NFL play-offs: Dak Prescott outplays Tom Brady as Dallas Cowboys knock out Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were knocked out of the NFL playoffs by the impressive Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott outplayed seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady in a dominant performance as the Dallas Cowboys eliminated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from this season’s playoffs and now they are three wins away from lifting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1995 season.

The Bucs qualified for the post-season despite Brady, 45, having the first losing season of his 23-year career.
But their luck ran out as Prescott passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another as Dallas earned its first away win in the playoffs since 1993.

Prescott’s struggles concerning the level he is accustomed to playing at was a major storyline for Dallas entering the playoffs considering he led the league with 15 interceptions this season even though he missed five games. The quarterback didn’t disappoint as he accounted for three touchdowns in the first half alone.

The cowboys were leading 18–0 at half-time and went ahead to win 31–14 over the Bucks.
The five-time Super Bowl winners, who last won the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 1996, had lost their previous eight road games in the playoffs stretching back to a win at the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers beat the Cowboys during last season’s wildcard weekend and the old rivals from the ’90s will meet again in next week’s divisional round at Levi’s Stadium.
Although Tampa Bay (8–9) had a worse record in the regular season than Dallas (12–5), it was enough for them to win the NFC South division and secure home-field advantage for the final game in week one of the playoffs.

Brady, who had been 7–0 against the Cowboys, completed 35 of 66 passes for 351 yards, including second-half touchdowns of 30 yards to Julio Jones and 8 yards to Cameron Brate. He was sacked twice and also threw a costly interception — a second-quarter, end-zone pick from the Dallas 5 that prevented the Bucs from potentially taking the lead when they were only trailing 6–0.

This was his 48th playoff game — more than 23 of the NFL’s 32 franchises have had in their entire history — but there was never a hint of Brady adding to that tally.
Neither team managed to get a first down on the game’s first four possessions, but Prescott slowly found his rhythm, with tight end Dalton Schultz grabbing a high throw for a 22-yard touchdown.

The Bucs made 70 yards on their next drive before Brady made an uncharacteristic error, trying to toss the ball away under pressure only to be picked off in the end zone.
The Cowboys replied with a 15-play drive taking them 80 yards downfield, with Prescott capping it by faking a hand-off before running into the end zone untouched.

On Dallas’ next possession, Prescott made 20-yard passes to Schultz and CeeDee Lamb before finding Schultz for an 11-yard score to round off a 91-yard drive.
Victory looked assured when Prescott, who tied for a league-high 15 interceptions despite missing five games of the regular season, picked out Michael Gallup at the back of the end zone on the Cowboys’ first possession after half-time.

Julio Jones then managed to hang on to a 30-yard pass from Brady to get the Bucs on the board, but Prescott made an 18-yard touchdown pass to Lamb in the fourth quarter to finish with 305 yards, completing 25 of his 33 pass attempts.
Brady salvaged some pride with a late touchdown pass to Cameron Brate and finished with 351 yards, making 35 of a whopping 66 passes.
The only thing that went wrong for the Cowboys on Monday night was kicker Brett Maher missing his first four extra points, becoming the first player in NFL history to miss that many in a game.

Maher finally converted on his fifth attempt after coach Mike McCarthy decided against sending him out to try a field goal from roughly the same distance as a PAT.
Dallas beat Brady for the first time in the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s career and won in the postseason on the road for the first time in 30 years to earn a trip to San Francisco to face the 49ers in the NFC divisional round next Sunday.

Things will be more challenging in the next round against Nick Bosa and the 49ers’ defense, but the version of Prescott that was on display Monday makes Dallas a Super Bowl threat.