The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-24 in a thriller on Sunday night. The Bucs entered the game on a four-game winning streak and were looking to maintain their lead in the NFC South. The Cowboys had other plans as they played spoilsport and have now won four of their last five games. It was a good game with no lack of excitement. Here are 10 thoughts on this wild Sunday night contest.

1. I DREAM OF A WHITE FUMBLE

Tampa had the ball at their own 26 yard line and needed 30-40 yards to get into game-winning field goal range, and given the ease with which they had moved the ball on their previous touchdown, saw it not good for them from cowboys. On their very first play, Baker Mayfield refused to go down and stayed in the clutch for what seemed like an eternity before throwing the ball to Rachaad White, who also refused to go down. Eventually, DaRon Bland brought him down, but not before taking the ball. It felt like the Cowboys were on the verge of collapse in the fourth quarter, but Bland turned into the Grinch and stole the game.

2. NO RUN GAME, NO PROBLEM

If someone told you that the Buccaneers would have more than 100 yards rushing than the Cowboys, it might not shock you. Tampa has a ferocious rushing attack and the Cowboys had struggled until a recent push from Rico Dowdle. Of course, one might conclude that the Cowboys were just out of contention, but that’s not how it happened here. The Bucs outgained Dallas by 134 yards to 31 on the ground, thanks to big help from Mayfield, who managed 42 rushing yards himself. But despite the huge discrepancy, the Cowboys emerged victorious.

3. Jolly old McCarthy

There’s a lot of talk about Mike McCarthy’s future in Dallas. While that remains to be determined, one thing is certain: This Cowboys team is fighting for him. The head coach did a lot of things right on Sunday evening. The penalties weren’t too bad (five of them), he passed on first downs, the play calling was effective, and his group was absolutely tenacious.

4. Let them throw, let them throw, let them throw

The lack of a rushing attack was less than ideal, but the Cowboys offense found success through the air. And it wasn’t just the simple dump-offs/bubble screens (although there were a few of those), the Cowboys also made some shots down the field. Four Cowboys players had balls of at least 20 yards, including a spectacular one from the team’s best receiver, CeeDee Lamb. It was great to see the offense at least show they were willing to stretch the field and take deep shots, and they looked good doing it.

5. NO SILENT NIGHT, EVERYONE FIGHTS!

Tampa Bay entered the game as the fourth-highest scoring team in the league. If you’ve paid any attention to them lately, you know they’ve been scoring points. While there were times when the Bucs strolled down the field with ease against the Cowboys’ defense, there were far more common instances when the defense shut them down. What’s even more impressive is that the Cowboys did it with players like Linval Joseph, Chauncey Golston, Nick Vigil and Amani Oruwariye. The Cowboys had to dig deep and surprisingly, everyone made plays. It was a complete performance from this struggling group.

6. Racing through the O

There was a long list of defensemen who played in this game, but a few players who called the shots were Donovan Wilson and Marist Liufau. Both guys delivered well-timed hits to the receivers that made the ball pop out. Liufau, seeing more action now that the team lost DeMarvion Overshown, forced a fumble for the second straight game. Wilson looked like he might have forced a fumble as well, but Mayfield was ruled out before the ball came out.

7. SO CLOSE

Wilson’s near-strip was the second time the Cowboys nearly had a takeaway in the game. Earlier, reserve linebacker Nick Vigil pounced on a loose ball, but it was ruled he had no control of the ball before it went out of bounds. The defense missed two crucial plays, but it still shows how fiery they played and they were rewarded in the end.

8. HO HO HOLY COW, JOURDAN LEWIS!

Tampa’s comeback attempt kept coming and it felt like it was only a matter of time before they pulled it off. The Cowboys’ defense continually thwarted their plans, and nothing was more satisfying than veteran cornerback Jourdan Lewis’ remarkable interception. Mayfield launched the ball 50 yards into the end zone intended for Jalen McMillan, but Lewis somehow managed to make an incredible grab.

9. OLD RELIABLE

Are you tired of listening to the broadcast crew talk about how great Brandon Aubrey is? NO? Me neither. Aubrey was great as always, knocking down all four of his field goal attempts. Three were more than 50 yards long (the other was 49 yards long). During the game, he equalized and later passed Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, making him the most 50-plus field goals in a season with 14. One of these kickers ended the year with this honor.

10. THE GRINCH

The win against the Bucs puts the Falcons at the top of the NFC South and will make things interesting in the final two weeks of the season. The Cowboys can still play the Grinch and influence the playoff picture with games against Philadelphia and Washington. With the Cowboys playing their best, they could end up playing a crucial role in who makes the playoffs this year.