Hours after Dallas was eliminated from the NFL playoffs on Sunday, it still affected the playoff race in the NFC.
The Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24 on “Sunday Night Football” to win for the fourth time in their last five games after DaRon Bland stripped Buccaneers running back Rachaad White for a fumble with 1:40 to go. play in the fourth quarter, ending Tampa’s potential. green light for its first reading.
The loss won’t extend the Cowboys’ (7-8) season after Washington’s victory over Philadelphia earlier Sunday mathematically eliminated Dallas’ already slim playoff chances. Still, the Cowboys showed no disappointment, leading 10-0 in the first quarter and 23-14 at halftime.
“SNF» blog: A look back at how the game played out
With just three minutes left in regulation, the Cowboys still held a nine-point lead, but Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield led a quick touchdown drive to pull within 26-24, and Dallas followed with a gentle workout that ended with a quick one. punt, giving the ball back to the Buccaneers with 1:40 remaining.
Enter bland.
After Mayfield extended the play while avoiding being tackled, he threw the ball to his running back, White, who was falling to the turf when the Cowboys defensive back snatched the ball while making a tackle. A stunned Mayfield watched a replay on the scoreboard with his mouth open and his palms facing up, but the Cowboys ran out of time for the victory, although they scored only three points in the second period.
Playing at home had been a recipe for disaster this season for the Cowboys. They now improve to 2-6 at AT&T Stadium.
With this defeat, Tampa Bay (8-7) is no longer in first place in the NFC South. In the NFL, division winners automatically earn a playoff berth, and Atlanta now leads the division. The Falcons have beaten Tampa twice and therefore hold the tiebreaker if they finish the season in two weeks tied in the standings. If Tampa Bay had won this week, its playoff chances would have improved to 94%, according to NFL.com; the loss drops that probability to 67% with two games remaining.
Even though its playoff fate was sealed earlier Sunday, Dallas was also playing for high stakes. Coach Mike McCarthy’s contract ends after this season, and the team’s owners said they are evaluating all of their work before deciding whether he will return in 2025. Since falling to 3-7 after five consecutive defeats, the Cowboys found life again. despite starting quarterback Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury.
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Mayfield threw for 303 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but he was sacked four times and was under relentless pressure for much of the second half, forcing him to evade rushing defenders. Cooper Rush threw for 292 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ victory. Of his 292 yards, 105 went to star player CeeDee Lamb, who caught seven passes.
While Bland’s forced fumble protected the victory, kicker Brandon Aubrey was an unsung hero for the Cowboys, making all four of his field goal attempts, including two from 58 yards and another from 53.
Around the league
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Despite trailing by 13 points early in the fourth quarter, the Washington Commanders came back and beat the Philadelphia Eagles 36-33. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels finished with five touchdowns, the biggest of which came to Jamison Crowder in the final seconds to secure the victory. The Commanders improved to 10-5, tied for the franchise’s most wins in a season since 1992. Philadelphia (12-3), previously on a 10-game winning streak, played most of the game without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who suffered a concussion at the end of the first trimester.
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Speaking of comebacks, the Buffalo Bills overcame a 14-point first-half deficit to beat the New England Patriots 24-21. MVP candidate quarterback Josh Allen had a lackluster game by his standards, but running back James Cook stepped up with two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. The win kept the Kansas City Chiefs from clinching the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
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Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was criticized last week for fumbling at the goal line (which upset many fantasy football owners), but he bounced back with the best individual performance of the weekend. Taylor rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in a 38-30 win over the Tennessee Titans. According to NFL.com, the Colts entered Sunday’s game with a 1% chance of making the playoffs with a loss, but a 15% chance of making the playoffs with a win.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
