Cowboys Pregame Three Thoughts: Wk 16

Three games left in this lost season and Tampa Bay needs a win to grab No. 3 seed.

The last time the Dallas Cowboys played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - roughly 23 months ago, things were plenty different.

On, January 16th, 2023 Dak Prescott was having his finest playoff game and Tom Brady was playing his final game. It was the 2022 NFL playoffs and it seemed that Dallas might have finally figured things out. If they can beat Tom Brady one week, surely the prospect of beating a rookie like Brock Purdy the next week would work out, right?

It did not.

So, the last time these two teams played feels like a long, long time ago. For Dallas, Tony Pollard, Dalton Schultz, Michael Gallup, T.Y. Hilton, and Noah Brown all played a reasonable role for the offense that night. Tyler Biadasz, Tyron Smith at right tackle, Connor McGovern, and Jason Peters all played up front.

The defense featured Leighton Vander Esch, Jayron Kearse, Anthony Barr, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, Jonathan Hankins, and even Xavier Rhodes.

Tampa Bay still had Brady, sure, but also Leonard Fournette, Julio Jones, Ryan Jensen, Donovan Smith, Carlton Davis, Devin White, and plenty more who have since moved on.

In other words, two years is a lifetime. Somehow, the Buccaneers have figured things out well enough to be the favorite to win the NFC South right now (hardly a difficult proposition, considering how Atlanta, New Orleans, and Carolina do most of the damage in the self-inflicted category).

And now, they come to town for a Sunday night game that they would really like to win while the Cowboys start a final flurry of playoff-level opposition to demonstrate what the final taste in our mouths will be for the 2024 season.

There are always things to discuss and ponder, so let’s get down to business. These are my Cowboys-Buccaneers Pregame Three Thoughts: