Cowboys vs Buccaneers: Tampa’s defensive front could slow down Dallas’ surging run game

Taking one last look at the Bucs side of things.

5 Bucs to Watch Against the Cowboys – Brianna Dix, Buccaneers.com

Two stellar Bucs defenders could leave disrupt Dallas’ gameplan.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to Texas for a Sunday Night Football showdown in Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 22 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. The Buccaneers have won the past two regular season meetings, with the most recent victory coming in Week One of the 2022 slate in Dallas. Tampa Bay is coming off a dominant 40-17 victory over the Chargers in Week 15 that allowed the Bucs to hold on to sole possession of first place in the NFC South. At SoFi Stadium, Tampa Bay’s offense recorded the most points (40), most total yards (506) and most rushing yards (223) against the league’s top-scoring defense. Meanwhile, the Cowboys had arguably their most complete win of the season since Week One against the Panthers in Week 15. Dallas won 30-14 and Mike Zimmer’s defense sacked Bryce Young six times, while posting two interceptions and forcing two fumbles. Here are five players to observe following kickoff on Sunday Night Football:

Vita Vea

Bucs’ nose tackle Vita Vea is tied with linemate Calijah Kancey for the team lead with 6.0 sacks. He has been a formidable force in the interior, wreaking havoc. In three career games against the Cowboys, Vea has racked up 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hits and four tackles (two for loss). He consistently splits double teams and overpowers centers/guards. The 347-pound menace is light on his feet and routinely pummels linemen at the point of attack. Vea has range down the line of scrimmage and without nine-time Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin in the Cowboys’ lineup (injured reserve), he will vie to take advantage on Sunday in primetime, carving up the middle of Dallas’ offensive line. His double-team pressure rate ranks seventh in the league (11) among defensive tackles with 400-plus snaps and Vea will be on the prowl in prime time.

Lavonte David

In seven career games against Dallas, Lavonte David has tallied 62 tackles (six for loss), 2.0 sacks, four quarterback hits, three passes defensed and one fumble recovery. At the age of 34, David is playing with elite play recognition. Against the Chargers in Week 15, David had a stellar day with 12 tackles (one for loss), 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hits on Justin Herbert. He became the first player this season to record a game with 12-plus tackles, three-plus quarterback hits and 1.5-plus sacks. He sets the tone in Tampa Bay and is adept at covering tight ends, blitzing through the A-gap and flattening guards to get into the backfield to make tackles. David has a knack for making plays on the football and is Mr. Consistency for the Bucs. With outstanding range and ability to diagnose and trigger, David solidifies Todd Bowles’ defense. On Sunday, David will go up against Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle. Dowdle posted a career-high 149 yards on the ground in Week 15 against the Panthers, marking his third straight 100-yard rushing performance. He is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and pairs vision with burst. Dowdle is able to quickly determine cutback lanes and transitions from evading tacklers to finish mode with ease.

Bucs at Cowboys: What To Watch For In Week 16 – Bailey Adams, PewterReport.com

Tampa is priming for a playoff push when they visit Arlington on Sunday.

The 8-6 Bucs head into Jerry World in Week 16 to match up with the 6-8 Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Tampa Bay has won four straight games and will be looking to make it five straight, which would get the team closer to locking up a fourth consecutive NFC South title.

For the Bucs, it may be as simple as continuing to let the ground game carry them in this week’s matchup. The Dallas run defense has been better as of late, but it’s still allowing 136.1 yards per game, which ranks 29th in the league. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen may want to lean on Bucky Irving and Rachaad White in this one, especially with the way that duo – and especially Irving – finished last week’s win against the Chargers. Tampa Bay’s offensive line is mauling in the run game, and the big heavies will be ready to roll again in primetime.

As much as the run game might be able to propel the Buccaneer offense, Baker Mayfield also needs to play a clean, turnover-free game. Nothing will rile up the home crowd on Sunday Night Football quite like a potential game-swinging turnover, so Mayfield needs to avoid the mistakes in this one. And if he does turn the ball over, he needs to snap back quickly like he did against Los Angeles. Mayfield threw a second-quarter interception before going on to finish off a four-touchdown day that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He’ll be looking to get in a rhythm with Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton early on to set the tone right.

For Tampa Bay’s defense, the big keys are getting after Cooper Rush and containing both CeeDee Lamb and Rico Dowdle. Lamb is the type of receiver who can take over a game, and the Bucs can’t let that happen on Sunday night. Shutting Dowdle and the Cowboys run game down may be just as important, though, as the defense’s ability to neutralize the Chargers on the ground last week played a huge role in their dominant performance. The better Todd Bowles‘ defense can stop the run, the more it’ll be able to pressure Rush and force him into some costly mistakes.

Bucs’ 39 TD superstar predicted to be franchise tagged – Andrew Parsaud, SportingNews.com

Tampa’s number 2 receiver my not get a new deal this year.

One major decision the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to make in the offseason is centered around Chris Godwin. Since being drafted in the third round by Tampa Bay in 2017, Godwin has been one of their most consistent playmakers, creating the perfect duo with Mike Evans.

The Super Bowl champion is expected to be one of the top free agent wide receivers in 2025. The Bucs are expected to have just over $24 million in cap space in the coming offseason, so there’s not much room to hand Godwin a massive extension immediately.

Could they use the franchise tag on Godwin for a fourth time? Joel Corry of CBS Sports lists it as a possibility, but outlines the potential financial ramifications that could come with Godwin receiving another tag.

So basically, if tagged, Godwin would be making close to $40 million in 2025, greater than the franchise tag for a quarterback. The regular price for a wide receiver tag would be $23,599,000. The cap for 2025 is expected to rise, so the Bucs could potentially make something happen with Godwin if they really wanted to.

Here is the final injury report for the Week 16 game between the Bucs and Cowboys.