FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott said the Dallas Cowboys "will be 100 percent" ready for when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers march onto the field at AT&T Stadium for Thursday Night Football.
The narrow loss against the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil was followed by a narrow, and harrowing, comeback win over the Houston Texans and, four days later, another team desperate for their first win will undoubtedly test Prescott's promise and the Cowboys' resolve to stack wins.
With a chance to go 2-0 at home and 3-2 to begin the season, fatigue can't be a reason for falling back below .500, and Todd Bowles' group in Tampa has proven to be a handful for any team, anywhere.
Who takes the win in primetime? Here's the picks from the DallasCowboys.com staff:
Patrik: Tired? Nobody cares. That is precisely how Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are, and should be, approaching this game against the Bucs. Has the NFL schedule put them behind the eight ball going into this TNF matchup? Absolutely but, again, nobody cares, because Todd Bowles is desperately trying to turn his program around in Tampa and what better way to do it than to upset the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on national TV?
Exactly, so play ball, and I believe the Cowboys will. As I write this, I have no clue if Tyler Smith will return but, if he does, that tilts the needle even more in Dallas' favor against Vita Vea and that front. But without Baker Mayfield, it's undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels trying to overcome Quinnen Williams and Co. long enough to find his talented receivers. Inversely, without Antoine Winfield Jr. (and Josiah Trotter?), Prescott and the offense should have a huge day if they block well. Don't let this be a repeat of the Cardinals in 2025, please and thank you. My first blowout prediction is here. 42-14, Cowboys
Tommy: The Cowboys have everything going their way in this game to set up for a victory. A rookie UDFA is making his second start after an up and down week last Sunday, and the Buccaneers will be without some key defensive pieces too coming off the short week. That said, you can never take anything for granted in the NFL. Tampa Bay is an 0-4 team with a very experienced head coach in Todd Bowles, and the Bucs can still present some challenges.
Daniels' legs will be something the Cowboys have to contain better than they've contained other rushing QBs. Tampa Bay's defensive line is stout and doesn't give up a lot against the run. All of that said, I think Dallas has a major advantage in the passing game, where Dak Prescott and his receivers have been firing on all cylinders to start the year. Defensively, I think Christian Parker's unit will have a prime opportunity to get some turnovers against a young quarterback especially if they continue to have success against the run. I'm taking Dallas to win their second straight. Cowboys, 34-20.
Josh: Cowboys. Buccaneers. Thursday Night Football. This has "get-right game" printed on it in big, bold letters. But they just won last week? Sure. However, one critical narrative of your Dallas Cowboys since our last 12-win season is a tendency to play down to our opponents. I genuinely mean no disrespect to Todd Bowles and Co., but with a lengthy injury report that includes Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield Jr. as OUT, the Bucs are up against it on a short week. Undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels can threaten with his legs for sure, but this can and should be an easy win.
My gut is saying it is. Dak, CeeDee, George, Javonte, and even Flournoy can rack up some serious stats on Thursday night, but the key is to start early and score often. Give your defense a lead and let the pass rush get some confidence reps against Daniels and a porous offensive line. It might even lead to some 3rd-and-long scenarios where Von Miller can finally make his presence known a quarter of the way through the season. Let's get outta bed and catch up on these sack totals. Cowboys 40, Buccaneers 16.
Nick: I love the fact this is a short week for a couple of reasons. Injury-wise, I don't think it really matters much for the Cowboys because the players banged up probably weren't going to play anyway. And as far as the flip side, Tyler Smith is probably going to give it a go Thursday night, having practiced in full on Wednesday. Another reason I like the short week is that it really doesn't give the Cowboys any more time to start hearing about 0-4 Tampa Bay and how big the line is for the game.
This could have "trap game" written all over it, but I don't think it will because of the short week and the focus both teams have to have. Yes, Tampa Bay is gritty, losing all four games by single-digits. But they really haven't faced an offense like this one in Dallas, which is playing better than it has all season. So if that continues, it'll put a lot of pressure on the Bucs and their young quarterback to keep up. I don't think they will. I've got 3 predictions for this game... No. 1, Ryan Flournoy has his first 100-yard game of the season. The Bucs will try to take away both Pickens and CeeDee and that's why Flournoy will feast. No. 2, I've got Von Miller getting his first sack of the season and No. 3, the special teams will have a bounce back game - one way or another. A big kick or punt return or maybe they'll do a little "blocking" of their own. All in all, Cowboys win 34-23.
