Final score 31-29 – Bucs defeats 2021 Dallas Cowboys in Week 1



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The Cowboys won the draw to start the 2021 season and chose to postpone, putting the ball in the hands of the Bucs offense to start the game. Again, the Buccaneers would start off slow, likely playing mind games again as they lured Dallas into a false sense of security three times.

A good punt from Bradley Pinion pinned the Cowboys to their own two-yard line, but quarterback Dak Prescott threw a 28-yard pass to quickly get out of harm’s way. Dallas would hit the Bucs’ 39-yard line before finally getting to a punt after a false start from “the whole offensive line.” No seriously. That’s what the referee said.

The next series would meet more of the Bucs’ expectations of their powerful offense as Brady covered 94 yards on the pitch, thanks in large part to catches from Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and ultimately Chris Godwin. The latter caught a five-yard catch in the end zone to put the Bucs in the foreground, 7-0, with 5:23 left in the first quarter.

The Cowboys responded with a killer offense, racking up 75 yards in seven games. It ended with a pass from Prescott to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for his first end of the night just in the front corner of the end zone. He wrapped it all up with 1:35 left in the first.

The next practice for the Bucs did not yield any points as they stalled in midfield, but the Bucs’ defense returned the favor. It was defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh who put Dallas running back Troy Pollard on the line on the third down, carrying Pollard with him until the whistle. The result was a punt for the Cowboys as they returned the ball with 12:54 left in the second.

The Bucs kicked off again on the next drive, which they started in midfield thanks to a good comeback from Jaydon Mickens, despite the fact that they were also sentenced to a penalty. Brady and his company roamed the pitch quickly and the ride ended with a two-meter dart towards Gronkowski ahead of the end zone to put the Bucs atop 14-7 with just under 10 minutes left. play in the second quarter.

Dallas had 62 yards in seven games but stalled at Tampa Bay 13. Kicker Greg Zuerlein then attempted the field goal but missed 31 yards, leaving the score 14-7.

Disaster struck the Bucs in the next series when running back Ronald Jones missed the ball on the first play from the drive. Dallas took over at the Bucs’ 27 and then capitalized, entering the end zone on a five-yard pass to Amari Cooper. They would have done it if there hadn’t been any missed extra point. The Bucs hung on to a one point lead midway through the second quarter.

The next series would also end with a turnover as Brady was intercepted on an inclined pass intended for running back Leonard Fournette. Dallas’ Trevon Diggs found the ball, but this time Dallas only shot one basket. The Cowboys took their first lead of the game, 16-14, with 3:21 left before halftime.

Then, seemingly tired of mistakes, the Bucs offense only needed two plays to get off the pitch after starting at 43. It was a first pass to Chris Godwin followed by a touchdown pass of 47. yards to Brown, who made the score 21-16 and Dallas lead short-lived just before the two-minute warning.

From there, Dallas ended up attempting a 60-yard field goal that wasn’t good. The Bucs could not score in their last practice of the first half, however. He left the score 21-16 at halftime.

Dallas came out of the half starting with the ball after deferring early in the game. They got down on the field, but the defense stopped them on the third down and on goal on the Tampa Bay three. It dampened the damage, allowing the Bucs to hold onto their lead after Zuerlein was good from 21 yards, bringing the score to 21-19 with 9:19 left in the third.

The Bucs’ next series ended with an offensive punt, with three runs and the added bonus of a questionable sustain call on the fourth down. The Cowboys took over on their own 25-yard line.

This time it would be Dallas’ turn to return it after Prescott’s pass bounced off CeeDee Lamb … and Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis. The offense picked up again for the Bucs and it wouldn’t be long before Brady found Gronkowski for the second time on the night for an 11-yard touchdown pass that took the Bucs’ lead to 28-19 in the middle. of the third quarter.

The Cowboys would respond on their next ride – and eat a little clockwork. Prescott found Cooper in the end zone on a 21-yard touchdown pass, closing a 10-game, 75-yard trip to the field for Dallas. That reduced the Bucs’ lead to 28-26 with 33 seconds left in the third quarter.

Tampa Bay would unfortunately be empty in their next practice, but the Bucs’ defense would return the favor as the two teams traded punts. The offense from Tom Brady and the Bucs took over with 10:54 left, starting at their own 37-yard line.

From there, the Bucs went all the way, hitting the 13-yard line before Brady shot Godwin to put the Bucs in the top five. As Godwin struggled to get into the end zone, he ended up losing the ball and Dallas recovered. The Bucs put the Cowboys in a third and 11 position as the two-minute warning sounded. They would convert and arrive at the Bucs 34-yard line. They went all the way to the 30-yard line before being forced to attempt a field goal. This time, Zuerlein would convert the 48-yard kick and give Dallas a 29-28 lead with 1:24 to go.

The Bucs incurred a false start penalty on the disc, which cost them their last time out. A few good catches, one by Gronk, one by Godwin, put the Bucs at No. 18 for the Cowboys. Three straight shots won the fourth and 10 of the 14, and it was Ryan Succop who hooked up on the 36-yard basket to give the Bucs a 31-29 lead with two seconds left.

Dallas recovered the ball and immediately took a time out to run a play. It would go nowhere and the Bucs would end the night with a victory, 31-29.

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