The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a month from now in what’s already being called an NFC Championship preview, but let’s be real: if that’s gonna happen, their defense needs a serious gut check. We’re talking about a unit dead last in the league, flat out 32nd in EPA per play.
This Defense Is Making No Sense For A Playoff Squad
It’s wild, right? You hear “NFC Championship preview” and then you see their defense ranked 32nd in EPA per play. That just doesn’t compute. And it’s not even like teams are just gashing them for huge plays that inflate numbers. Nope, they’re dead last in success rate, too. Something’s gotta give on that side of the ball. Losing Joey Porter Jr. doesn’t help either, with him not even in uniform tonight, Dallas has been way too accommodating for opposing offenses. If they’re serious about making a deep run, this has to change. How do you win playoff games with a defense like that? You don’t.
Prescott Is Surgical, While A Rookie Is Just Trying To Stay Afloat
While the defense is a head-scratcher, Dak Prescott has been absolutely surgical this season. The dude is on fire, generating higher EPA than almost anyone except Brock Purdy and Lamar Jackson. Seriously, only two other QBs are playing at that level. He’s rocking an 8-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and historically, he just rips apart the blitz. That’s a huge problem for Todd Bowles’ defense, especially with Tampa Bay’s secondary missing Antoine Winfield. Without Winfield, it could be a long night for the Bucs.
On the other side, rookie Jalon Daniels is stepping in for the Buccaneers since Baker Mayfield was out last week. And man, it was rough. Daniels went 9-for-27 for just 148 yards, tossed two interceptions, posted a 65 passer rating, and got sacked three times. It can’t possibly get worse, right? There’s only one way for Daniels to go, and that’s up.
My gut initially screamed 31-14 for the Cowboys, but let’s be honest, this isn’t a team that wins comfortably. Their defense just won’t let it happen. So, I’m leaning 28-24 for the Cowboys in what should be an exciting Thursday showdown. The stakes are high for Dallas, not just for this game, but for proving they can fix that glaring defensive problem before those “NFC Championship preview” vibes totally disappear.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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