ARLINGTON, Texas — Like they do hours before kickoff prior to every game, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and coach Mike McCarthy met in McCarthy’s office, although this time there were not many words.
“It was a downtime,” Jones said. “We both looked like we had lost somebody.”
The Cowboys’ playoff chances officially came to a close when the Washington Commanders beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the final seconds, some four hours before Dallas kicked off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Before the game was a real punch in the gut, to say the least,” McCarthy said.
Despite knowing their playoff streak would end at three seasons, the Cowboys still beat the Buccaneers 26-24 to bring their record to 7-8 with their fourth victory in their past five outings.
Already without Pro Bowl players Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs because of injury, the Cowboys were also missing their leading tackler, linebacker Eric Kendricks, because of a calf injury that did not loosen up in a pregame warmup. In the game, they lost Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for most of the second half after he landed on his injured right shoulder in the first half. They also lost receiver Jalen Tolbert to an open dislocation of his pinky finger at the end of the first half.
The Cowboys were outgained by 93 yards, had 10 fewer first downs and had the ball for 5 minutes, 36 seconds less than the NFC South-leading Buccaneers.
Yet, they still won.
Cooper Rush threw for 226 yards in the first half, a career high, with a touchdown pass to Tolbert. Ezekiel Elliott scored a 1-yard touchdown on his only carry of the game, giving him 72 in his Cowboys career.
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis, playing with an elbow brace, intercepted Baker Mayfield‘s pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter, and DaRon Bland ripped away the ball from Rachaad White for a game-clinching fumble with 1:31 to play.
“I just love the way our team plays,” McCarthy said. “I just can’t say enough about the locker room. Their pride. Their character. Their toughness. Resiliency.”
Jones could not say enough about McCarthy, who could be entering his final two games as coach since he does not have a contract beyond this season.
“Proud of those guys, boy,” Jones said. “They wouldn’t give it up out there. So, I’m real proud of them, and Mike McCarthy, he just won’t let them not think that they’re not playing for a Super Bowl out there.”
McCarthy said he did not acknowledge the team’s playoff status prior to kickoff. He said the interactions among the players were not much different from any other game, although he said there were one-on-one discussions about the impact of the Washington victory.
Rush was driving to AT&T Stadium while listening to the Eagles-Commanders game when he learned the season will end either Jan. 4 or 5, whenever the NFL finalizes its Week 18 schedule.
“There’s a lot of players with a lot of wins in that locker room the last three seasons,” Rush said. “So, we know what it’s about. We know who we are as competitors and when you’re playing football, you’re competing to win.”
The only change McCarthy made was electing to take the ball after winning the coin toss. After his game management meeting Friday, the determination was made to defer.
“I said, ‘Hey, let’s take the ball and let’s get up and get going and get this thing started the right way,'” McCarthy said. “So I thought it was good the offense went out there and got some points on the board.”
Brandon Aubrey gave the Cowboys a 3-0 lead with a 58-yard field goal, his first of three field goals of at least 50 yards in the game. Aubrey’s third field goal gave Dallas a 26-14 lead with 6:33 left in the third quarter. The Buccaneers drew to within two points with 2:36 to play but then Bland delivered the Cowboys’ second takeaway to ice the win.
“There’s many things that have gone into us sitting here not in the playoffs and you can start with me,” Jones said. “And I’m not trying to be any way other than a lot of people contribute to it when you win (and) a lot of people contribute to it when you don’t. But, boy, you give that kind of effort, that kind of professionalism, those guys came out and played as if they were fighting for a championship game to go to a Super Bowl.”
Except the Cowboys won’t. Their Super Bowl drought will extend to 29 seasons. Yet, there’s still something to play for with two games remaining.
“Everything,” Rush said. “I mean this is your life. This is ball. This is what you do. You get paid to do it. I don’t think people need much more motivation.”
