<\/p>\n
Even though the final score indicated a close game, the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 26-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night felt much more decisive.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys learned earlier in the day that their slim playoff hopes had ended, but they came out strong and led wire-to-wire against an NFC contender.<\/p>\n
There was a lot to take away from the game on both sides of the ball. But in the second half, it was the defense that stole the show.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to win for each other, so we did,\u201d quarterback Cooper Rush told NBC after the game.<\/p>\n
What happened Sunday night \u2014 and what can still happen \u2014 will play a role in determining what the future looks like past 2024.<\/p>\n
After the Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention before Sunday\u2019s game, questions about head coach Mike McCarthy\u2019s job status were thrown back into the forefront. There will be a hotly contested debate that will be had when the season ends about whether he has accomplished enough to return, but there might be an easier conversation to have about defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.<\/p>\n
It was a messy return to the NFL for Zimmer in the team\u2019s first few games, as his defense allowed more rushing yards through three weeks (557) than any team since 1963. But as the season progressed and his defense adjusted, it has emerged as one of the more improved units in the NFL.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Zimmer\u2019s crew limited a Tampa Bay offense that led the NFL with 31.6 points per game on the road to 24 points. The Buccaneers found success, but it wasn\u2019t nearly at the pace that they had been used to away from home.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be on the rise at the end of the season as a defense is definitely good,\u201d defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa said postgame. \u201cIt just speaks to the drive and the persistence of everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
And Dallas did it without its lead communicator in linebacker Eric Kendricks.<\/p>\n
In all, Zimmer is quietly putting himself firmly in the mix to return to Dallas in 2025 with his defense\u2019s improved play on the back half of the season.<\/p>\n
Every quarterback on the roster not named Dak Prescott is due to be a free agent when the league year opens on March 14, and decisions will have to be made by the Dallas front office on who it wants to bring back to backup Prescott.<\/p>\n
Both Rush and Trey Lance should go into free agency with the objective of finding a primary backup role, but only one can earn that spot in Dallas. Yes, the Cowboys burned a fourth-round pick on bringing in Lance for a tryout, and it\u2019s OK to admit it didn\u2019t work out. Bringing back Rush is the right thing to do.<\/p>\n
Rush has proven time and again that he can manage the offense when Prescott goes down. And now with two season-ending injuries and an extended absence in 2022 on the books for Prescott, prioritizing the backup quarterback position is absolutely necessary for the next four years on his contract.<\/p>\n
On Sunday night, Rush got the Dallas offense rolling and it never looked back.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuys were stepping in,\u201d Rush said postgame. \u201cWhoever was in there made the catches when they needed to…We had a good plan going in. Guys kept running and making plays.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his last six games, Rush has thrown for 1,485 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. It\u2019s that type of consistency that is required at the backup quarterback spot, and he\u2019s been a reliable contributor each time he\u2019s been called on.<\/p>\n
Prescott had thrown for 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the eight games he played before being injured.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s going to be tough to figure out the cap space available to the Dallas front office going into 2025 free agency, but there are multiple current players that will have to be figured out in order to bring them back.<\/p>\n
Unlike the 2024 offseason when the team let 11 free agents depart, in 2025 Dallas should try and get guys like cornerback Jourdan Lewis, running back Rico Dowdle, defensive end Chauncey Golston, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and wide receiver KaVontae Turpin back into the fold.<\/p>\n
With a fully healthy team around those returnees, the Cowboys could use the services of experience on both sides, specifically as it pertains to experience already playing in Dallas.<\/p>\n
The \u201cburn it all down\u201d sentiment can be understood after the season Dallas has had, but it\u2019s hard to look past what these players have done in recent weeks \u2014 especially those playing in their final contract year.<\/p>\n
It took almost 25 minutes of gametime for the Dallas defense to sack Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, but when the pass rush came alive, it never went away.<\/p>\n
As the second half carried on, multiple Cowboys pass rushers got to Mayfield for four sacks on the night. It was especially evident in the fourth quarter, as multiple hits on Mayfield briefly forced him into the concussion protocol.<\/p>\n
Zimmer has become increasingly comfortable in unleashing multiple players on the quarterback, such as safety Donovan Wilson who got a sack for the third time in four games. On a defense that has the most six-sack games in the NFL (three) this season, having multiple weapons at its disposal has been a big reason for the overall unit\u2019s growth in December.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to credit it to complementary football,\u201d defensive end Chauncey Golston said postgame. \u201cOffense is doing their job and forcing the team to have to pass the ball. And then we do what we\u2019re paid to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is there any more that can be said about CeeDee Lamb?<\/p>\n
In a season that has seen a steady dose of injuries slow down the offense, including to his starting quarterback, Lamb has still had one of the most productive seasons for a receiver in the NFL \u2014 with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder for the last eight weeks.<\/p>\n
Lamb\u2019s six receptions put him over 100 catches on the season for the third consecutive season, and his 100 yards pushed his season total to 1,189 with two games to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a warrior,\u201d Rush said. \u201cHe\u2019s as tough as they come. He\u2019s out there moving around. Throw it to him or hand it to him, it felt good to get him down the field tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even on a day where the Cowboys\u2019 playoff hopes officially left the stadium before they even lined up, Lamb\u2019s consistency has remained. If anything can be learned from 2024, Dallas knows it has 88 to build around for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Cowboys pull out a prime-time win over the Buccaneers despite being eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dallas-cowboys"],"yoast_head":"\n