FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have a quick turnaround this week as they prepare to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Coming off last week’s game at Houston, the Cowboys will need to put together a complete performance on both sides of the football.
Defensively, the focus starts with containing Tampa Bay quarterback Jalen Daniels. His ability to extend plays outside the pocket presents a challenge for a Cowboys pass rush that will need to stay disciplined and keep him contained.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday that the pass rush begins with coverage. If Dallas can prevent Daniels from escaping to the edges, the defensive front should have more opportunities to pressure him.
Offensively, the Cowboys need to stay balanced, protect Dak Prescott and finish drives with points.
Prescott has been particularly effective on third down this season, completing 28 of 39 passes for a 71.8% completion rate. Twenty-one of those completions have resulted in first downs, which leads the NFL.
CeeDee Lamb also enters Thursday’s matchup following a historic performance against Houston. Lamb caught a career-high 17 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to record at least 17 receptions, 180 receiving yards and a touchdown in a game.
Dallas has won three of its last five regular-season meetings with Tampa Bay and owns a 9-3 record in Thursday Night Football games since the broadcast began in 2006.
Despite Tampa Bay entering the game at 0-4, the Cowboys cannot afford to overlook the Buccaneers.
On a short week, execution will be critical. Dallas will need to protect Prescott, capitalize on offensive opportunities and keep Daniels contained if it wants to come away with a win at home.
