Cowboys vs Buccaneers Week 1: history, key players, projection

Cowboys vs Buccaneers: Gut projection

Projection: Dallas Cowboys 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26

This feels a lot like a repeat of last year’s game where the offenses get going and it may come down to who has the ball late in the fourth quarter. It also feels like a game where a100% healthy  Prescott does his thing on national television and makes a statement to quiet a lot of doubts.

The Bucs are going to get theirs as well. They are very talented on the outside at receiver. For as talented as they are outside, the Cowboys should see an interior advantage with their pass rush. The Bucs offensive line has injuries and Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn can have success dialing up pressures. Micah Parsons gets on the board in Week 1 with a sack in this one and the pressure causes one interception.

The Cowboys will try to run the ball early and they will squeeze just enough juice out of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, who end up nearly identical in yardage, to keep Tampa Bay honest. Prescott doesn’t need carried by the run game, he just needs some chain moving runs and he gets those.

I say the Cowboys open up 1-0 in AT&T Stadium with a close, but impressive win that gets them off and running in the 2022 season.

Cowboys vs Buccaneers Prediction and Odds for Week 1 rematch

Dallas Cowboys football is finally here! Take a look at the early odds and our prediction for Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.