Yet when the Bucs visit Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, both teams will have 4-5 marks after Tampa Bay’s comeback, 10-6 win over the luckless Dallas Cowboys Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
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Winston scored on a 1-yard keeper on the next play, giving the Bucs (4-5) their third win in five games and extending the Cowboys’ longest losing streak in 26 years to seven games. “We’re closer to playing better technique, sound football”.
“If the behavior continues to persist, at a few point you say, ‘OK, we have to do something here, ‘” Garrett said.
On the next play, Winston executed the fake perfectly and strolled into the end zone for the only touchdown in the game. “That’s what we should be talking about”. The only game in the last seven in which they outscored the opponent was against Seattle, whom they outscored 6-3.
Since the division is flawed – the other three teams have five losses apiece – the Cowboys still have faint hope. “We’re just very disappointed for everybody concerned that we haven’t won more games”, the team owner said. “They did a good job defensively, We didn’t do enough to win this ballgame, so that’s the story of the game”.
Everything you needed to know about this season was on full display Sunday. Romo has been out since breaking his collarbone in Week 3, fracturing the Dallas offense. 500 or better this late in a season for the first time since November 2012.
-RUN DEFENSE: A. The Bucs have never played the run as well under coach Lovie Smith as they did against the Cowboys. This offense sans Romo will struggle to find a rhythm if the ground game isn’t working. Thanks to two Jeff Heath interceptions, both on tipped passes, the Cowboys held a +2 advantage before the Matt Cassel interception on the game’s final meaningful play.
Winston then catapulted himself in the air, losing the ball before reaching the goal line. Come to work every day and work hard and get himself ready to play in this ball game. Romo has been able to do individual work in practice for the Cowboys and that could put him on track to start this week against the Dolphins.
In the last 1:07 of the game, Winston went from hero to goat to hero again, and Smith checked his pulse. Tampa Bay drafted him first overall to keep him in the state of Florida, and over time he will have the chance to kill teams with his arm and his feet. Even on his fumble, he saw that Dallas was holding the receivers, it was 3rd and goal and it was up to him to try and get it in the end zone. Bryant didn’t make much of an effort because he thought he’d drawn a pass interference call on McDougald. I’m not trying to make excuses, but it just kinda threw me off my target. “I know the standard that I have for myself”, Bryant said.
After throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble during a 14-point loss to Carolina on October 4, Winston went four straight games without a turnover. Heath’s first interception ended a stretch of 134 consecutive pass attempts without a pick. Do not allow these sleights of hand to distract you from the obvious, that the 2015 season is over for the Dallas Cowboys.
BIG DAY: Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans had eight receptions for 126 yards.
And don’t look now, but it appears the Bucs’ defense has fixed their red zone issues.
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Smith had no update on DE George Johnson, who was limited to 17 plays Sunday after a calf injury.
