4 Takeaways: Yippie Brett Maher lone sad face as Cowboys’ coaches come through

It’s just one game, but the Dallas Cowboys exorcised a lot of demons in their 31-14 blowout win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A wild-card win isn’t the ultimate goal but the Cowboys showed their mettle in winning a playoff game against one of the league’s best quarterbacks ever to wear a uniform.

Yet the better quarterback in this contest was the one with the star on his helmet. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott outplayed his legendary counterpart in an exquisite performance to help end several franchise droughts. The narrative that Dallas couldn’t win a playoff game on the road, or on grass, or in navy uniforms, or beat Tom Brady were all dispelled. Too many people forgot the Cowboys won 12 games this season, while the Buccaneers struggled to win just eight.

Those sins of the past had nothing to do with what would happen in this playoff game, and the Cowboys proved that this team wouldn’t let history decide the outcome. Here are four more takeaways from the Cowboys’ win over the Buccaneers.

Dak Prescott was outstanding…

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After last week’s putrid showing against the Washington Commanders, some doubt might have crept into Prescott’s head. The veteran signal caller said he never wavered in his belief in himself, and it showed.

In winning his second postseason game, Prescott had his signature performance, throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. After starting the game with three straight incompletions – all dropped passes that hit receivers in the hands – Prescott went on a tear, completing 25 of 29 throws.

The Cowboys also utilized Prescott’s legs more than he has most of the season. Prescott might have run for only 24 yards, but he scrambled to buy time, and executed a perfect ball fake on a 4th-and-goal scoring run.

Accounting for five touchdowns, Prescott set a Cowboys record and put himself in some elite postseason company.

It was a near perfect performance for Prescott, who didn’t turn the ball over for the first time in eight games. This was the type of outing that suggests Prescott can put the Cowboys on his back and make a deep playoff run.

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Brett Maher was not

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There wasn’t much to be upset about in the win, but the struggles of kicker Brett Maher were more than concerning. Maher missed four straight extra points to put the game in jeopardy.

The Cowboys were up 24-0 in the third quarter, but it still felt like a game throughout because of Maher’s misses. Being up four touchdowns is much different than being up three touchdowns and three two-point conversions.

It didn’t wind up costing Dallas in this game, but the slump from Maher could cost him his job so that he doesn’t have the opportunity to lose the team a game in the future. Maher wasn’t even close on some of the extra point attempts, and he’d missed five consecutive kicks dating back to the loss to the Commanders in Week 18.

Missing four extra points is unheard of and Maher entered the league record books for futility.

Maher had arguably the worst game for a kicker in NFL history and his confidence looked shot prior to nailing the fifth and final attempt of the game. Hopefully that will springboard him to a week of reclamation.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called one heck of a game

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The Cowboys’ OC is one of the fans’ major issues with the team. However, Moore’s game plan and play calling in the win was on point.

Moore resisted the temptation to run too much on early downs, but when the offense did run the ball, it was to the outside, away from the Buccaneers’ mammoth defensive tackle Vita Vea. The clamoring for running back Tony Pollard to get more work was heard, as the fourth-year RB out of Memphis had 15 carries (18 touches) for 77 yards.

In contrast, starting RB Ezekiel Elliott had 13 carries, but several of those came late in the game when the outcome was decided.

Pollard was called upon to get outside, where Elliott lacks the speed to attack these days. It’s rare that Pollard gets more work than Elliott, but Moore recognized that Pollard’s abilities would be more beneficial in this game.

Moore also knew where to attack the Buccaneers on defense, targeting the tight ends and the middle of the field. It felt like Dalton Schultz was open all night and he became the first Cowboys tight end to catch two touchdowns in postseason game.

The fourth-down calls that led to touchdowns were also perfect plays by Moore. The bootleg from Prescott on fourth-and-goal was a thing of beauty and the fourth down scoring toss to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was well-designed. Putting Lamb in the slot where he has thrived this season was smart, and the execution was flawless.

Moore was dialed in, guiding the offense to 31 points and 425 yards of offense, despite calling off the dogs in the fourth quarter.

Cowboys are a resilient team

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This is has been proven time and time again this season, the Cowboys are a resilient group. It was a tough first two possessions on offense, but they settled down and scored touchdowns on four straight series after consecutive three and outs. Even with Maher missing kicks, the offense continued to go down the field and add points.

When the Cowboys got on the scoreboard early and led 6-0, the Buccaneers came right down the field and got into the red zone. Instead of allowing them to score, Dallas’ defense pressured Brady into an interception.

With the Cowboys up 24-0, the Buccaneers engineered a touchdown drive to plant the seed of doubt in Dallas’ head. Yet instead of folding, the Cowboys answered with a nine play, 66-yard touchdown drive that Lamb finished off with a score.

That touchdown essentially sealed the game and in doing so, the Cowboys proved they won’t wilt in tough situations.

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire