TAMPA (FL) -- With 5:27 left in the first quarter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pursuit to defend their Super Bowl LV championship began Thursday night with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Brady to wide receiver Chris Godwin. This put them up 7-0 against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys knew the answer.
It is Dak Prescott's 11th game in a row, and it would be hard to believe. Prescott completed seven passes to five players on the second drive. The touchdown pass to CeeDee lamb, who was 22 yards away, beat Sean Murphy-Bunting by a double move. The Cowboys tied it at 7-7.
Brady faked a handoff to Leonard Fournette on the Buccaneers' initial touchdown. Godwin was moving across the field, and Brady found Godwin inside. The drive went 94 yards in nine plays.
Godwin made it Godwin's 25th touchdown catch of his career, which tied Mike Williams for the seventh-most in Buccaneers history.
Prescott found Michael Gallup three more times on the Cowboys' touchdown; Tony Pollard twice, Blake Jarwin once, and Blake Jarwin once. He also sliced the Buccaneers defense before finding Lamb. The Cowboys didn't face another down on this drive. The Cowboys, despite not having the best offensive lineman, have not been afraid of attacking the Tampa Bay defense with Zack Martin on their COVID list.
Prescott displayed his arm with a Gallup-esque slant. He displayed his legs with a sprint out completion to Gallup, and a waggle for Jarwin. He was able to push the ball downfield without difficulty with the touchdown pass.
Prescott's first touchdown pass against Lamb was made under duress. According to ESPN Stats & Information (ESPN Stats & Information), none of Prescott’s nine touchdown passes last season were made when Prescott was being pressured.
Second quarter
Brady ran a six-play, 50 yard drive in the second quarter and found Rob Gronkowski, a tight end, for a 2-yard touchdown at 9:48 in the first period.
The score put the Buccaneers 14-7 ahead of the Cowboys.
A connection that never gets old: pic.twitter.com/d8ncaKIZYi Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 10, 2021
Gronkowski's 87th touchdown receiving touchdown in his 11-year-long career was Gronkowski's first touchdown, which tied him with Andre Reed for the 14th most all-time.
Brady was running 12.11 mph at the time he threw the touchdown pass. This is his third fastest time throwing a touchdown pass in the past four seasons.
The Cowboys were up 16-14 after Prescott's second touchdown pass. Prescott was willing to run and gained 7 yards in a scramble for the ball Tampa Bay 5, his first attempt since sustaining a dislocation and compound fracture to his right ankle.
He grabbed a low snap of Tyler Biadasz, but didn't panic and found a spot for Amari Cooper, wide receiver, for the score. Prescott is now a touchdown passer for the second consecutive time after six opening-day games. In Week 1, he beat the New York Giants with a four-touchdown performance.
With less than four minutes remaining in the first period, Brady and the Bucs' offense haven't given up.
To put Tampa Bay up 21-16, Brady throws a 47 yard pass to Antonio Brown. Brady's pass had 45 yards of air, which is his second-highest number of air yards for a touchdown with Tampa Bay.
Halftime begins with Tampa Bay up at 21-16.
Third quarter
The Cowboys score three points on a 12-play, 72-yard drive when Greg Zuerlein scores a 21-yard field goal at 9:19 in the third quarter.
Dallas trails Tampa Bay, 21-19.
