Clutch forced fumble seals Cowboys victory over Bucs as Dallas continues late-season surge
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Clutch forced fumble seals Cowboys victory over Bucs as Dallas continues late-season surge

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 22: Cooper Rush #10 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

QB Cooper Rush has played well since taking over for Dak Prescott, as the Cowboys have now won four of their last five games. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

As the Dallas Cowboys fell to 3-7 this season, talk of Mike McCarthy’s time as the team’s head coach shifted to the past tense. It seemed a foregone conclusion that McCarthy would be gone.

A lot has changed in the last five weeks. The Cowboys, who have been without quarterback Dak Prescott since Week 9, have come back to life. Cooper Rush, Prescott’s replacement, is playing pretty well. The Cowboys played like the team they expected to be this season. And McCarthy could save his job, which is pretty remarkable considering where he was just over a month ago.

The Cowboys earned a comfortable 26-24 win Sunday night against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that appeared to be on its way to an NFC South title and has some high-profile wins under its belt. Dallas outplayed Tampa Bay for most of the game and then held until late into the night as the Bucs caught up. Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland stole the ball from Buccaneers running back Rachaad White just before White was on the ground, and the fumble sealed the Cowboys’ victory with 1:26 left. The Cowboys improved to 7-8 with the win, which isn’t great, but a lot better than they were at the end of November.

The Cowboys were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday before their game even began. That’s ironic considering they finally look like a playoff team.

If the Cowboys decide to extend McCarthy, it won’t be a popular decision. The Cowboys fan base is reactionary and wanted McCarthy out after every playoff disappointment. Retaining him based on a good finish after the Cowboys’ playoff hopes were all but gone will draw a lot of criticism.

But Jones has publicly supported McCarthy of late and the win over the Buccaneers won’t slow him down. McCarthy is in an unusual position as his contract expires after the season. It’s not a matter of the Cowboys not firing him; They would have to sign him to a new contract and McCarthy would have to want to return as well. But he has adjusted to the fact that this is possible. When the Cowboys were 3-7 and seemingly headed for at least 11 or 12 losses, it would have been absurd to even consider that possibility.

Jones has resisted the urge to overreact when it comes to McCarthy and may do so again. McCarthy is 49-33 as a Cowboys coach. With a Super Bowl ring, he also has a winning percentage of over 60 percent in his career. For all the grief McCarthy feels, his record is pretty strong. And the fact that the Cowboys have been playing well lately suits him well.

The Cowboys’ resurgence was due to a defense that improved significantly following Micah Parsons’ return from injury and the solid play of Rush. Rush had 226 yards and a touchdown in the first half against the Buccaneers. Dallas scored the first 10 points of the game and led 23-14 at halftime.

Neither offense was as explosive in the second half. But the Cowboys had a comfortable lead at least until the final minute.

Trailing by nine points, Mayfield led a quick drive, gaining 87 yards in just over two minutes. He hit Ryan Miller for a 13-yard touchdown and the Buccaneers had enough time to stop and get the ball back, trailing 26-24.

The Buccaneers got a three-and-out. The Cowboys punted and the Buccaneers took over at their own 26-yard line. With 1:40 minutes left in the game, a field goal was needed to win. But Bland stripped White of the ball and that ended Tampa Bay’s comeback hopes.

The Buccaneers’ playoff prospects change with the loss. They fought to overtake the Falcons for first place in the NFC South, but lost control of the division on Sunday night. Both teams sit at the top of the standings at 8-7, but the Falcons have the tiebreaker due to a head-to-head matchup. Atlanta, which looked better on Sunday when rookie Michael Penix Jr. took over at quarterback, will take over the division if it wins its final two games.

The Cowboys have won four of their last five games, and their only loss was a competitive loss to a talented Cincinnati Bengals team. Dallas would like to pick up where it left off this season. That might require them to bring their coach back. It may not be the most popular move, but with each strong performance from the Cowboys, it seems more possible.

Live28 updates

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    Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day, and after their current winning streak, it’s a reminder that if the Cowboys could have done something at home early in the season when they were regularly eliminated, they could have been in the playoffs can keep the mix on track.

  • DaRon Bland takes the ball away from Rachaad White and Dallas will hold on to it

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  • With just under two minutes to play, the Bucs force a stop and force a Dallas punt

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  • Baker Mayfield leads a quick TD drive to keep the Bucs in the game

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  • Jourdan Lewis with a spectacular interception on the goal line

    Baker Mayfield tried to get the ball down the field to Jalen McMillan, but Lewis made the play of the night in a sullen manner to thwart the Bucs’ advance, greatly diminishing their comeback chances – and perhaps playoff chances.

  • One of the greatest young defensive players in the NFL

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  • Brandon Aubrey with another 50+ yarder

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  • Brandon Aubrey from 58 AGAIN to close the half

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  • Dallas drive stalls – in perfect position for another Brandon Aubrey field goal

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