Cowboys 'No Guarantees,' Notes Coach Mike McCarthy: Bucs Monday How to Watch, Odds, Injury Report

The Cowboys travel east to take on the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round in a rematch of Week 1, but with much higher stakes.

Author:
Timm Hamm
Publish date:
Jan 16, 2023 2:37 PM EST

"Guarantees''?

Nope. It doesn't work that way.

The Dallas Cowboys head east to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final game of the NFL's Super Wild Card weekend on Monday Night Football.

And what to expect?

"It’s playoff football,'' Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. :The only thing we’re guaranteed is four quarters to go win ...''

It's a rematch of the Week 1 game that saw Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott leave early with a broken thumb and miss the next five weeks. The Dallas offense sputtered in the season opener, scoring just three points and looking out of sync all day, even before Prescott's injury.

The Cowboys' offense matched that theme in the season finale against Washington, scoring just six points and looking lost most of the day.

In between those contests, the Cowboys looked like an NFC contender for most of the season. After Prescott's return from injury, Dallas averaged 32.5 points per contest.

The Cowboys have not won a playoff road game since the 1992 NFC Championship game, and have never beaten Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, who is 7-0 lifetime against America's Team. That includes wins in the last two season openers.

“Obviously, a lot has changed for both teams since September. I think it’s just a matter of going through the season and gathering information that feels pertinent to your game plan. That has been our approach,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.

“But you know, it’s playoff football. The only thing we’re guaranteed is four quarters to go win and move on to the next round,”McCarthy added. “Regardless of what they did to win their division, all of that, it’s two teams lining up with the opportunity to move forward.”

Brady finished with a losing record for the first time in his career, and the 8-9 Buccaneers had issues just making the playoffs this season, winning a weak NFC South.

There is a positive side to history for the Cowboys. They are 2-0 against Tampa Bay in the playoffs, although both victories were at home in the early 1980s.

WHAT: Dallas Cowboys (12-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

WHERE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL (65,828)

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, 7:15 p.m. CT

TELEVISION: ESPN/ABC/ESPN+ | FuboTV (try it free)

RADIO: KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan

Tickets via SI Tickets

Betting via SI SportsBook

SPREAD: Dallas Cowboys -2.5 (-118), Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5 (+100)

TOTAL: 45.5 (o -110, u +110)

MONEYLINE: Cowboys -150, Buccaneers +125

Make sure to follow along with in-game updates as they happen with Cowboys Country.

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