Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images Who wins tonight… New Orleans or Green Bay? The New Orleans Saints play the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. FanDuel has the Packers as 14.5-point favorites over the Saints. Final score prediction: Packers 27 – Saints 16. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys won on Sunday night and it is okay to be happy about that! Sunday afternoon was interesting for the Dallas Cowboys. On one hand, the team was eliminated from playoff contention in a formal sense. While that was just about inevitable, it is still never fun for it to be finalized. Across the spectrum, the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins all won. These specific victories set the Cowboys up to improve their draft position by a handful of spots. But then the Dallas Cowboys had the gall to go out and win their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let me say that I understand if you have folded up shop and want the Cowboys to tank and improve their draft position so that we do not have to endure seasons like this one ever again. There is logic to that idea. But let me also say that the other side of the coin is equally fine if that is where someone wants to live. We can have different opinions! Here are three specific opinions after a full sleep following Sunday night’s victory. It is totally fine to enjoy the recent Dallas Cowboys wins Imagine if you knew in July that the Dallas Cowboys would enter Christmas week having won four of their last five and that at that point the San Francisco 49ers would already be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. We would have been levitating. Obviously the Cowboys were eliminated at the same time that San Francisco was, and the recent winning has done nothing to hep that. The recent winning also hasn’t undone the bad that preceded it, conversations that we already had and will certainly continue to have, but the thing about the recent winning is that it is recent winning. If someone wants the Cowboys to have a higher draft pick and feels as if these four wins have damaged that cause, it is understandable. But on the other side, we have learned so much about players like Marist Liufau and Brock Hoffman in this little run. We have even learned a whole heck of a lot about leaders/cornerstones like CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. Winning has been the catalyst for all of that and the opinion here is it was totally worth the drop in draft position. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. But the Cowboys have ensured that they have been winners 80% of the time through the winter holidays and in the process proven that they are not the exact frauds that we may have thought them to be. That is commendable and it is more than fine to be happy, or even proud of that. Mike Zimmer has proven that he still has it In the interest of transparency, I have been extremely critical of the Mike Zimmer hire. It seemed lazy and like the team just called an old friend in lieu of actually doing their job and turning every stone in the name of finding the best possible solution. Now to be clear, it is possible that on some level the team did not exactly stretch themselves thin after Dan Quinn left in January, but however we got here, the truest of true things is that Mike Zimmer has clearly not lost his fastball. Zimmer has reignited this defense as the season has gone along and has done so with so many important players missing time. He has settled into the rhythm of today’s game and seems to have a great feel for when to dial certain things up to create opportunities for chaos. If we are going to have conversations (and we should) about whether or not Mike McCarthy should return then Mike Zimmer absolutely has to be a part of them in the same way. He has earned his keep and proven that he can help this team in some serious ways. The most important thing now is to learn from 2024 Over the last two months or so the prevailing theme that has circled the Dallas Cowboys from a national conversation perspective has been that injuries have plagued their season. This isn’t untrue, but we all know that the team was behind the eight ball way before they ever set foot on any field. It is tiring to bring up the front office’s inactivity and reluctance to do things over and over again, but the results are what they are. This season was set up poorly under their watch and everyone who works and plays for them has done all of they could to make a proper batch of lemonade. At this point the water is well under the bridge, but it must serve as a cautionary tale for the future. If the Cowboys do not learn from the chaos that was this calendar year then it will have all been for nothing. They must be willing to do things and operate in ways that for whatever reason they have refused in the past. Extensions for players before the eleventh hour, participating in free agency, not leaving important people (coaches or players) relative to your franchise subject to national scrutiny because of the positions you put them in. We are way past time for them to shuck the ways of the past. This winning streak has been nice as we discussed a moment ago, but the true harm it can cause won’t be by dropping five spots in the draft. The worst possible result from the recent turn in fortune is the front office feeling like what they are doing is working and that status quo as is should be how they operate all of the time. Please don’t let us have gone through all of this for nothing.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Cowboys were tremendous against Tampa Bay. The Dallas Cowboys entered the weekend with high hopes that they could keep their playoff hopes alive with help. They needed the Washington Commanders to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles in the early slate of the afternoon games. Unfortunately, the Eagles could not win after Jalen Hurts was knocked out of the game, and Jayden Daniels’s late-game magic sealed the win and the postseason fate of the Cowboys. However, the Cowboys played spiritedly on Sunday night, as if they were playing for something more. Here’s what stood out in their win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brandon Aubrey was automatic Even though the Cowboys scored 26 points, they didn’t punctuate as many drives with touchdowns as they would have liked. That’s okay because they have Brandon Aubrey. Once the Cowboys crossed midfield, Aubrey was immediately an option the Cowboys could turn to. He made several big-time kicks with ease. After the Buccaneers scored a touchdown before the end of the second quarter, the Cowboys needed an answer to avoid giving Tampa Bay the ball to open the second half only up by six points. Once again, Aubrey answered the call, casually making a 58-yard field goal, his second of the game, to give the Cowboys a 23-14 lead going into the break. This season, Aubrey has made 14 of 16 field goals from 50 yards or more, including a career-long goal of 65 yards. Aubrey is amazing and gave the Cowboys just enough offense to win. The secondary was outstanding The physicality displayed by the Dallas secondary is unlike anything we’ve seen in such a long time. Donovan Wilson has been known to be a thumper in the secondary and he did just that. He laid the boom on receivers over the middle of the field to dislodge the ball from receivers, including a sack on Baker Mayfield. Jourdan Lewis, in particular, was excellent. His coverage on Sterling Shepherd forced multiple incompletions, including a fourth-down stop in the first quarter. His interception of Mayfield in the end zone on a deep pass, where he was interfered with by Jalen McMillan, was one of the Cowboys’ top plays of the year. Baker goes deep for the TD… no it’s a PICK!? WHAT?! : #TBvsDAL on NBC/Peacock : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/2gt3cGRqHI — NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024 Lewis’ playing with a chip on his shoulder and a sizable elbow brace had something to say about those fans who were disappointed that the team won despite nothing to play for. Lewis also contributed with a sack on Mayfield as well. As a unit, the secondary held the ageless Mike Evans under 70 yards receiving. DaRon Bland made the play to seal the win with the strip fumble on Rachaad White. Hats off to this unit last night. The team has heart Although many times over the past few seasons, we’ve questioned the heart of the team and asked if they’re willing to fight when challenged, we saw that they have the desire to win even when they’re not expected to. So much has gone wrong this season for the Cowboys to be in the position where some fans would think their losing would be more advantageous, that their winning on Sunday night comes, at the very least, a disappointment and, at the most, a shock, Especially against a team who is leading their division and competing for the postseason. The Cowboys have several players out for the season on injured reserve, and still, they chose to compete, again with nothing to play for. Head coach Mike McCarthy is in most people’s crosshairs regarding what has to go first for the team to bounce back in 2025, but you can’t deny that the team looked prepared to play against a quality opponent. Offensively, the team had a great game plan to counter the Buccaneers’ blitz-happy scheme. Dallas had Cooper Rush ready to identify the blitz, get the ball out quickly to his best options, and wisely select where he had the best chance in man coverage. CeeDee Lamb is ridiculous : #TBvsDAL on NBC/Peacock : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/JEmLyMdYWj — NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024 It was Week 16 of the regular season. Many players are beaten up and could easily fold the tent to prepare for the offseason, but that’s not the case. CeeDee Lamb embodies that more than anyone. For weeks, he had gutted out games with a shoulder injury that is limiting him, and weekly, he is seen writhing in pain after taking a hard fall to the ground. Yet, he’s still playing, fighting through double coverages, and putting up numbers to help his team win. Lamb posted another 100-yard game to lead all players in receiving while missing stretches of the game to manage his shoulder. For a player whose football character has come under fire in recent years, that’s a testament to his genuine dedication to the game.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Here is our stock report following Sunday night’s Dallas Cowboys win. As Sunday night’s Dallas Cowboys game was wrapping up, NBC’s Cris Collinsworth had quite the remark. The former wide receiver noted that what he saw from Dallas might have been the best games ever played by a secondary. His words, not mine. “TAKEN AWAY BY THE COWBOYS… INCREDIBLE!” – Mike Tirico “I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PLAY LIKE THIS IN MY ENTIRE LIFE… Mike, this may be one of the best games out of a secondary I’ve ever seen… Absolutely unbelievable.” – Cris Collinsworth ️#NFL #SNF https://t.co/4BRe6X06ZU pic.twitter.com/X8qb0PhZsQ — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 23, 2024 It was a remarkable performance from the group, and that it did not have Trevon Diggs as a part of it makes this more difficult to believe. Serious credit, as usual, belongs to Al Harris, but also to Mike Zimmer for how they had this group ready to play. While the secondary may have stole the show, the reality of Sunday night’s win is that there were a number of people who were significantly involved. This is our Stock Report following the victory and it is full of nothing but green arrows because we just saw one of the finer Cowboys games across this season as a whole. Let’s begin. Stock Up: Jourdan Lewis We have been singing Jourdan Lewis’ praises all season long and on Sunday night he proved exactly why. Players like Jourdan feel like one-in-an-era type of Cowboys who find a way to scratch, claw, fight, whatever you want to call it, and make an impact throughout the course of a tenure that we can’t believe lasted as long as it did. He is in year number eight and giving his absolute all in a game where the Cowboys were just eliminated from the playoffs. JOURDAN LEWIS!!!! (via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/N6vVSRSDsD — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) December 23, 2024 I mean this in the most complimentary way possible, Lewis has always reminded me of Orlando Scandrick in this sense. He will not go away, whether that is from the team in general or relative to the player he is guarding. He was the “other” cornerback taken in his draft class. He is one of one. What a player. Stock Up: DaRon Bland The Cowboys played most of this season without DaRon Bland and while we have yet to see a pick-six from him, we may have gotten one of the most incredible turnovers ever that he was responsible for. Just as it seemed like everything was going to fall apart for Dallas, Bland called game. VICTORY!!!! pic.twitter.com/cqOISZRUet — Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) December 23, 2024 This moment was purely DaRon Bland wanting it more than Rachaad White. That is what we love about football at its core, isn’t it? We love that one player can make a decision and act on it and enact their will in a way that beats another. Stock Up: Donovan Wilson At one point in the game Cris Collinsworth also likened Donovan Wilson to Ronnie Lott. Yes, this really happened. Sunday night was sort of that kind of game for Wilson, though. He has always been an enforcer-type player for Dallas and he was let loose over and over and over again throughout the contest. It is a bit of a skill that is hit or miss (no pun intended), but on Sunday night it was hitting all over the place. Stock Up: CeeDee Lamb Think back to when the Cowboys were obliterated by the Baltimore Ravens. It was a tough scene all the way around, but the conversations around CeeDee Lamb were not great among Cowboys fans. People were questioning his body language and all of those types of things. Now recall how Lamb has been playing over the last six weeks or so. Without his quarterback, with a shoulder ailment, on the heels of the team being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, he was giving his all like everything depended on it. Oh, and this all just happens to be after the front office absurdly delayed his contractual negotiations so far that they went past all of Oxnard. Stock Up: Jake Ferguson It has been a while since Ferguson had a moment to shine, but Sunday night showcased the volatile player who seeks out contact that we have come to know throughout his entire career to date. Expectations were high around Ferguson entering the year, and while those things weren’t fully realized, he has exemplified the no-quit attitude that is encircling the team right now. Stock Up: Marist Liufau The Cowboys may have uncovered yet another defensive stud in the making. Marist Liufau is playing as good of football as anybody on the team right now. Liufau has an aggression and physicality to him that is simply different than anybody else. He seeks chaos and is often successful in creating it. Dallas dominated Tampa so significantly in large part to the effort that he offered. Stock Up: Jalen Tolbert Multiple things can be true. It can be true that the Cowboys need to learn some things and admit them about the state of their roster so that they are not depending on players who are unlikely to take the leap into the place that the team fully needs. At the same time it can be true that someone like Jalen Tolbert can certainly contribute to the team’s success in his own way. It is good to see him have his moments. Stock Up: Nick Vigil One of the more significant moments ahead of this game on the Dallas side was Eric Kendrick’s name appearing on the inactives list. His absence called for Nick Vigil to step up and rise to the occasion. He did that and then some. What Nick Vigil did Sunday should be noted. He played more defensive snaps vs. the Bucs (69) than he had all season (53), and he had more tackles (10) than he

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys came to play on Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Dallas Cowboys came away with a 26-24 victory on Sunday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys were viewed as an underdog throughout the week, as the Bucs were atop the NFC South heading into the game and had been building a lot of momentum. After the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Washington Commanders in the early slate of Sunday games, Dallas was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. With the Cowboys having nothing to play for, and the Bucs still playing for their division title, it would have been safe to assume that Tampa Bay would come out with far more intensity in their matchup. Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer didn’t get that message. The team came out firing, with QB Cooper Rush throwing for 226 passing yards in the first half, a career high. While the offense looked in synch from the beginning, Mike Zimmer’s defense came out with the intensity of a team looking to compete in the playoffs, not a team that had already been eliminated from making it. The defense delivered bone-crushing hits throughout the game, including this massive hit Donovan Wilson delivered to Mike Evans late in the third quarter. Donovan Wilson smoked Mike Evans here. Yeesh. pic.twitter.com/jLGdfGXt6h — Tony Catalina (@Tony_Catalina) December 23, 2024 The defense came away with two incredible takeaways in the fourth quarter, the first being a contested interception by Jourdan Lewis in the endzone. Cris Collinsworth described it as one of the best interceptions he’s seen. Jourdan Lewis with a RIDICULOUS interception!!! (via @dallascowboys)pic.twitter.com/hXAe6tDSig — B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 23, 2024 On the final drive of the game, it appeared the Bucs were on their way to an improbable comeback. With the Tampa Bay offense driving down the field and only needing a field goal to win, the Cowboys defense needed to step up and make a play to secure the victory. DaRon Bland was the player to do it, as he came up with a remarkable strip of the football to seal the game. DARON BLAND RIPS THE BALL FROM RACHAAD WHITE TO END THE GAME COWBOYS WIN ‼️ (via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/hwXPB8G9PU — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 23, 2024 While the season got off to a rocky start for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, he seems to have found his footing in Dallas. His defense the past few weeks have been energetic and and disruptive. If the defense continues this way the rest of the season, it could be the reason Zimmer gets another season in Dallas next year.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The Cowboys showed a lot of heart with their domination of Tampa Bay The Cowboys’ season ended before they had even had a chance to play this week. While nobody actually expected them to reach the postseason, Dallas was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention early on Sunday, when Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a go-ahead touchdown with six seconds left to upset the Eagles. A few hours later, the Cowboys kicked off a prime time showdown against a Buccaneers team with plenty left to play for, but it was the Cowboys who looked like a team trying to prove something. This game came right down to the wire, but when all was said and done the Cowboys emerged victorious with one of their toughest wins of the year. Things couldn’t have started out better for Dallas, who began the game on offense. Cooper Rush came out with his hair on fire, completing all six of his passes on the opening drive for 21 yards, navigating the team down into field goal range. Brandon Aubrey nailed a 58-yarder with ease to put them up 3-0. Then it was the defense’s turn. Baker Mayfield managed to pick up a first down early, but Mike Zimmer’s creative pressure schemes proved to be too much, forcing errant throws from the Texas native on third and fourth down. Just like that, the defense forced a turnover on downs. Rush and the offense took over right at midfield and ripped off two big plays in short order. KaVontae Turpin took a handoff for 12 yards before Rush hit Brandin Cooks on the move for 29 yards. A few plays later, Jalen Tolbert made an impressive toe-tap touchdown and the Cowboys were up 10-0. talk to ’em tolbert ️@Jalen8Tolbert hauls in the TD! : #TBvsDAL on NBC : Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1e pic.twitter.com/t0FJdazHxt — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 23, 2024 The two teams traded punts after that before Tampa Bay managed to get a touchdown finally. But Aubrey hit a 49-yarder to extend the lead to 13-7. Their defense forced another punt, and the offense started moving down the field with haste. Two ridiculous plays from CeeDee Lamb set up an easy one-yard touchdown scamper for Ezekiel Elliott. CeeDee Lamb is ridiculous : #TBvsDAL on NBC/Peacock : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/JEmLyMdYWj — NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024 The Buccaneers managed to match that with a touchdown of their own, but the Cowboys were left with 48 seconds and all three timeouts before halftime. A big catch-and-run from Jake Ferguson just about put them in field goal range right away, and Aubrey nailed a 58-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a two-score lead, up 23-14 at halftime. The third quarter went by with both teams notching just a field goal, and an impressive endzone interception from Jourdan Lewis with six and a half minutes left in the game seemed to ice things. But Rush nearly threw a pick on the first play, and then Dallas had their next two run plays gain eight yards and fall short of the first down, bringing up a punt. Tampa Bay got the ball back with four and a half minutes remaining, and Mayfield went supernova. He racked up 75 passing yards with a 100% completion rate and also scrambled for a first down, finding a wide open receiver in the endzone with two and a half minutes left. With two timeouts and the two minute warning remaining, Tampa Bay opted for a regular kickoff instead of the onside kick. The Cowboys tried to catch the Buccaneers off guard with a jet sweep to Turpin, but he was stopped for a loss of one yard. Two quick passes helped burn the two timeouts, but Dallas was forced to punt with 1:52 remaining. Suddenly, it looked as if the Buccaneers might pull this thing off. Then came one of the most chaotic plays that can only be seen: CHAOS! @DallasCowboys ball! : #TBvsDAL on NBC/Peacock : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/PROC0YBT7e — NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024 The swarming of the Cowboys pass rush, the grit of Mayfield to keep his feet moving and flip it to Rachaad White, and then the heads-up play of DaRon Bland to rip the ball out and recover the fumble. None of it could possibly be scripted, and it perfectly encapsulated the scrappy nature with which Dallas has played the last month or so. They escaped with a gritty win, marking their fourth in five tries. They now move to 7-8 ahead of a road trip to Philadelphia with a chance at a winning record on the line. Playoffs are officially out of the question for this team, but you wouldn’t know from how they played in this one. These Cowboys are officially playing for the love of the game, and if Sunday night was anything to go off of, they really love football.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s Team. Cooper Rush shines as Cowboys win 26-24 over Buccaneers- Mark Heaney, Inside The Star Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, Dallas comes through. Cooper Rush’s Big Night There was one highlight of this game that you could not miss, and that was the performance of Quarterback Cooper Rush. The seven-year NFL veteran had his best performance of the season, throwing for 292 yards, one touchdown, and avoiding an interception for the second week in a row. Rush filled up the stat sheet in this one. He had the offense humming early, as Dallas had their highest-scoring first quarter of the year. That initial 10-0 lead grew stronger in the second quarter, as Dallas put up 13 points with a pair of Brandon Aubrey field goals and Ezekiel Elliott’s 71st rushing touchdown as a Cowboy. The common thread throughout these drives was Rush’s efficient passing, as he marched the Cowboys’ offense past the 50-yard line time and time again. Rush has had his ups and downs this year, and he is clearly a backup-level quarterback, but you have to respect the effort he put forward in this Cowboys win. Game Recap: Cowboys rip away win, 26-24- Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com A summary of how Sunday night’s upset transpired. Second Quarter Dallas saw the Buccaneers go 57 yards in six plays for a touchdown early in the second frame, but keeping the pressure on, the Cowboys came right back with another 10 points before the half. A 26-yard pass from Mayfield to wideout Mike Evans was a big blow on Tampa Bay’s scoring drive, but running back Bucky Irving also rushed four times for 28 yards. The last two of those came on a dart around the right end for the score. Dallas came right back with another three points from Aubrey, this time thanks to a 49-yard field goal. Then on their next series, the Cowboys drove 80 yards in nine plays to reach the goal line. Rush went deep to Lamb for a hefty 52-yard completion, and then two snaps later, Lamb took a short pass over the middle and gutted his way 11 more yards to the 1. Ezekiel Elliott got the honors, bullying his way off left tackle for the touchdown. Unfortunately, with 1:40 left on the clock, that was enough time for Mayfield and company to tack on a score of their own. The Buccaneers quarterback completed 5 of 6 pass attempts for 67 yards, his 11-yard strike to Jalen McMillan accounting for the touchdown. However, the 48 seconds remaining were enough for the Cowboys to get into Aubrey’s range. Rush had back-to-back passes of 21 and 14 yards to Jake Ferguson and Cooks, respectively, which eventually led to Dallas’ star kicker hitting another 58-yard field as time expired. 4 takeaways from Cowboys’ impressive win vs. Buccaneers- Tyler Reed, Sports Illustrated Another week of positive takeaways. 3. Pass Rush Dominance Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was running for his life all night long as the Cowboys stayed in the Tampa Bay backfield. Four different Cowboys recorded a sack, and the physicality of this defense made a difference in this game. 2. Lethal Weapon The offense and the defense played great games, but Brandon Aubrey was the difference-maker in this game. Aubrey went 4-4 with his field goal attempts, the longest being from 58. Without Aubrey, this recap could be looking a lot different. Final Stats, best pics from Cowboys’ big win over Bucs despite elimination- K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire Relive the victory. Despite letting the Bucs make the game close and have a last chance to win, the Cowboys beared down and left AT&T with their second home win of the season, 26-24. Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, Dallas kept their hope of finishing above .500 alive and improved to 7-8. Cooper Rush played his best game of the season, throwing for 292 yards and only having one egregious head scratcher of a throw. He focused his attention on CeeDee Lamb in the first half as the wide receiver crossed the 100-catch threshold with 100 yards through two quarters. The defense, led by Micah Parsons and a turnover-focused secondary, corralled one of the league’s hottest offenses. Corners Jourdan Lewis and DaRon Bland made huge fourth-quarter plays, ripping balls away from ball carriers to thwart both a touchdown and a game extender with time running out. Dallas will now prepare for their rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17. Awkward Mike McCarthy reality settles in for Cowboys fans after statement win- Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat Rumblings of McCarthy’s departure might have been a bit premature. The jury is still out on McCarthy’s future, but this win only increases his odds of returning as head coach next season. McCarthy obviously has his flaws, but the Cowboys played as hard Sunday night as they have all season despite being eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day. Rather than let the news impact their performance, they rallied and put together one of their best games of the year. That is a credit to McCarthy’s coaching and the culture he has built during his tenure. The national media loves to portray McCarthy in a negative light. It has almost become a bit to harp on his failures and discredit him at every turn while glossing over all of the good that has happened during his tenure. Make no mistake: There’s been a lot of good. You might be thinking that playing hard is the bare minimum requirement for a professional sports team. While that might be true, there were numerous teams on Sunday with well-respected coaches that lied down. The Giants (Brian Daboll), Browns (Kevin Stefanski) and even the mighty 49ers (Kyle Shanahan) went out in their respective matchups without a whimper. Playing hard was never going to be enough for McCarthy to save his job. He needs wins. If they lost against the Bucs at home after being in control