NFL wild-card overreactions: Giants, Jaguars emerge as dark horses in wild weekend
Mackenzie Salmon ‘overreacts’ to the biggest storylines from this weekend’s wild card games.
USA TODAY
TAMPA — It was Dak Prescott’s night to exorcise some demons.
The embattled quarterback rebounded from the worst game of his career to arguably his best in leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 31-14 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC wild-card matchup at Raymond James Stadium that marked the franchise’s first road playoff victory in 30 years.
And Tom Brady, the 45-year-old icon enveloped by questions about his future, had to watch it while having a horrible night of his own.
Prescott became the first player in Cowboys history to account for five touchdowns in a postseason game — with four passing scores and a rushing TD off a sweet play-action fake — for another score and was pretty much flawless in silencing the barrage of criticism that intensified as the playoffs began.
The stats, with Prescott completing 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards with a 143.4 passer rating and zero turnovers, underscored one layer of redemption. The composure under pressure, which included several cases where Prescott scrambled out of trouble to either throw on the run or rush for big plays, added substance to the numbers.
What a measure of payback for Prescott, who suffered a fractured hand in a season-opening loss against the Bucs in September and missed five games after having surgery, beginning a challenging season in which his career-high 15 interceptions tied for the NFL lead (in just 12 games).
Now comes a chance for Prescott & Co. to face another nemesis. Dallas (13-5) advances to play at the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC divisional playoffs. The 49ers eliminated Dallas from the playoffs last season at AT&T Stadium amid controversy, as the clock expired after Prescott scrambled to set up the Cowboys for a potential game-winning field goal — igniting a torrent of criticism for Prescott, coach Mike McCarthy and coordinator Kellen Moore for bungling the clock.
The only thing to question about the Cowboys’ performance on Monday night? Brett Maher. The usually reliable kicker missed four PAT tries, making him the first player in NFL history to miss four kicks in a regular-season or postseason game since the league started tracking the statistic in 1932.
Meanwhile, the questions will surely persist for Brady, the 45-year-old icon who might have played his last game in a Bucs uniform … if not the final game of his remarkable, 23-year NFL career.
Brady entered the game as a home underdog for the first time of his career in the playoffs, with the Bucs (8-10) marking the first team he’s ever taken to the playoffs with a losing record. He left the game in even worse shape as way too many passes got away and too often the protection didn’t hold up.
No, there was no dramatic comeback for Brady this time as the Cowboys built an 18-0 halftime lead and despite Tampa Bay’s two fourth-quarter TDs, were never threatened.
Now the NFL universe will wait to see whether Brady will come back at all.
Watch: Cameras caught Dak Prescott fuming after Cowboys kicker Brett Maher missed extra-point attempt
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Three things we learned:
Brett Maher will never be misidentified as Justin Tucker
The Cowboys kicker missed four of his five PAT kicks (wide right, wide right, wide left, wide right) to become the first player in NFL playoff history with four conversion misses. Including the season finale at Washington, Maher ran his streak to five consecutive misses until he converted a fourth-quarter kick that even inspired the Bucs fans to cheer. Footnote to the yips: Maher missed three PATs during the entire regular season.
Dalton Schultz is a stud
The Cowboys tight end was Prescott’s go-to target with seven catches for a season-high 95 yards, with two touchdowns. The effort included a juggling, 26-yard catch near the sideline in the third quarter. Schultz became the first tight end in franchise history with multiple TDs in a playoff game.
Dak Prescott joins elite company
The Cowboys quarterback became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4 TDs and rush for a TD, following former NFL MVPs Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan with the distinction.
