Buccaneers vs Cowboys Game Analysis: Cowboys’ Offense
Thursday night’s NFL game pits the Buccaneers against the Cowboys in Dallas. Kickoff is at 8:15 pm ET.
The Dallas defense might be less than optimal, but their offense will continue producing high numbers. The Bucs will experience growing pains with rookie Jalon Daniels at the helm as Baker Mayfield is expected to miss three to six weeks with a dislocated right thumb.
The focus will be on Tampa Bay’s defense to stem the tide from Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. They’re scoring in bunches. Here at PayPerHead, you’ll find our Buccaneers vs Cowboys prediction and everything you need to know ahead of this game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Recent Scores: Close But No Cigar
After 4 weeks, the NFC South Buccaneers are still looking for their first win.
They can be forgiven for losing to the Vikings, one of only three unbeaten teams in the league. The Chiefs and 49ers are the other 4-0 teams. The Bucs showed resilience, staying within a score in each game, as none were blowouts.
In Week 4 against the Packers, Baker Mayfield missed his first game in over three seasons because of a dislocated thumb. Undrafted rookie Daniels threw two picks that led to 10 points in his first career start.
- Week 1: at Bengals 27-33 (loss)
- Week 2: vs Browns 19-23 (loss)
- Week 3: vs Vikings 16-23 (loss)
- Week 4: vs Packers 14-17 (loss)
Dallas Cowboys Recent Scores: Lamb Makes Debut
The Cowboys are 2-2 in the NFC East after 4 weeks.
They had an easy win against the 1-3 Commanders in Week 2. In Week 3 against the Ravens, both offenses were dominant, but it was Tyler Loop’s 56-yard field goal in the final seconds which secured the win for the Ravens.
Week 4 was an equally high-scoring game against the Texans. This time, WR CeeDee Lamb scored the winning touchdown with a 12-yard reception and 40 seconds left. Lamb had a career-high 17 catches for 189 yards.
- Week 1: at Giants 20-28 (loss)
- Week 2: vs Commanders 37-20 (win)
- Week 3: vs Ravens 31-34 (loss)
- Week 4: at Texans 34-30 (win)
Buccaneers vs Cowboys History: It’s All Dallas
These teams have met 23 times since their first game in 1976. The Cowboys have dominated the series, winning 17 and losing only 6.
Three of those matchups were postseason games, and Dallas eliminated Tampa Bay in all three:
- 2022 NFC Wild Card Game: Cowboys 31-14 Buccaneers
- 1982 NFC Wild Card Game: Buccaneers 17-30 Cowboys
- 1981 NFC Divisional Playoff Game: Buccaneers 0-38 Cowboys
Their closest game was the most recent one in December, 2024, when Dallas won 26-24.
Buccaneers vs Cowboys Prediction: Rookie On Hot Seat
Dallas has shown a consistently high output from their offense since Week 2. Expect them to get around 30 points against the Bucs, while Tampa Bay will be lucky to break the 20-point mark if Mayfield remains out of commission.
Maybe rookie Daniels just needed to shake off the butterflies and will do much better on Thursday. Dallas has one of the weaker defenses in the league by EPA, unfortunately for the Bucs, Dallas has home advantage, putting even more pressure on Bucs rookie Daniels.
Our Buccaneers vs Cowboys prediction is a Cowboys win, but the Bucs could keep it closer than expected. The Cowboys will come out firing on all cylinders, and Tampa Bay’s defense will be able to slow down Prescott and his crew a little bit.
But the final score will be something like 28-22 for Dallas. Follow us on social media to stay tuned this NFL season.
