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The 2021 NFL season kicked off with an electric showdown between Dak Prescott's Dallas Cowboys and Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Dallas Cowboys found themselves behind for most of the game, but Dak Prescott and the passing offense kept them in the fight.
There were minimal rushing attempts as Prescott and Brady each threw for at least 50 attempts. A fumble near the goal-line by Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin gave Dallas the opportunity to drive down the field and score a potential game-winning FG with less than 1:30 left in the game.
Tom Brady took control and capitalized on a possible blown call on an offensive pass-interference penalty to allow Ryan Succop to kick the real game-winner for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They ended up winning 31-29. Here are five takeaways from the exciting kickoff to the 2021 NFL season.
Five takeaways from Tampa Bay Buccaneers' win over Dallas Cowboys in Week 1
#1 - Dak is back
All eyes were on Dak Prescott from the moment he took the field. He was throwing with great motion and took several nasty hits. His ankle is holding up after taking a few carries and his shoulder seems perfectly fine after 58 passing attempts.
Dak still had a 72% completion rate and started off the same way he did in 2020 with 403 yards and 3 TDs but still lost the game. The question has been answered on whether Dak Prescott will still be injured or rusty come Week 1.
#2 - Neither Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Bay Buccaneers had success on the ground despite great pass protection
Dak Prescott had 58 pass attempts and Tom Brady had 50. Taking to the air that many times does not lead to a ton of opportunities for the RBs. Ezekiel Elliott led the game with 11 carries for 33 yards (just 3 yards per carry). Leonard Fournette had 32 yards on 9 carries for the Buccaneers. In total, the Dallas Cowboys had 18 rushing attempts and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had 14.
The Cowboys were trying to come from behind for most of the game and tended not to run much when playing from behind. Tom Brady ended up catching fire with the passing game, with Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski having excellent performances. Still, it's not a good sign that neither team got much from their run game despite the OLs playing well and only allowing one sack between the two teams.
#3 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an issue in their secondary
Entering the game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were already without safeties Jordan Whitehead and Chris Cooper. CB Sean Murphy-Bunting went down early with an elbow injury and was ruled out for the rest of the game. It was later ruled a dislocation and it's unknown how long he will be out.
Later in the game, backup safety Mike Edwards suffered a case of cramps. With several starters and backups out for the game, it led to Dak Prescott throwing for over 400 yards and with efficiency. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' secondary is quickly becoming a weakness and they need to fortify their depth before it gets out of hand.
#4 - Special teams was a tale of two different stories
For the Dallas Cowboys, their special teams effort cost them the game. Kicker Greg Zuerlein went 3/5 on FGs and 2/3 on XPs. He missed his first from 31 yards, made his second from 35 yards, and missed a 60-yard FG late in the first quarter. He made one from 21 yards and nailed the potential game-winning FG from 48 yards with ease.
Zuerlein was wildly inconsistent and was partly to blame for the loss. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on the other hand, had kicker Ryan Succop nail his only FG from 36 yards to win the game and he made all four XPs.
Punter Bradley Pinion was perfect, placing his first punt with precision at the two-yard line. 3 of his 4 punts were inside the 20. Jaydon Mickens averaged 30.7 yards per kick return to help give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers great field position.
#5 - Reviews of both teams
The Dallas Cowboys' offense is great through the air, mostly because they are used to playing from behind. The defense was looked upon as being average heading into the game, but there were several positives as well.
The DL was aggressive and shut down the run game while the young LBs made an impact against the run and in coverage, except against Gronkowski. The safeties played better than anticipated, but the cornerbacks had issues with Godwin and Brown. The Cowboys got the game sealed before a controversial OPI blown call.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski play as if they were in their prime again. Mike Evans was not a factor, partly due to Trevon Diggs. It's a good sign, though, that Brown and Gronkowski were able to step in and keep the offense rolling.
We just got a taste of Giovani Bernard tonight, but we should expect to see him in the offense often as a poor man's James White. Their defense put pressure on Dak Prescott with a few hits and one sack.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' secondary could be a red flag going forward until everyone's healthy. Tom Brady proved why this team won the Super Bowl last year and why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the favorites to win the NFC this year.
