Only two quarterbacks in the NFL have thrown more passing touchdowns this season than Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Dallas Cowboys (6-8) will host one of the NFL’s top offenses this Sunday night when they face Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6). This game at AT&T Stadium marks Dallas’ sixth prime-time appearance of the season.
Here are five key points to know about the Cowboys’ next opponent.
Bucs Are in Good Hands
Baker Mayfield has revitalized his career with the Buccaneers, and on Sunday night, the nation will see why his name is now mentioned alongside Tom Brady’s in Tampa Bay’s record books. Mayfield has thrown 32 touchdowns this season, with only Joe Burrow of the Bengals (36) and Lamar Jackson of the Ravens (34) surpassing him. Last week against the LA Chargers, Mayfield delivered an outstanding performance, throwing four touchdowns while completing 81% of his passes for 288 yards. He is now one of three Buccaneers quarterbacks—along with Jameis Winston and Brady—to throw for 30 or more touchdowns in a season. This marks the first time Mayfield has reached the 30-touchdown mark, with his previous best being 28 last year. In his rookie season with the Browns in 2018, Mayfield threw 27 touchdown passes but was unable to replicate that success in Cleveland. Mayfield has 3,617 passing yards this season (ranking fourth in the league), with 328 completions on 463 attempts. His 70.8% completion rate ranks third in the NFL, behind only Tua Tagovailoa (73.7%) and Jared Goff (71.4%). However, Mayfield has thrown 14 interceptions, the second-worst mark in the league, trailing only Kirk Cousins of Atlanta, who has 15.
Scoring Machine
The Cowboys’ defense will have its hands full trying to stop the high-scoring Tampa Bay offense. The Bucs have scored 47 touchdowns this season, ranking fifth in the league. Under offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Tampa Bay averages 388.4 yards per game, with only the Lions (403.9) and Ravens (424.1) posting higher averages. In the last three games, the Buccaneers have averaged an impressive 457 yards per game, the highest in the league. Tampa Bay’s explosive passing attack is particularly impressive considering they do not attempt the most passes per game, with an average of 33.1 (15th in the league). In contrast, the Browns (39 passes) and Cowboys (38.5) lead in pass attempts. Tampa Bay’s top receiver is Mike Evans, with 749 yards (27th in the league), 52 catches, and 9 touchdowns.
Defense Not Responding
Tampa Bay’s defense is its weak point. The Bucs allow 368.5 yards per game, ranking 28th in the league, and have surrendered 34 touchdowns. Their pass defense is the third-worst in the NFL, allowing 254.1 yards per game, with the secondary giving up 21 touchdown passes—only the Panthers and Jaguars have allowed more (24). The Buccaneers’ run defense allows 115.2 yards per game (11th in the league). While Tampa Bay’s explosive offense helps offset the defensive struggles, their defense still allows 23.8 points per game, ranking 22nd in the league. In the red zone, Tampa Bay’s defense has a touchdown rate of 51%, which is the 10th-best mark in the league.
The Man in Charge
Todd Bowles is considered one of the NFL’s top defensive minds, which led to him being named head coach of the Buccaneers following Bruce Arians’ retirement in 2021. In Super Bowl LV, Bowles’ defense shut out the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense, a rare feat in Super Bowl history. In 2021, Bowles’ defense led the NFL in quarterback hits, ranked third in rush defense, and was fifth in fewest points allowed. In his first year as head coach in 2022, Bowles led the Buccaneers to an NFC South title, becoming only the second coach in franchise history to do so in their first season, alongside Jon Gruden. Over his first two seasons, Bowles led the Buccaneers to consecutive playoff appearances and NFC South titles, a feat no other Bucs head coach has matched. Prior to joining Tampa Bay, Bowles served as head coach of the New York Jets (2015-18) and continues to act as the team’s defensive coordinator.
One-Sided Rivalry
The Cowboys and Buccaneers have met 22 times (including three postseason games), with Dallas winning 16 of those matchups. The Cowboys have won three of the last five encounters with Tampa Bay. The most recent meeting at AT&T Stadium was on September 11, 2022, when the Buccaneers defeated Dallas 19-3 in a Sunday night game. The Buccaneers have played the Cowboys twice on Sunday Night Football, with a 1-1 record. Their first Sunday Night Football game was on September 23, 1990, when they defeated the Detroit Lions 23-20. Their most recent Sunday Night Football game was on December 25, 2022, against the Arizona Cardinals, which resulted in a 19-16 win. Tampa Bay’s overall record on Sunday Night Football stands at 9-15.
