Cowboys vs. Buccaneers: 6 things to know about the Week 1 opponent
The Dallas Cowboys’ 2022 season will begin just as it did last year, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There are a few differences this time around, however. The Buccaneers are not the Super Bowl champions anymore and although the game is on NBC, it will be played on Sunday night, not the Thursday night affair it was in 2021.
In keeping with the NFL’s tradition, they’ll have the Cowboys on in prime time to make sure the world’s eyes remain on their sport all week long. Getting viewers doesn’t get any easier than having America’s Team square off against Tom Brady in Week 1. But what else is vital about this matchup?
The first game of the season is always fun, but this year it’s especially interesting to see if the Cowboys’ approach to 2022 pays off. It was a rocky offseason and now observers will find out if Jerry and Stephen Jones had the right philosophy. There are a lot of unknowns with the Cowboys heading into the season.
There are also some unknowns about their opponent for Week 1, so let’s take a look at six things to know about the Buccaneers.
Tom Brady will play
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
It might be surprising to hearfor those who disconnected from football in the spring, but the Buccaneers’ Hall of Fame QB will be starting under center against the Cowboys. Brady retired, came back, and more recently took a personal leave from the team for 11 days during training camp. His availability was briefly in doubt, but shocking no one, Brady will be ready to go in Week 1.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Brady was “all-in” when asked if his QB was ready to play this season.
Todd Bowles if Tom Brady is all-in: “He's been all-in since we got him. He's all-in now. I don't follow the off-the-field stuff. I listen to XM The Groove and Soul Town. My off-the-field activities are honestly not even football-related."
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) September 5, 2022
The Cowboys can’t be surprised he’ll play, but they should look forward to playing against one of the best quarterbacks in the league. A challenge awaits the Dallas defense, who will be tested early this season.
This could be the last time the Cowboys have a chance to beat Brady, who is 6-0 against them in his career.
Todd Bowles is Tampa's new coach
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The last time the Cowboys played the Buccaneers, Bruce Arians was the man at the helm of the ship, that is no longer the case. Bowles has taken over after Arians’ move to the front office, which was a surprise since many believed that offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich would take over once Arians left.
Bowles has been a solid defensive coordinator in the league, but he hasn’t parlayed that into a being a good head coach yet. In his his four years as the head coach of the New York Jets, Bowles went 22-39, with just one winning season. He also has a three game interim gig on his record, which came in 2011 with the Miami Dolphins, where Bowles led the team to a 2-1 record.
A 24-40 career record doesn’t inspire much confidence in Bowles’ ability as a head coach, but he’ll have his best chance with the Buccaneers and Brady. Bowles isn’t known to be as aggressive as Arians was, so it remains to be seen if he’s changed since leaving the Jets.
They've got offensive line issues too
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The Cowboys aren’t the only team in this game that will have trench-warfare question marks. The Buccaneers lost starting center Ryan Jensen and guard Aaron Stinnie for the season.
Nick Leverett and Robert Hainsey should be able to play, but have been dealing with injuries as has starting right tackle Tristan Wirfs.
Today’s an extra practice so no injury report, but Tristan Wirfs, Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett all appear to be fine and practicing as normal.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 5, 2022
Without Jensen, Tampa is missing their Pro Bowl center and a physical presence on the offensive line. The injuries and shuffling to the interior of the line could be a place the Cowboys exploit. Brady’s biggest weakness has always been pressure up the middle, and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn now has an opening.
WR Chris Godwin might play
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The Pro Bowl wide receiver tore his right ACL in December last year, leaving his status for Week 1 in jeopardy. Godwin has been rehabbing and improving as the regular season approaches, even shedding his knee brace in a sign that he could be ready to play against the Cowboys.
Godwin still hasn’t been in a full-contact practice yet, but it looks like he’s preparing to play. Although he likely isn’t ready for a full workload, Godwin would be a dangerous threat for the Buccaneers’ offense and doesn’t need many snaps to make an impact.
Tampa’s offense has the weapons without Godwin to stress the Cowboys’ defense and if he plays, things can get even tougher for Dallas. It might be a game-time decision for Godwin, but no one should be surprised if the veteran receiver is on the field.
Defense can get after the QB
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The Buccaneers have a solid defense overall, and more importantly, they have the pass rushers to make life difficult on the newly rebuilt Cowboys offensive line. Tampa Bay finished seventh in the league last season with 41 sacks, and they could be even better this year. The pressure comes from both the edge and the interior, where Vita Vea has established himself as one of the game’s best two-way forces with pressure and against the run.
Edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka had four sacks in his rookie year and is poised to take a leap in his second season, and the Buccaneers signed versatile defensive linemen Akiem Hicks and Carl Nassib to boost the pressure. Their defense had six players with at least four sacks last year, and four of them return.
The Buccaneers also added rookie defensive end Logan Hall in the second-round to replenish their defensive line rotation.
They won’t be the most feared pass rushing group the Cowboys will face, but with three new starters on the offensive line, it will be a challenge for the offense to keep quarterback Dak Prescott clean.
Elite offensive weapons
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Buccaneers lost running back Ronald Jones and tight end Rob Gronkowski this offseason, but they still have an array of weapons to stress Dallas’ defense. In last year’s meeting, the Buccaneers put up 31 points on the Cowboys, who forced four turnovers.
Even if Godwin doesn’t wind up playing, Brady still has one of the better wide receiver groups to throw to. Wide receiver Mike Evans leads a dangerous team of wide outs that includes Russell Gage, Breshad Perriman, Scotty Miller, and future Hall of Famer Julio Jones. Evans has eight straight 1,000 yard seasons to begin his career and if Jones still has some gas left in the tank, it might be a long night for the secondary.
Leonard Fournette remains one of the better all-around running backs, and the Buccaneers have two veteran tight ends in Cameron Brate and Kyle Rudolph who have a nose for the end zone.
That’s a tough opening week assignment for the Cowboys, who haven’t played many of their best defenders all preseason. Slowing down a Buccaneers offense that scored the second most points in the league last year is quite the task to kick off the year.
