Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys: 3 Bold predictions for Week 16

The Dallas Cowboys host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16 and aim to lock up the NFC East. Bold predictions for this NFC matchup on Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys had won five-straight games and had an opportunity to lock up the NFC East heading into Week 15. Instead, they laid a massive egg against the Indianapolis Colts and are still trying to secure their playoff lives. They have a fantastic chance to do that, though, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Week 16.

Sitting at 5-9 on the season, the Buccaneers have not been shy about airing it out and trying to force shootouts. The problem with that, however, is that their defense has been so bad this season that they can’t win even if they do force a shootout. And with an inconsistent offense, that makes things even worse.

For the Cowboys, their defense has carried them much of the season, but the insertion of Amari Cooper after trading a first-round pick for the wide receiver has rejuvenated the offense — even if that didn’t show last week. They’ll look to take advantage of the porous Bucs defense and ultimately secure their playoff berth.

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And with that, let’s look at a trio of bold predictions for this Week 16 matchup.

3. Amari Cooper bounces back with 100+ yard performance

As the Cowboys laid a huge dud last week against the Colts, Amari Cooper was nowhere close to as big of a factor as he had been in the previous three games, catching just four balls on seven targets for 32 yards, though he did add an 11-yard run. Even still, his performance was indicative of the Dallas offense as a whole, but he’s destined to bounce back against a putrid Tampa Bay defense.

The Buccaneers have the 27th worst passing defense in terms of yardage and are tied for the worst passing defense in regards to scoring. Thus, the Cowboys will certainly look to expose a weak secondary and Cooper is more than capable. As he did against the Eagles, I expect the newest addition to Dallas to explode for a monster day. Saying over 100 yards might actually be under-selling what he can do on Sunday.

2. Jameis Winston throws 3+ interceptions

While Jameis Winston has actually been quietly impressive for much of this season, he’s been a bit exposed in the past two weeks when matched up with two top-notch defenses. Against the Saints and Ravens, Winston has combined to go just 31-of-63 for 370 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Now, the Cowboys are going to give him a hard time again and force an even worse showing.
With the pass rush that the Cowboys can bring and the coverage ability of their secondary and linebacker, Winston is going to be forced into trademark bad decisions all day long. Dallas’ defense is going to be able to capitalize on that and, even if the Bucs do make some splash plays, they’ll also set themselves back with Winston throwing three-or-more interceptions on the day.

Hey, we might even see some FitzMagic if that happens.

1. Ezekiel Elliott finishes with another 200 yards from scrimmage

As great as the addition of Cooper has been for the Cowboys offense, there’s no questioning the fact that Ezekiel Elliott is the heart of the unit. However, one impact that Cooper has had on Elliott is increasing his volume and effectiveness in the passing game, making him an all-purpose monster. Against this porous Buccaneers defense, that should only continue to be the case.

Not only do I expect Dallas to attack the Tampa Bay linebackers with Elliott early on, but the Cowboys should also jump out to a solid lead in this game. As such, they’ll be able to run the clock out, which only puts the ball in Elliott’s hands more. Thus, the NFL’s leading rusher is going to have another big day at the office and eclipse 200 total yards once again.