TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers misplaced to the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 within the NFC wild-card recreation Monday Night time.
Tampa Bay was the underdog heading into the sport, and even the return of Professional Bowl middle Ryan Jensen from the injured reserve was sufficient to energy the Bucs to a victory. Jensen performed in his first recreation in almost one calendar 12 months after struggling a critical knee damage early in coaching camp.
For Dallas, the win not solely sends the staff to the NFC Divisional Spherical to play the 49ers, it additionally ends an unpleasant playoff streak. Monday’s victory in Tampa ended Dallas’ almost three-decade streak of highway playoff losses. (The final Cowboys highway playoff win was on January 17, 1993.)
With Dallas shifting on, the NFC East may have three of the 4 remaining groups within the NFC playoffs, with solely the 49ers representing some other division.
In Tampa, the loss ends an unpleasant season that noticed an anemic operating recreation unable to present any help to a strong 12 months from Tom Brady. Tampa’s offensive inefficiency was evident all through the season was evident to all of the followers, however the Bucs stayed the course.
Now, Tampa Bay is main adjustments throughout the board. Brady may very well be shifting on to a different staff, and the Bucs head into the offseason with the worst wage cap state of affairs within the Nationwide Soccer League.
Except Brady stays or the Bucs can swing a commerce for an excellent quarterback, it might be a number of years earlier than Bucs followers can take pleasure in one other playoff run.