The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Sunday Night Football this Sunday. The Cowboys won their division last season, while the Buccaneers struggled and were a disappointing fourth-place finish. This is a must-watch game for football fans, so make sure you tune in. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers will be without star center Ryan Jensen, who will miss an unknown amount of time. But that’s not the only thing to worry about. The Buccaneers will still have the talented Julio Jones and Russell Gage to keep the defense honest.
Tom Brady is back in the fold.
While Tom Brady announced his retirement in February, he is back in the NFL as the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is good news for fans of the New England Patriots, but many questions remain. For one thing, is Tom Brady the same quarterback who was so successful in the Super Bowl?
Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback, won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Patriots 17 years ago and has signed a deal with Tampa Bay until the 2022 season. The Buccaneers have been expected to win the NFC South this year and could even contend for the Super Bowl with him at the helm.
Brady has been criticized for his recent performance. He has been uncharacteristically inaccurate and has thrown 12.6% of his passes off-target. This may be due to increased sack rates and unfamiliarity with pass-catchers. But Brady is only concerned about winning another Super Bowl and isn’t going to let his teammates become complacent.
Tom Brady will turn 45 in August. However, he has hinted he may continue playing into his retirement years. This announcement came as a surprise to many, given his productivity and longevity. But in the end, Brady is back in the fold, and the Buccaneers have the opportunity to make a run at the Super Bowl.
The Buccaneers won’t be favored in the Super Bowl despite the return of Tom Brady, as the veteran quarterback must prove his worth before his team can win the Lombardi Trophy again. If the Buccaneers can avoid the Cowboys in the playoffs, they have a good chance of making it.
After missing training camp in August, Brady is back in the fold in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite the absence of his former wife, Gisele Brady, the quarterback is still enjoying life in paradise. He and his family have rented a house on the Davis Islands.
While Brady may be back in the fold, the Bucs need to retool around him. They are missing top running backs Carlton Davis and Antonio Brown and safety Chris Godwin. In addition, the Buccaneers have been considered a leading contender to land Watson.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also actively seeking free agents. They signed center Ryan Jensen and guarded Alex Cappa but will have to look for a new guard. The Bucs have signed Ryan Jensen to a three-year, $39 million contract. They will need to replace Alex Cappa, who agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Cowboys’ defense played a complementary game and relied on their defense to limit Tampa Bay to four field goals in the third quarter. Their quarterback was held to a single touchdown and only one completion in the game.
Dak Prescott’s passing prowess against the Buccaneers
In Week 1 of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Dak Prescott has only faced the Buccaneers three times in his career, he already has a solid passing track record against Tampa Bay. He owns a 79% completion percentage against the Buccaneers, which leads the NFL.
The Cowboys have several weapons to take down a stout Buccaneer’s defense. Wide receiver Evans has the rare distinction of having eight straight seasons of receiving at least 1,000 yards. Last year, Evans had 14 TD receptions. Meanwhile, Cooper Kupp had 16 TD receptions. And Chris Godwin, who was limited in the previous year by a season-ending knee injury, could be available to impact the game significantly.
The Buccaneer’s defense is tough to run against, making it a tough matchup for Prescott. The Buccaneers also have a solid defensive line. As a result, Prescott will probably rely on his passing ability against the Buccaneers defense. But there’s a question mark surrounding the offensive line.
The Cowboys averaged 31.2 points per game last season, while the Buccaneers gave up 30.1 points per game. In the season opener, the Buccaneers won 31-29. Dak Prescott didn’t throw a touchdown in that game, but he could complete 94.9% of his passes. He also ran for a touchdown on four rushing attempts.
On the other hand, the Buccaneers averaged three sacks per game in 2016. With a strong line and a stingy defense, the Buccaneers should be able to hold Dak Prescott in check.
Last year’s game between the Buccaneers and Cowboys was entertaining and high-scoring. However, the Buccaneers were without key players in the passing game; with those players, they may be able to produce the same amount of offense. They also had four turnovers and allowed 52 yards on the ground. Dak Prescott started the game on the Cowboys’ 2-yard line and hit Cooper for 28 yards. By the time the game reached midfield, Prescott had already moved the Cowboys to the other side of midfield.
The game was a battle of field position. Prescott and Cooper connected for a combined 60 yards on 11 plays, and they reached the Buccaneers’ 3-yard line. Prescott then found Cooper inside the front left pylon for a touchdown. Zuerlein missed the extra point, but the Cowboys had the lead with one minute and twenty-four seconds to play.
The buccaneers’ defense needs to be better.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has been off to a good start this season, but it needs to improve. After all, they allowed just nine points per game through three games, but now they are allowing nearly 25 points per game. While the Buccaneers haven’t faced high-powered offenses every game, they did give up 20 points to the Steelers and Panthers. The Bucs need to step up their defense and start by focusing on letting their young players grow.
The Buccaneers must also work on the run defense, which isn’t as good as in previous seasons. The Bucs only sacked Walker once and hit him three times. This is a considerable weakness. The defense also needs to improve on the interior.
The Buccaneers defense has the talent to be good. New defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has been known for his aggressive schemes. The Bucs’ defense has led the league in expected points added per play against the run since he was hired as defensive coordinator.
While the Bucs have received praise for their improved secondary, their pass defense needs to improve. They allowed 20 points in four of the last five games, mainly because the Bucs’ secondary has given up big plays, and their pass rush is not getting as many home runs as they used to. Earlier in the season, the Bucs’ defense averaged nearly four sacks and eleven pressures per game. That number has dropped to two bags per game over the past three games.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently 3-5 in the NFL. While the Buccaneers are favored to win the Super Bowl, their opponents will be more challenging. They need to improve upon these deficiencies and avoid early-season inefficiencies. The team has a tough slate of games, and the Atlanta Falcons lead the NFC South by a game. They should be fine if the Bucs can stay in the division.
One major issue the Bucs need to improve is their interior pass blocking. The Bucs rank 27th in adjusted line yards and 29th in stuff rate, and their quarterbacks have had nine sacks all season. This makes it difficult for the Bucs to protect Brady.
Another area the Buccaneers need to improve is their pass defense. They rank 14th in passing offense and are prone to severe threats, so they need to contain Vincent Jackson better. To do so, the Falcons should use press zone coverage over Vincent Jackson and quarters coverage with the other two defensive backs. That way, Vincent Jackson and the profound threat posed by Tampa Bay’s passing game will be contained.
