The Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will conclude Super Wild Card Weekend when these two NFC clubs square off on Monday night. This matchup is a rematch from a primetime head-to-head we saw all the way back in Week 1 when the Buccaneers were able to scrape by with a 19-3 victory. However, Dallas is currently looked at as the favorite in this upcoming contest, despite being on the road, thanks to their 12-5 record and Tampa Bay’s 8-9 record. This season’s Buccaneers are only the sixth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record.
Even though Brady has the best record by any quarterback against the Cowboys all time at 7-0, we’ll make the case why the Cowboys will finally overcome the GOAT and punch their ticket to the divisional round.
How to watch
Date: Monday, Jan. 16 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
TV: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: Cowboys -2.5, O/U 45.5
An elite defense
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the best five defenses in football. They are allowing 20.1 points per game (fifth-fewest in the NFL) while leading the league in takeaways (33) and quarterback pressure rate (43.3%). Dallas actually led the NFL in takeaways in 2021 as well (34), making them the second defense since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to lead the league in takeaways in back-to-back seasons, joining the 1972-1974 “Steel Curtain” Pittsburgh Steelers defenses.
Linebacker Micah Parsons co-led the NFL in quarterback pressures (90) with San Francisco 49ers defensive end and likely Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. Parsons also has more in common with a former elite 49ers pass rusher, becoming one of two players, along with Aldon Smith, with at least 13.5 sacks in each of their first two seasons since sacks became an official stat in 1982. On the back end, there’s Trevon Diggs, last season’s interceptions leader who has become better in coverage despite fewer picks.
Tom Brady’s weakness is the same as it’s always been: he’s not nearly as good under pressure because of his lack of mobility. He’s this season’s least pressured quarterback — under pressure only 19.6 percent of the time — but when he gets flustered by an opposing pass rush, he melts: his 44.4 passer rating when pressured is the fourth-worst in the NFL among 33 qualified quarterbacks ahead of only New England Patriots’ Mac Jones (35.1),
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