The NFL’s regular season has come to a close, and the stage is set for the Dallas Cowboys first round playoff matchup. Here, we have the Cowboys Playoff game time, date, TV channel and more.
The Cowboys needed a miracle to move from the fifth seed to the first seed in the NFC, and the football Gods didn’t come through. So, Dallas will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.
Tampa Bay won the NFC South with a 8-9 record, which landed them the fourth seed. Here’s all the information you’ll need to tune into the game:
Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Kickoff time: Monday, Jan. 16, 7:15 p.m. CT
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Spread: Cowboys -3
- Over/under total: TBD
Not your father’s Tom Brady-led team
The case for Tom Brady being the greatest football player of all time is an easy one to make. He’s a seven-time Super Bowl champion, three-time MVP, three-time All-Pro and a 15-time Pro Bowler.
But this year has been unlike the rest for Touchdown Tommy. For the first time in Brady’s 23-year career, his team finished below .500 in games he started.
But Tampa Bay’s struggles aren’t all on Brady. The team has dealt with a lot of instability on the offensive line due to injuries.
In fact, Brady’s 490 completions this season were a career-high, and an NFL record. The previous record holder was Brady from the 2021 season. But his 25 touchdown passes are the fewest he’s thrown since 2019.
Bucs look much different than Week 1
Cowboys fans certainly remember the beatdown Tampa Bay laid on Dallas in the first game of the season. The Buccaneers won 19-3, thoroughly dominating on both sides of the ball. Tampa gained 347 yards of offense while allowing just 244 yards.
Leonard Fournette’s 127 rushing yards were a big factor in Tampa Bay’s win. But only one other time did a Buccaneers player surpass 100 yards in a game this season.
Tampa Bay’s 81 rushing yards per game ranks last in the NFL. The Bucs’ inability to run the ball has led to Brady throwing a career-high 733 pass attempts this season.
This doesn’t bode well for a Cowboys defense that’s struggled defending the aerial attack in recent weeks. Add in the fact that Brady is a perfect 7-0 vs. the Cowboys, and Dallas fans will be stressing over this matchup all week.
