Tampa Bay vs Dallas (TB -4 , 48.5)
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Tampa Bay vs. Dallas | Sunday, December 22, 2024
The Dallas Cowboys are looking to continue the momentum that arrived after their strong outing against the Carolina Panthers. Their opponents this week will be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers side whose 8-6 record gives them a one-game lead at the top of the NFC South. Every game is crucial right now for the Buccaneers, and they absolutely don’t want to be overlooking the Dallas Cowboys, despite their 6-8 record.
After all, CeeDee Lamb remains one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the entire NFL, and Rico Dowdle has proven himself to be an effective option in the backfield. Lamb took over last week‘s game with nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown, and Dowdle has surpassed the 100-yard mark in each of his last three games, increasing each time to culminate with a 149-yard performance last week against Carolina, averaging 6 yards per carry. This is a significant improvement over the beginning of the season, where Dallas were seemingly incapable of running the ball, evidenced by the fact that they still rank 27th in the NFL with 99.8 rushing yards per game. They are also dead last with 0.3 rushing touchdowns per game, and it’s never easy running against Vita Vea and the interior of this Buccaneers defensive line.
The Buccaneers are just outside the top 10, conceding 109.2 rushing yards per game, but they are far more appealing target through the air, giving up 247.7 passing yards per game, which is the third most in the NFL. Could this be another strong outing for Cooper Rush, who had his best game in replacement for Dak Prescott last week, passing for 214 yards and three touchdowns?
For Tampa Bay, a slightly shaky stretch for Baker Mayfield hasn’t prevented them from going on a four-game win streak. He has thrown five interceptions over his last three games, but at least has thrown seven touchdowns in his last 2 to counteract them. Last week he unfurled four touchdowns, two of which went to Mike Evans as part of his nine-reception 159-yard day. He is on track to break 1,000 yards for the 11th straight season, and the Buccaneers will be eager to help him get across the line. The good news for Evans is that Dallas are giving up the second most yards per pass play this year, with eight, so another big outing should be in store.
That is also good news for Jalen McMillan, the Rookie wide receiver who has also strung together a couple of nice performances. He has tallied over 125 yards and three touchdowns over his last two games, and will see this as a good opportunity to continue making a name for himself.
The best matchup for Tampa Bay will be on the ground, where Dallas are giving up 136.1 rushing yards per game, which is fourth most in the NFL. The arrival of Bucky Irving in the 2024 NFL draft has completely transformed Tampa Bay’s ground game, with them ranking fourth in the NFL with 144.4 rushing yards per game. Tampa need a win here to keep hold of their NFC North lead, and controlling the game with Bucky Irving sounds like a sensible way to get that done.
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Cowboys +4