Hours after Dallas was eliminated from making the NFL’s postseason Sunday, it still affected the playoff race across the NFC.
The Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24 on “Sunday Night Football” to win for a fourth time in their last five games after DaRon Bland stripped Buccaneers running back Rachaad White for a fumble with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, ending Tampa’s potentially go-ahead drive on its first play.
The loss won’t extend the season for the Cowboys (7-8) after Washington’s victory over Philadelphia earlier Sunday mathematically eliminated Dallas’ already slim playoff odds. Yet the Cowboys showed no letdown, leading 10-0 within the first quarter, and 23-14 at halftime.
“SNF” blog: Look back at how the game unfolded
With as little as three minutes left in regulation, the Cowboys still held a nine-point lead, yet Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield led a quick touchdown drive to pull within 26-24, and Dallas followed with a meek drive that ended with a quick punt, giving the Buccaneers the ball back with 1:40 to go.
Enter Bland.
After Mayfield extended the play by avoiding being tackled, he tossed the ball to his running back, White, who was falling to the turf when the Cowboys’ defensive back ripped the ball away while making a tackle. A stunned Mayfield watched a replay on the scoreboard, his mouth agape and palms turned upward, but the Cowboys ran out the clock on the win, despite having scored only three points in the second half.
Playing at home had been a recipe for disaster this season for the Cowboys. They now improve to 2-6 at AT&T Stadium.
With the loss, Tampa Bay (8-7) is no longer in first place in the NFC South. In the NFL, division winners earn automatic berths in the playoffs, and now Atlanta leads the division. The Falcons have beaten Tampa twice and thus hold the tiebreaker should they finish the season in two weeks tied in the standings. Had Tampa Bay won this week, its odds of making the playoffs would have improved to 94%, according to NFL.com; the loss drops that probability to 67% with two games left.
Even though its playoff fate was sealed earlier Sunday, Dallas also was playing for significant stakes. Coach Mike McCarthy’s contract ends after this season, and the team ownership has said it is evaluating his entire body of work before it decides whether he will return in 2025. Since they fell to 3-7 after five consecutive losses, the Cowboys have found life despite the season-ending injury to starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
Mayfield threw for 303 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but he was sacked four times and was under relentless pressure for much of the second half, forcing him to evade onrushing defenders. Cooper Rush threw for 292 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ win. Of his 292 yards, 105 went to star wideout CeeDee Lamb, who caught seven passes.
While Bland’s forced fumble protected the win, kicker Brandon Aubrey was an unsung Cowboys hero, making all four of his field-goal attempts, including two from 58 yards and another from 53.
Around the league
- Despite being down 13 points at the start of the fourth quarter, the Washington Commanders came back and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 36-33. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels finished with five touchdowns, none more important than Jamison Crowder’s grab in the final seconds to secure the victory. The Commanders improved to 10-5, tied for the franchise’s most wins in a season since 1992. Philadelphia (12-3), previously on a 10-game winning streak, played most of the game without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who sustained a concussion late in the first quarter.
- Speaking of comebacks, the Buffalo Bills overcame a 14-point first-half deficit to beat the New England Patriots 24-21. Quarterback Josh Allen, an MVP candidate, had a lackluster game by his standards, but running back James Cook stepped up with two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. The win prevented the Kansas City Chiefs from locking up the No. 1 seed in the AFC postseason.
- Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was criticized last week for fumbling on the goal line (upsetting many fantasy football owners), but he bounced back with the best individual performance of the weekend. Taylor rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in a 38-30 win against the Tennessee Titans. Per NFL.com, the Colts entered Sunday’s game with a 1% chance of making the playoffs with a loss but a 15% chance of making the postseason with a win.
