FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are out of the NFL playoffs chase.
But they are in a groove against the contending Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Sunday Night Football.''
The Bucs are 8-6, riding a four-game winning streak and trying to fend off the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. Tampa Bay's chances of a fourth-straight division title and a fifth consecutive playoff appearance are alive and well.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, the Cowboys are 6-8, won't repeat as East champions, and won't go to the postseason for the first time in four years thanks to a Commanders shocking win over the Eagles earlier in the day.
The Cowboys are nevertheless opening this one in an inspired way, with Cooper Rush leading the offense to a field goal and a Jalen Tolbert TD and a 10-0 lead with three minutes left in the first half.
Of course, the Bucs have lots of firepower. So we're just getting started here.
It's Baker Mayfield's second game ever at AT&T Stadium and he confidently walks in with a 1-0 record over the Cowboys after a 49-38 victory with the Browns in front of a pandemic-restricted crowd on Oct. 4, 2020.
“There’s a lot of memories that I have,” said Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and played high school football in the Austin area. “I played a state championship game in high school there, Big 12 championship there. It’s close enough to Oklahoma that you always see a lot of Sooner jerseys in there. For me, it’s special.”
The season hasn't gone as anticipated for the Cowboys - who lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a season-ending hamstring injury after eight games. But they've won three of their last four and now have four starters on injured reserve - Prescott, seven-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin (ankle), 2021 All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
“Obviously, it’s important to live, learn and apply to the future. I do enjoy these questions, because I am a philosopher,” McCarthy said, trying to keep a straight face. “We need to beat Tampa. At the end of the day, our job is to create the culture, make sure the team is being trained properly and make sure our guys are getting everything they need to win football games.”