The Dallas Cowboys roll into Thursday night with arguably the NFL’s best offense through the first four weeks, but don’t let that fool you, because they also boast arguably the league’s worst defense. It’s a wild contradiction as they prepare to host an 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that’s already in danger of falling out of the playoff picture entirely just a month into the NFL season.
Cowboys’ Offensive Firepower vs. Defensive Flaws
Dallas is coming off a massive rebound win after that heartbreaking loss to the Baltimore Ravens down in Rio de Janeiro the week before. They pulled off a furious fourth-quarter rally, storming back from a double-digit deficit to take down the Houston Texans. That kind of fight shows you what their offense can do, and imagine if they get guard Tyler Smith back on the field, that’s a serious boost. But man, their defense is a whole different story. Even after trading for Joey Porter Jr., that unit is still battling various injuries. You just can’t be 21st in pressure rate and 29th in sack rate and expect to go far. It’s a huge problem.
Jalon Daniels Faces an Uphill Battle, But There’s a Catch
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is a mess, sitting at 0-4 after a dispiriting loss to the Green Bay Packers. That game was the first of the Jalon Daniels era, with the rookie quarterback stepping in because Baker Mayfield’s thumb is sidelined. Daniels’ debut wasn’t pretty: the offense sputtered to just 275 total yards, and he threw two picks. He went 19 of 27 for only 148 yards, one touchdown, and those two interceptions. The Bucs went super run-heavy with him, despite trailing for most of the game, and Daniels did rush eight times for 55 yards, six of those being scrambles for 46 yards. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: Dallas has faced mobile quarterbacks three times this year, and they’ve given up a ton of rushing yards. Jaxson Dart ran for 54 yards on 11 carries, Jayden Daniels got 69 yards on seven carries in just one half, and Lamar Jackson burned them for 50 yards on six rushes. The Cowboys allow the highest scramble rate in the NFL, giving up 9.1 yards per scramble, according to Tru Media. So, if Daniels can keep his composure when pressured (he was pressured on 42.9% of his dropbacks last week), he might actually have some opportunities to take off. Still, Tampa’s offensive line hasn’t played well, which is a major concern.
It all goes down Thursday, October 8, at 8:20 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. You can catch it streaming on Amazon Prime. The Cowboys are favored by 8.5 points, with an over/under of 47.5. Will Dallas finally get over .500 for the first time this season, or can Tampa Bay pull off a shocker and snag their first win? We’ll find out soon enough.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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