Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys Match Player Stats (Dec 22, 2024)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats tell a story of missed opportunities and playoff heartbreak. Sitting in front of 93,103 fans at AT&T Stadium on December 22nd, 2024, I watched the Bucs throw away their NFC South destiny in the most painful way possible.

When Stats Lie and Turnovers Don’t

Tampa Bay outgained Dallas 411 to 317. Controlled the ball for 32:48. Won the third down battle. And still lost 26-24.

Why? Because Baker Mayfield gifted the Cowboys a goal-line interception. Because Rachaad White coughed up the football with 86 seconds left. Because Brandon Aubrey turned AT&T Stadium into his personal shooting gallery.

Sometimes football really is that simple. And that cruel.

Baker’s Homecoming Nightmare

Coming back to Texas, Mayfield needed to be perfect. He wasn’t.

Baker Mayfield’s Performance:

Those 303 yards? Impressive. The 72% completion rate? Solid. But throwing a pick to Jourdan Lewis at the goal line in the fourth quarter? Unforgivable.

Mayfield scrambled for 42 yards on three carries, including an 18-yarder that had the Cowboys defence looking silly. But scrambling ability doesn’t erase red zone mistakes. Not in December. Not with the division on the line.

The quarterback distributed the ball well enough. Mike Evans caught 5 of 8 targets for 69 yards. Rachaad White hauled in 7 catches for 50 yards. But Evans without a touchdown in a must-win game tells you something went wrong.

Tampa’s Ground Game: Good Until It Wasn’t

Bucky Irving ran angry all night. 16 carries, 68 yards, one touchdown. Nothing flashy, just tough yards when Tampa needed them. His 4.3 yards per carry kept drives alive.

But then there’s Rachaad White. Three carries for 10 yards is forgettable. The fumble with 1:26 left? That’s what everyone remembers. DaRon Bland punched it out, and with it went Tampa’s season.

Sterling Shepard added a 14-yard run before his hamstring gave out. Another injury, another backup forced into action. Story of Tampa’s season really.

Dallas’s Passing Game: Efficiency Beats Volume

Cooper Rush doesn’t wow you. He just wins.

Cooper Rush vs Baker Mayfield:

Rush threw for 11 fewer yards on eight fewer attempts. More importantly? Zero turnovers. His 10-yard touchdown to Jalen Tolbert in the first quarter got Dallas rolling. After that, he just managed the game and let his defence create opportunities.

CeeDee Lamb dominated when it mattered. Seven catches, 105 yards, including a 52-yarder that set up scores. Playing through a shoulder injury that had him grimacing after every hit, Lamb still torched Tampa’s secondary. According to ESPN’s game coverage, Lamb had 100 yards by halftime.

Jake Ferguson added 6 catches for 40 yards. Brandin Cooks chipped in 48 yards on just 3 grabs. Nothing spectacular, just consistent production.

The Running Game That Wasn’t

Want to see something ridiculous? Check out Dallas’s rushing stats:

Thirty-one total rushing yards. On 20 attempts. That’s 1.6 yards per carry. Most high school teams would be embarrassed by those numbers.

But Elliott’s one-yard touchdown plunge? That counted for six points just like any other score. Dallas proved you don’t need a running game if you protect the football and kick 58-yard field goals.

Defensive Stats That Actually Mattered

Tampa’s defence came in allowing 15 points per game during their four-game win streak. They left allowing 26 to a team that couldn’t run the ball.

Christian Izien led the Bucs with 9 tackles. Lavonte David added 6. Solid numbers that meant nothing because Tampa generated exactly one sack (split between Diaby and Kancey) and forced zero turnovers.

Meanwhile, Dallas’s defence made plays when they needed them. DaRon Bland’s 7 tackles led the team, but his forced fumble won the game. Jourdan Lewis had just 3 tackles, but one came with an interception at his own goal line. Micah Parsons recorded a sack and generally wreaked havoc.

The Turnover Battle:

• Tampa Bay: 2 turnovers (1 INT, 1 fumble lost)
• Dallas: 0 turnovers

Game over.

Brandon Aubrey’s Record-Breaking Night

This is why special teams coordinators matter. Aubrey went 4-for-4 on field goals, including two from 58 yards. Three of his four field goals came from 50+ yards, giving him 14 on the season. That’s an NFL record.

Chase McLaughlin hit his only attempt from 45 yards for Tampa. Nice kick. Didn’t matter.

In a two-point game, Aubrey scored 14 points. McLaughlin scored 6. Do the math.

Todd Bowles Got Outcoached

Let me say what nobody wants to admit: Todd Bowles got thoroughly outcoached by Mike McCarthy. Yes, the same Mike McCarthy everyone wants fired.

Fourth quarter, game on the line, and your defence can’t get off the field. Your offence can’t protect the football. Your special teams can’t match the other kicker. That’s coaching.

Bowles had his team in position to win. They controlled most of the game statistically. But when winning time arrived, Dallas made plays and Tampa made mistakes.

The Numbers Behind the Heartbreak

Looking at the full box score on Pro Football Reference, Tampa dominated time of possession (32:48 to 27:12), first downs (25 to 15), and total yards. They went 6-for-12 on third down while Dallas managed just 5-for-15.

But check these numbers:

• Sacks allowed: Tampa 4, Dallas 1
• Red zone efficiency: Both teams scored TDs on every red zone trip
• Punts: Tampa 4, Dallas 5

Tampa moved the ball better but couldn’t finish drives. Dallas struggled to move the ball but finished when it counted.

What This Means for the Playoffs

Before this game, Tampa controlled their own destiny. Win out, win the division. Simple.

Now? They need help. At 8-7, they’re tied with Atlanta, who owns the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series. The Bucs need to win out AND need the Falcons to drop one.

For context, check out how these teams performed earlier in the year. Those head-to-head losses look pretty costly now.

Dallas? Already eliminated before kickoff, they played spoiler perfectly. At 7-8, they’ve got nothing left but pride. Sometimes that’s enough.

Hard Truths From the Stat Sheet

1. Yards don’t win games, points do – Tampa’s 94-yard advantage meant nothing
2. Turnovers are everything – Minus-2 in turnover margin equals a loss
3. Kickers matter – Aubrey’s 14 points vs McLaughlin’s 6 points
4. Pass protection wins – Dallas 1 sack allowed, Tampa 4
5. December football is different – Mistakes get magnified

Looking at how Dallas has performed lately, this wasn’t a fluke. They’ve been playing better football than their record suggests.

The Bottom Line

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats paint a clear picture: talent without execution loses to execution without talent. The Bucs had the better team on paper. They had more yards, more first downs, more time with the ball.

What they didn’t have was ball security and a kicker who could bomb 58-yarders. In a two-point game, that’s all that mattered.

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