Bucs 19, Cowboys 3: Everything you need to know about Tampa Bay’s Week 1 win
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rode a dominant defensive performance, four field goals and a big night on the ground all the way to a 19-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday night’s regular-season opener.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Bucs’ season-starting win:
Final Score: Bucs 19, Cowboys 3
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Keys to the Game
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Dominant Defense
Tampa Bay shut down the Dallas offense all night long, giving up 54 yards and a field goal on the opening drive, but little else afterward. Devin White led the way with two of the Bucs’ four sacks, while Antoine Winfield Jr. snatched an interception away from Dak Prescott. the Cowboys managed just 244 yards of total offense, and converted only three of their 15 third-down attempts.
Lenny Runs Wild
Bucs running back Leonard Fournette racked up 127 yards on 21 carries, averaging six yards per attempt. That’s the highest single-game rushing mark Fournette has since joining the Bucs just prior to the 2020 season. Fournette signed a three-year contract extension in the offseason after playing each of the last two years on one-year deals, and he’s living up to it.
Just for Kicks
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay offense struggled in the red zone, relying on four field goals from kicker Ryan Succop to build their early lead before finally finding the end zone in the second half. Succop did miss one chip-shot in the first half, but recovered to keep putting points on the board for the Bucs, despite their inability to score touchdowns.
It was over when...
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
The Bucs knocked Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott out of the game in the fourth quarter with a thumb injury, which put Dallas’ chances of mounting a two-score comeback in the final minutes that much further out of reach.
Players of the Game
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RB Leonard Fournette
21 carries, 127 yards, 2 receptions, 10 yards
WR Mike Evans
5 receptions, 71 yards, TD
LB Devin White
8 tackles, 2 sacks
WR Julio Jones
3 receptions, 69 yards, 2 carries, 17 yards
S Antoine Winfield Jr.
6 tackles, INT
Big Injuries
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Both teams lost key players Sunday night, with the Bucs having to finish the game without a pair of vital starters on offense, and the Cowboys losing their quarterback to a serious injury late in the game.
Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin (hamstring) and left tackle Donovan Smith both left the game in the first half, and did not return. Head coach Todd Bowles didn’t have a definitive update on either player after the game, and more tests will likely be needed before a diagnosis or timetable can be settled.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott left the game in the fourth quarter with a thumb injury that will require surgery and likely force him to miss several weeks, owner Jerry Jones told the media after the game.
What's Next?
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
The Bucs are back on the road next week, heading to New Orleans for a Week 2 showdown with the NFC South rival Saints.
