Nick Harris: What to watch in Cowboys-Buccaneers on Sunday night

There’s still a chance? There’s still a chance.

The Cowboys postseason hopes hinge on a multitude of outcomes to happen with zero room for error. But more importantly, three games remain until the Dallas front office will be thrust into an all important offseason that will require tough decisions in a timely manner.

Dallas will welcome in the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are winners of four consecutive games and are pushing for an NFC South division title with a now healthy Mike Evans and yet another strong season from quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Can Dallas pull off a Sunday night upset to stay alive in the NFC playoff race? Here are five things to watch in the primetime matchup.

Hot Streak

Both teams enter Sunday’s game riding a strong four-week stretch that includes Tampa Bay winning four straight and Dallas winning three of four.

Something will have to give for one of these teams, and Dallas is focusing on being on the winning side of that equation.

“We’re taking each and every practice personal,” wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “Obviously, opportunities are limited and we know that. As for me, it’s about putting my best foot forward for these guys and this team to lead.”

As Dallas looks to remain in the hunt for not only the playoff race, but also for a fourth consecutive season finishing over .500, the importance of getting a win against a surging Tampa Bay team is not lost on the players in the locker room.

Hanging by a Thread

Entering week 16, the Cowboys have less than a one-percent chance to sneak into the playoffs, according to most prediction models. The most popular — if you can say that — scenario sees the Cowboys winning out, the Commanders losing out and some help from the Falcons and the NFC West.

With that, the urgency that has carried through the facility for the last four weeks will go right into Sunday night.

“I think it’s the same urgency we’ve had of late,” head coach Mike McCarthy said on Wednesday. “We have to win and we obviously need help. Really, I’ll just stop at we need to win.”

With a loss or a Commanders win on Sunday, the Cowboys will be officially eliminated from contention. With both of those results going the other way, they will head into week 17 still hanging on.

Cooped Up

Despite a three-game stretch for Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle that has seen him run for more yards than any player in the league (392), this might be a game that the Dallas offense will have to put in the hands of quarterback Cooper Rush and his receiving options.

Going into Sunday night, the Tampa Bay defense ranks 30th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, as they have allowed big passing days from Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, Lamar Jackson and more throughout the season from a secondary that is still reeling from multiple starters being placed on injured reserve.

“They’ve been a good defense for a long time,” Rush said, giving the banged-up unit credit. “Just trust your eyes, trust your communication and try to play fast.”

If Dowdle wants to keep his three-game stretch of consecutive 100-yard games going, he’ll have to do it against an 11th-ranked rush defense in the league that hasn’t allowed a player to hit the century mark in seven weeks.

Race for 1,000

As the season winds down, players are very aware of where they are on the stat sheet as milestones rank high on the list of career priorities — even for a team in the playoff hunt.

Speaking of Dowdle, he sits just 120 yards away from breaking into four-digit territory for the first time in his career after a start to the season that didn’t even have him expecting that he would be playing for that achievement.

“I definitely didn’t think it was possible,” he said. “All it takes is a couple good ones, and we got those couple good ones. I wouldn’t have said it was possible three games ago, for sure.”

On the other side, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is trying to keep his streak of 10 consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards to start his career going, and it will require 251 yards in the Buccaneers’ final three games to accomplish that feat. Despite missing three games with a hamstring injury, his 159 yards in last week’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers have him firmly back in the race for 1,000.

“I’m thinking about it more than Mike is,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said to ESPN on Wednesday. “He helped himself out, though. He put a little chunk into it...Let’s let the defense dictate where the ball is going to go based on coverage and what they’re doing. But yeah, still moving Mike around. He’s still our No. 1 guy. If it happens, it happens.”

Zimmer’s Battle

Along with Evans, the Tampa Bay offense will feature a large array of weapons that includes tight end Cade Otton, running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White and rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan.

Otton is experiencing a career year, as he has career highs in receptions (59), receiving yards (600) and touchdowns (four) going into week 16. As a rookie, Irving has more rushing yards (852) than any rookie in the league and has formed a deadly one-two punch with White’s 573 yards. After a slow start to his career, McMillan has put together a two-game stretch that has Tampa Bay confident that he can step into the WR2 role in the absence of Chris Godwin.

It will be a tough task for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to account for the multitude of weapons, especially when it’s factored in that Tampa Bay has one of the best offensive linemen in the league in left tackle Tristan Wirfs who has allowed just nine pressures and zero sacks all season, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Yeah, [Tampa Bay’s offense has] way too much,” Zimmer said on Monday with a laugh. “Tell them to slow down.”

The man directing the offense in Baker Mayfield has also started to put together some of the best football of his career, according to Zimmer.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence,” he said. “Getting the ball out, he’s very confident in what he’s doing, scrambling well. He’s playing really well.”