By Arnie Leshin
Dak Prescott pulled out all the stops with a career game finally ending a draught against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and other long annoying waits.
And for those expecting more record interceptions to fil the air from the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, he disappointed, instead piecing together a performance of 305 passing yards that brought four touchdowns and added one of his own in stunning the Bucs, 31-14, Monday night.
How bad was it? Well, for the higher seeded Buccaneers (8-10) and their legendary 45-year-old quarterback Tom Brady, home field at Raymond James Stadium meant little. For the fired-up Cowboys (13-5), it was like their home away from home.
Behind excellent blocking and the composure of the 29-year-old Prescott, Dallas struck quickly by putting together three touchdowns with one glitch, failing each time on point-after kicks.
When it happened a fourth time and the lead became 24-0, even Prescott became upset and yelled at his kicker Brett Maher. When he finally converted one and the score became 31-6 in the third quarter, even Prescott applauded.
For the Tampa Bay fans it was the only thing to laugh about as Dallas finally won one over Brady after seven straight setbacks. It also brought back memories of Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson leaving the field in 2002 and announcing “How about those Cowboys?”
In 1993 to the day, Dallas had dropped eight playoff games on the road before winning the National Football League championship on Jan. 17 in San Francisco.
For Prescott, it was a night to remember. He connected on 25 of 33 passes and played turnover-free ball for the first time in eight starts as his Cowboys dominated the listless Buc in what may turn out to be Brady’s last game in a Tampa Bay uniform.
Brady, who has won a record seven Super Bowls, signed with the Buccaneers in 2020 and led the way to a Super Bowl title two years later. Now, after retiring and unretiring after that, he now becomes a free agent again this winter.
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS