The Cowboys should be getting a Christmas card from the Falcons, who got a gift Sunday night.
The Cowboys dominated the Buccaneers start to finish, winning 26-24. They ended Tampa Bay’s four-game win streak and dropped the Bucs into a first-place tie with the Falcons in the NFC South. Both teams are 8-7, and Atlanta holds the tiebreak after sweeping Tampa Bay this season.
The Cowboys, who were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday afternoon, improved to 7-8.
Tampa Bay outgained Dallas 411 to 317 with most of the Bucs’ yards coming late in a hurry-up offense as they tried to rally from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush passed for 292 yards and a touchdown in completing 26 of 35 passes. CeeDee Lamb caught seven passes for 105 yards, with only one catch for 5 yards coming in the second half after he aggravated his shoulder injury late in the second quarter.
Brandon Aubrey kicked field goals of 58, 49, 58 and 43 yards.
The Cowboys sacked Baker Mayfield four times, and Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis turned a Bucs touchdown into an interception by stealing the pass from Jalen McMillian in the end zone with 6:22 left. A touchdown would have drawn the Bucs to within 26-24.
The Bucs finally did get that close, but Mayfield’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Miller came with only 2:36 left on the clock.
Tampa Bay’s last chance ended with 1:31 left when Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland pulled the ball out of Rachaad White’s arms for a fumble recovery after White’s 5-yard reception. Mayfield had avoided a sack to get the ball to White, only to see the game end with White’s third lost fumble of the season.
Mayfield completed 31 of 43 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Mike Evans caught five passes for 69 yards. Bucky Irving had 16 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown.
