Buccaneers at Cowboys: Highlights, score and recap

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football in Week 15, 26-20. Dallas improves to 12-2 on the season, while Tampa Bay falls to 8-6 on the year.

After losing to a division rival in the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football last week, the Dallas Cowboys played with enough poise to outlast the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-20 on Sunday Night Football in Week 15.

This was Dallas’ 12th win of the season and the Cowboys creep ever closer to home field advantage in the NFC. The only team that can get home field advantage in the NFC besides the Cowboys would be the Giants. If they both finish 12-4, New York would win the division by virtue of the Dallas series sweep.

Tampa Bay falls back a game of the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South standings at 8-6. The Buccaneers need the Carolina Panthers to win on Monday Night Football to avoid dropping into seventh place in the NFC. A win by the Washington Redskins would get them the No. 6 seed at 8-5-1 entering Week 16.

The Buccaneers would have their moments in this game, looking particularly sharp at times in the third quarter. However, it would be Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott that would be the difference. Tampa Bay couldn’t keep from moving the chains on the ground. Elliott had 159 rushing yards and an unforgettable touchdown where he hopped into the giant, red Salvation Army kettle after finding pay dirt.

Tampa Bay would have to go almost the entire football field down 26-20 with roughly 90 seconds remaining with no timeouts. Dallas would seal the game by having Orlando Scandrick pick off Jameis Winston on a fourth and 12 from near the 50-yard line.

Three Stars

1. Ezekiel Elliott: Elliott was the bell-cow back that Dallas needed to wear down the vaunted Mike Smith Tampa Bay defense. He would have 23 carries for 159 yards and a rushing touchdown. Elliot would have three receptions for 29 receiving yards.
2. Kwon Alexander: Alexander did everything in his power to keep Tampa Bay in this game. He had 21 tackles, 11 solo, and two for a loss of yardage.
3. Dak Prescott: Prescott was super efficient as a passer on Sunday Night Football. He completed 32 of 36 passes for 279 yards. Prescott would carry the football four times for 20 yards and a touchdown.

Highlights

Next Game

The Buccaneers will have an interesting road game in Week 16. They will play their NFC South rival in the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24. Kickoff from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will be at 4:25 p.m. ET. FOX will have the telecast.

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Dallas has a tough game in Week 16. The Cowboys will host the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Monday, Dec. 26. Kickoff will be at 8:30 p.m. ET. ESPN will have the primetime telecast.