Bucs Gameday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys Fourth Quarter Live Game Updates

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to keep their winning ways alive as they face off against the Dallas Cowboys from AT&T Stadium.

Caleb Skinner

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) celebrates after a 54-yard run in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) celebrates after a 54-yard run in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to maintain ahold of the NFC South as they take on the Dallas Cowboys from Jerry's World. The Atlanta Falcons beat the Giants today and a win against the Cowboys would allow the Buccaneers to keep up their momentum as they head for the NFC South crown with two game remaining following tonight's matchup.

The Buccaneers' offense has been on fire all season and they would love for things to carry over here in Week 16 against a Cowboys' team that has officially been eliminated from playoff contention. Despite not having the type of year they imagined coming into the season, the Cowboys have picked it up as of late as they try and play spoiler the rest of the way through.

The Bucs' defense hasn't quite lived up to the normal hype that surrounds it, but over the past few games we have seen them return a bit towards the mean despite multiple injuries on the backend.

Follow along with us here at BucsGameday as we bring you up-to-the-minute live game updates of tonight's Sunday Night Football matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Division Rival Atlanta Falcons Expected to Move On From Kirk Cousins

PREGAME:

- Buccaneers’ Inactives: LB K.J. Britt, DL Earnest Brown, G Royce Newman, TE Cade Otton, OLB Jose Ramirez, S Antoine Winfield Jr.

- Cowboys’ Inactives: RB Deuce Vaughn, G T.J. Bass, WR Jalen Brooks, DE Tyrus Wheat, DT Justin Rogers, LB Eric Kendricks, S Juanyeh Thomas

1st Quarter:

- The Cowboys win the toss and elect to receive the opening kickoff. The Bucs will get the ball to start the second half.

- Cooper Rush's first pass is complete to Turpin for a gain of 7 yards, and then a pass for CeedDee Lambs goes for one and it'll be third and one for the Cowboys.

- Rush's pass finds Cooks for a gain of five yards and a first down.

- Rush connects with Ferguson for a gain of 5 yards, and then Dowdle rushes for a short gain to bring up third and one.

- Rush finds Lamb for a gain of four yards and a first down.

- On 3rd and 8, Logan Hall tackles Dowdle for a short gain of one to bring up fourth down. The Cowboys will send on their field goal unit.

- Aubrey's 58-yard FG is GOOD and the Cowboys take an early 3-0 lead over the Buccaneers.

- Rachaad White take his first carry for a gain of four yards, and then a holding call on Bredson will back the Bucs up 10 yards to bring up 2nd and 16.

- Baker finds Jalen McMillan for a gain of 14 yards to bring up third and two.

- Baker finds Payne Durham for a gain of 6 yards and a first down.

- After short gains on first and second, Baker misses White and it will be fourth down for the Bucs. It appears the Bucs will go for it.

- The Bucs go for it on fourth and three and Baker's pass is dropped by Sterling Shepard and the Cowboys will take over at their own 48-yard line.

- Turpin rushes the ball for a gain of 12 yards and a first down.

- Rush finds Cooks for a gain of 29 yards and another first down inside the Bucs' 20-yard line.

- On 3rd and 9, Rush finds Turpin for a 10-yard touchdown and the Cowboys take a 10-0 lead over the Bucs.

- On 3rd and 4, White catches a pass from Baker but is a yard short and the Bucs will be forced to punt.

- False start on the Cowboys will bring up 1st and 15.

- Rush finds Dowdle for a gain of 10 yards, and then rushes for a loss of two to bring up third and eight.

- At the end of the first quarter the Cowboys lead the Bucs 10-0.

2nd Quarter:

- On 3rd and 8, Rush's pass is incomplete and the Cowboys will punt.

- Baker finds Mike Evans for a gain of 26 yards and a first down.

- Bucky Irving rushes for a gain of 15 yards and another first down.

- Irving rushes for a gain of eight yards to bring up 2nd and goal from the two.

- Irving escapes a tackle and rushes it into the end zone from two yards out to cut into the Cowboys' lead. Bucs trail the Cowboys 10-7.

- Rush finds CeeDee Lamb for a gain of 34 yards and a first down.

- Illegal motion on Lamb will bring up 2nd and 14.

- Rush finds Dowdle underneath for a gain of nine to bring up third and five.

- On 3rd and 5, Rush's pass is incomplete for Lamb and the Cowboys will send on the FG unit.

- Aubrey's 49-yard FG is GOOD and the Cowboys lead the Buccaneers 13-7.

- Bucky rushes for a gain of five and then a gain of four to bring up third and one.

- Rachaad White picks up a gain of two and gets the first down.

- Baker finds Irving on the screen and he picks up seven before picking up the first down with a rush of seven.

- Mayfield finds McMillan for a gain of 16 yards and another first down but after replay assistance it is ruled incomplete and it will be third down for the Bucs.

- On 3rd and 4, Baker is sacked for a loss of five and the Bucs will punt.

- On 3rd and 9, Rush finds Tolbert for a gain of 10 yards and a first down.

- On 3rd and 5, Baker finds Lamb for a huge gain of 52 yards and a first down just outside the Bucs' 10-yard line. Two-minute warning.

- Rush finds CeeDee Lamb for a 10-yard gain to the Bucs' 1-yard line.

- Elliot rushes it in from 1-yard out for the touchdown and the Cowboys take a 20-7 lead over the Buccaneers with 1:45 left in the first half.

- Baker finds Mike Evans for a gain of 15 yards and a first down.

- Mayfield connects with Sterling Shepard for a gain of 20 yards and another first down.

- Baker finds Evans again for a gain of 15 yards and another first down.

- Mayfield connects with Durham for a gain of six yards, and then an incompletion will bring up third and four.

- On 3rd and 4, White picks up the first down with a gain of five inside the Dallas 10-yard line.

- Kaevon Merriweather is questionable to return with a knee injury.

- Baker finds Jalen McMillan for the 11-yard touchdown and the Bucs have cut into the Cowboys' lead, trailing 20-14.

- Rush finds Ferguson for a gain 21 yards and a first down.

- Rush connects with Cooks for a gain of 14 yards and another first down and into FG territory with 37 second left in the half.

- Yaya Diaby comes away with a sack on Rush for a loss of six yards to bring up 3rd and 15 for Dallas.

- Rush's 3rd-down pass falls incomplete and the Cowboys send on Aubrey for the FG attempt.

- Aubrey's 58-yard FG is GOOD and the Cowboys lead the Buccaneers 23-14 at the end of the first half.

HALFTIME: Cowboys 23, Buccaneers 14

3rd Quarter:

- Bucky rushes for a gain of seven yards, and then picks up the first down with a gain of four.

- White picks up five on a pass from Baker and then Irving picks up another first down with a gain of five.

- Mayfield finds Irving for gain 12 yards and another first.

- Holding on Goedeke will back the Bucs up ten yards to bring up 2nd and 19 for the Bucs.

- Baker is rushed and strip sacked and the ball goes out of bounds. 3rd and 40 upcoming for the Bucs.

- Baker's third-down pass is incomplete and the Bucs will be forced to punt.

- Rush finds Flournoy for a gain of 26 yards and a first down.

- A false start on Dallas will back them up five yards. 1st and 15.

- Rush connects with Dowdle for a gain of 10 yards to bring up third and six.

- On 3rd and 6, Rush's pass is incomplete and the Cowboys will bring on the field goal unit.

- Aubrey's 53-yard FG is GOOD and the Cowboys lead the Buccaneers 27-14.

- Sterling Shepard takes the end around for a gain of 14 yards and a first down.

- On 3rd and 5, Baker finds McMillan for a gain of five yards and a first down.

- Sterling Shepard has been ruled OUT for the remainder of the game with a hamstring injury.

- Baker has a look for Evans but the safety makes a great play on the ball to dislodge it. 3rd and 10 for the Bucs.

- Baker hits White on the screen and he picks up another first down with a gain of 17 yards.

- Baker is sacked for a loss of six and it will be third down.

- Baker connects with White for a gain of seven yards and the Bucs will send on the FG unit.

- McLaughlin's 45-yard FG is GOOD and the Bucs trail the Cowboys 26-17 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.

- At the end of the third quarter, the Cowboys lead the Buccaneers 26-17.

4th Quarter:

- Rush finds Flournoy for a gain of 14 yards and a first down.

- Holding on the Cowboys will back them up 10 yards to bring up 2nd and 19.

- On 3rd and 15, Rush finds Schoonmaker for a gain of 3 yards but well short of the line to gain and the Cowboys will punt.

- An illegal blindside block will have the Bucs starting from their own 3-yard line.

- Baker scrambles up the middle for a gain of 12 yards and a first down.

- Baker is sacked for a loss of of four yards to bring up 2nd and 14.

- On 3rd and 14, Baker's pass is incomplete and the Bucs will once again be forced to punt.

- Jamel Dean is called for a pass interference and the Cowboys will have an automatic first down.

- Rush finds Flournoy for a short gain but well short of the line to gain and the Cowboys will be forced to punt the ball back to the Bucs with under 8 minutes left in the game.

- Baker scrambles for a gain of 18 yards and a first down.

- On 3rd and 10, Baker finds Trey Palmer for a gain of 27 yards and a first down.

- Baker almost has McMillan for a touchdown but the Dallas defender yanks the ball away from him for the interception. The Cowboys will take over at their own 20-yard.

- J.J. Russell almost picks off Rush but it falls incomplete. 2nd and 10.

- On 3rd and 8, Dowdle almost gains a first down but is short and the Cowboys send on the punting unit.

- Baker finds White for a gain of four, and then Baker connects with Evans for a gain of 10 yards for a first down.

- Mayfield connects with White again for a gain of nine, and then scrambles for a gain of 12 yards and a first down.

- Mayfield finds Payne Durham for a gain of seven yards, and then McMillan for a gain of 10 yards and another first down.

- Baker finds McMillan again for a gain of 16 yards and another first down.

- Baker finds Ryan Miller for the 13-yard touchdown and the Bucs trail the Cowboys 26-24 with 2:36 left to play in the game.

- Two-minute warning. It will be 3rd and 6 for the Cowboys when we return.

- The Bucs get the stop on the Cowboys on third down and they will punt. The Bucs will take over at their own 28-yard line after the return with 1:40 left.

- Baker finds White miraculously but he fumbles according to the refs and the Cowboys will take over at the Bucs' 31-yard line.

- The Cowboys kneel out the clock and will walk away with a 26-24 victory.

FINAL: Cowboys 26, Buccaneers 24

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Caleb Skinner
CALEB SKINNER

Caleb is from Nashville, TN and graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with majors in Sociology and History. He has previously written for an FSU outlet and started covering the Buccaneers in March of 2022. Caleb is an avid sports fan and former host of the Tribeoholics podcast. You can follow Caleb on Twitter @chsnole

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