The NFL playoffs ended on Monday as Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys dominated Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning 31-14.
Prescott made the best of his game to win. He threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another 305 yards.
Meanwhile, Brady’s offense and the Buccaneers struggled to get going all night. They were locked until the last play of the third quarter, with Brady completing just 35 of 66 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns and throwing a price tag into the end zone at the end of the first half.
The Cowboys advance to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
Here’s a great game!
Dallas Cowboys 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
Big boy bag
Vita Vea brought the thunder on third down, rushing Prescott to force a Cowboys three-and-out on the second straight drive to open the game.
The Cowboys scored first
After both teams went three and out in the first two possessions, Dallas got the ball on its third drive. Another play by Michael Gallup and Tony Pollard, along with a foul penalty, set up Prescott’s 22-yard TD pass to Dalton Schultz.
The next PAT went right, however, keeping Dallas ahead 6-0 early.
Runnin’ Rachaad
Rachaad White made several interceptions to help the Bucs get a first down on their third drive.
Tom Mahomes?
The 45-year-old QB made a play reminiscent of the Kansas City Chiefs star, connecting with Chris Godwin on a running route for an 11-yard gain.
Brady Kearse
Shortly after the broadcast revealed that Brady had not done anything in the red zone since joining the Buccaneers in 2020, he took action. Brady picked off Jayron Kearse in the end zone when he looked like he was trying to throw the ball out of bounds.
Dak attack
On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Prescott kept the ball on a fake punt and ran the bootleg into the end zone for the reward.
However, Brett Maher missed another PAT, keeping the Cowboys’ lead at 12-0 with six minutes left in the second quarter.
Dak puts it all on third down
Lacking six yards for a first down, Prescott scrambled for a 10-yard gain to end the Cowboys’ drive at the end of the first half.
Dak to Dalton for Dallas’ 3rd TD
The Cowboys were in control throughout the first half, with Prescott finding Schultz again at the end of the 11-yard line.
The only thing they didn’t control was their kicking game. Maher missed the third PAT, keeping the Cowboys’ lead at 18-0 before halftime.
Gallup-go to score
The Cowboys scored again, putting together four straight drives and scoring as they scored in the second quarter. Prescott found Gallup in the back of the end zone for his third touchdown of the game. Gallup appeared to be on the verge of getting out of his seat, but a second review confirmed his grip.
However, Maher missed his fourth PAT of the night, keeping the game at 24-0 with about 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Bucs finally scored
In the last game in the NFL for both players, Brady found Julio Jones in the end zone for a touchdown to get the Buccaneers on the board. Tampa was unable to convert on the two-point conversion, keeping the game at 24-6 at the end of the third quarter.
Dallas goes for it on fourth down…and wins
With Maher struggling to make PATs, the Cowboys opted to go for it on fourth and 4 from the Buccaneers’ 18-yard line. The decision paid off and then some, as Prescott found CeeDee Lamb open to the public.
Oh, and Maher made the PAT this time to make it a 31-6 game.
The Bucs score late
Looking to keep it respectable, Brady found Cam Brate for a toehold before the two-minute warning. He connected with Mike Evans on a two-point conversion that made it 31-14.
The Bucs have found the sideline
It was too little, too late for Tampa, who recovered the ensuing kick at the two-minute warning. This is the fourth time the team has turned the ball over. Evans threw a potential TD on the next play and the Bucs turned the ball over on downs before the Cowboys ran out the clock.
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