement to this defense.
The Bucs will most likely have DeSean Jackson back, who will make their offense more unpredictable and more explosive.
Winston will throw for two touchdown passes, but he will also turn the ball over twice against Dallas’ excellent defense. Yet Tampa’s defense will keep the Bucs in the game and seal the victory for Tampa Bay.
The Bucs stun the Cowboys and the NFL by beating Dallas. Final score: 20-17 Bucs!
