Both teams have been hit hard with injuries during the first month of the season, albeit to different units. The Cowboys are still down multiple key players in the secondary, while the Bucs just lost starting quarterback Baker Mayfield to a thumb injury. Which team can respond best playing on a short week on Thursday Night Football?
The Dallas Morning News’ columnists and beat writers offered up their predictions for the Week 5 matchup at AT&T Stadium below:
The Bucs pose a tougher defensive challenge for the GOTI boys than they’ve had so far. Also, Tampa Bay knows rookie QB Jalon Daniels needs all the help he can get. Feels like a game where a merely ordinary performance from the Dallas defense gives the Cowboys an easy ride on a rare Thursday night home game. But we just haven’t seen enough to trust the Dallas D, yet.
There are must-win games and there are can’t-lose games. This is the latter. The Cowboys offense has been, once again, one of the best in the league. The Cowboys defense should have a good showing against a rookie quarterback. The one caveat: Jalon Daniels can run. The Cowboys can’t let him win that way.
This is a “get-right game” for the Cowboys. With an offense hitting its stride, a defense with recent reinforcements and a wounded opponent, there are no excuses for Dallas to not pick up an easy victory and coast into a needed weekend off. But have you been paying attention? Nothing comes easy with this group. Nevertheless, expect Dallas to roll behind its high-powered offense after a slow start, as the Bucs can still play solid defense.
This matchup presents a prime opportunity for the Cowboys to accomplish something they have yet to do this season: win back-to-back games. Tampa Bay enters in difficult circumstances, with its starting quarterback sidelined by a thumb injury. The team also ranks near the bottom of the league in several key statistical categories. That should be welcome news for a Cowboys defense that has faced heavy criticism. With the game at AT&T Stadium, Dallas appears well-positioned to secure a comfortable victory by a double-digit margin.
The Cowboys have proven they’re seriously flawed, particularly on defense, as usual. The good news is, the NFC East is the AL West, and if they can run off a few wins against similarly-flawed teams, starting with Tampa Bay, they might be able to win the East without winning 10 games. What a screwy sports world we live in.
If the Cowboys lose this game, wow, I’m not sure what things would look like Friday morning. Dallas will not lose to Tampa Bay. That’s what we keep telling ourselves. The Cowboys are the better team despite the defensive issues that continue to bother them. Dallas’ offense will be the best unit on the field Thursday night. Expect that unit to lead them to a harder than necessary win.