By Jon Machota, Bob Sturm and Mike Jones
The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-14 in the NFC wild-card game Monday, advancing to the divisional round where they will face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott went 25-for-33 with 305 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. He is the first quarterback in Cowboys franchise history with at least two passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown in a playoff game.
- Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady finished with 351 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His interception in the second quarter was the first red zone pick he’s thrown since 2019.
- Cowboys kicker Brett Maher missed four extra points, a new NFL postseason record.
- The victory leaves Dallas with a 20.3 percent chance to win the NFC championship and a 10.2 percent chance to win the Super Bowl, according to the model run by The Athletic’s Austin Mock. The conference championship figure ranks third out of the four remaining NFC teams, and the Super Bowl figure ranks fifth overall.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Maher’s roster status in question
There must be roughly no chance Maher is Dallas’ kicker by midweek. If they can survive a kicker missing five straight extra points (four Monday) and not have it cost them their season, it would be complete malpractice to assume he could be back to usable by this time next week.
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It has to be the end of his road and incidentally, the reason he was released in 2019 was the inability to hit very short and automatic field goals in a short period of time. It is excruciating to witness, but an issue that cannot be overlooked or ignored. — Sturm
Massive confidence boost for Cowboys
A win like this could do wonders for the mental makeup of the Cowboys. As we suspected all season, Tampa Bay has never been the contender they were thought to be, but Dallas has heard the noise and the doubts and even had some internally. To get a win on the road in the playoffs for the first time in 30 years, to beat Brady and to advance under Mike McCarthy could free them to go looking for more next week.
The defense had Brady spooked all night and Prescott may have never played a better game. They will not be an easy out moving forward — provided they figure out the kicking situation. — Sturm
Parsons sets the tone early
Cowboys LB/DE Micah Parsons set the tone early, looking like the best defender on the field as Dallas forced Tampa Bay to go three-and-out on its first two possessions. Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson and several others defenders played well at different times, but Parsons made the difference. He didn’t have a sack or a QB hit, but he batted a couple of passes and had a tackle for loss.
The Dallas defense usually goes as Parsons goes, and he played one of his best games in recent weeks. He’s been playing through some injuries, but Monday night he looked like the Defensive Player of the Year candidate he was for most of the season. — Machota
Prescott shines
Prescott was clearly the game’s MVP, rebounding greatly from one of the worst games of his career last Sunday at Washington. Brady was 7-0 against the Cowboys for his career entering Monday night. He’s obviously the GOAT. But Prescott was the better quarterback in this game.
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Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over once. He ended the regular season on a seven-game interception streak, which included three pick-sixes in Dallas’ last four games. That was clearly the best of Prescott’s five playoff games. If he continues playing at that level, the Cowboys have a chance against any team. — Machota
GO DEEPER
Dak Prescott bounced back from one of his worst games to have maybe his best at right time
Not Brady’s finest hour
The Buccaneers hoped that Brady could summon more of his legendary playoff magic and lead them on one more memorable run, but it quickly became clear that such hopes were unrealistic. A battered offensive line did little to fend off Dallas’ defenders, and Brady never looked comfortable. He struggled mightily with accuracy while rushing throws to beat the rush. An ugly first quarter and an early second-quarter interception in the end zone set the tone for the worst playoff performance of Brady’s career. When asked about his future after the game, Brady said he planned to get “a good night’s sleep,” adding that it “just feels like the end of a season.” — Jones
GO DEEPER
Jones: Tom Brady didn't get his storybook ending, and the next chapter is a mystery
Bucs defense crumbles
With the offense struggling, Tampa’s defense badly needed to provide some game-changing plays to create some shorter field positions and more manageable scoring opportunities. But the Buccaneers proved incapable of such. They made Prescott look like a future Hall of Famer. Tight end Dalton Schultz caught two of those scoring strikes. Tony Pollard had a strong game, rushing for 77 yards on 15 carries.
The Bucs seemingly lost their will to fight while leaving CeeDee Lamb wide open for an 18-yard touchdown pass from Prescott with 10:13 left. Changes are coming in Tampa, and maybe not just at the quarterback position. If Todd Bowles returns as coach, he likely will have to retool his coaching staff. And the Bucs need an infusion of youth on both sides of the ball while kicking off a rebuild that has been delayed as long as possible. — Jones
Highlights of the game
DAK MAKING THIS HIS PLAYOFF MOMENT.
📺: #DALvsTB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/HABicMhZeY pic.twitter.com/bblLN8L2JI
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2023
Brett Maher had a rough first half kicking extra points.
Missed PATs in Cowboys postseason history:
◽️ First half vs. Bucs: 3 (0-for-3)
◽️ All other games combined: 2 (168-for-170)
H/T @starrettjason
🎥 @OmahaProdpic.twitter.com/BuSkhbyVsu
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 17, 2023
Key stat
Maher’s four missed extra points surpassed the previous playoff record of two, most recently reached by Tyler Bass in 2022. Coming into Monday’s game, Maher was 50-of-53 on extra points this year.
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What they’re saying
Doesn’t sound like the Cowboys will be looking for another kicker.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on Brett Maher missing 4 PATs tonight: “We need to get him back on it. Get him ready to go this week. We need him.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 17, 2023
Required reading
(Photo: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
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