Cowboys defense must ‘stay hungry’ to uphold standard set in Tampa Bay
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TAMPA, Fla. — A little more than 10 minutes remained in the four quarter when the exodus to the parking lot began.
Never mind it was Tom Brady at quarterback. Never mind this was a playoff game. Hundreds of Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans decided enough was enough, ruling that not even quite possibly the greatest player in NFL history could overcome this deficit.
The Cowboys’ defense earned that assessment.
And they proved the quitters right.
On a fourth-and-goal, during the Buccaneers’ next drive, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons flushed Brady from the pocket, and defensive tackle Chauncey Golston twirled him to the ground on a desperation incompletion. No dramatic comeback was coming, as the defense put the finishing touches on a 31-14 first-round playoff beatdown.
Cowboys defenders have discussed the standard they carry.
They want to be a championship-caliber group. They want to be in the same conversation of great defenses from years past. Their goal is lofty, and at times, it has seemed untouchably so when the run game faltered or injuries at cornerback proved too difficult to mask
Sending Brady home was a positive step.
“Absolutely,” defensive end Dorance Armstrong said. “We came out and met our expectation. That’s what we came here to do. We got to lock back in for [San Francisco]. … We’re just showing who we are.”
Brady appeared flummoxed from the start.
The Buccaneers went three-and-out on their first two possessions. When Brady attempted the short passing game, by and large, the defense tackled well to limit the damage. Parsons continually pestered him. Brady was visibly uncomfortable, on his third drive heaving an errant pass that safety Jayron Kearse intercepted in the end zone.
Come halftime, Dallas owned an 18-0 shutout. It allowed no single gain of more than 20 yards. The Bucs averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Brady was 11-of-23 for 96 yards. His passer rating, 41.2, was lower than the 45-year-old’s age.
Dominance does not come easy.
Several Cowboys players credited a week of heightened focus behind the performance, saying that their locker room dialed up the preparation and locked in following a Jan. 8 letdown loss to the Washington Commanders.
Monday’s result secured a ticket to Santa Clara, Calif. The Cowboys will meet the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, a chance to avenge last year’s playoff loss.
“We have to have that approach every single time,” said Parsons, who along with nose tackle Johnathan Hankins recorded a sack. “We have to continue that. We can’t let off the gas. Everyone was locked in, disappointed after that Washington loss. We need that same focus, that same attention to detail, that same execution going into this week, too. Not get too high. That one game doesn’t take you off that horse yet. We’ve got to stay on it and stay hungry. …
“It’s all or nothing now. There is no tomorrow. There is no next week. It’s next year. You know what I’m saying? So we got to keep hungry and stay in line. Every inch matters. Every play matters. We’ve got to give nothing but effort, every time, if we’re going to get to where we want to go.”
Kearse exited with a left knee injury and did not return.
Armstrong tweaked his shoulder.
On that fourth-and-goal stop, the one that many Bucs fans missed because they correctly foresaw the result that was coming, safety Israel Mukuamu jumped up and down, celebrating so spiritedly that he tweaked his left hamstring.
The Cowboys defense must get right on a short week to continue establishing their standard.
Monday made for a start.
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