Dak Prescott cements Cowboys legacy with first win over ageing Tom Brady
The Dallas Cowboys (No. 5 seed) eliminated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 4 seed) Monday night at Raymond James Stadium to claim the last spot in the Divisional Round and put an end to Super Wild Card Weekend.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott arguably played the best game of his career, while an ageing Tom Brady looked bleak.
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Prescott, 29, became the first QB in franchise history to throw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, and rush for another, in a postseason contest. It was also his first win over Brady.
His excellent performance led Dallas to its first road playoff win since the 1992 season. Prescott finished the night with zero turnovers, a huge concern heading into the game because he led the league in interceptions this year.
Besides Prescott's admirable playmaking, head coach Mike McCarthy should get some credit for pulling off the victory. A fake handoff play saw Prescott fool everyone and score a rushing TD on fourth down.
Tom Brady crumbles against Cowboys
Brady, 45, threw his first red zone interception as a Buccaneer. The pick came on the team's opening drive, but it only got worse.
Tampa Bay failed to score in the entire first half, while Dallas had four consecutive touchdown drives bridging the second and third quarters.
Despite a succesful onside kick for the Bucs after making the score 31-14 down the final stretch, Brady went on to lose to the Cowboys for the first time in his career. He now has 7-1 record against Dallas.
Brady finished the game with 351 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 35-for-66 completions.
Cowboys kicker Brett Maher steals headlines
Dallas' running game was not elite, but did just enough damage to open the field for Prescott. For Tampa Bay, meanwhile, the rush was vitually non-existent.
Tony Pollard led all backs with 77 rushing yards on 15 carries. Leonard Fournette only racked up 11 yards on five carries, pathetic numbers for the Bucs ball-carrier.
The blowout win gave plenty to talk about, but Cowboys kicker Brett Maher stole the headlines for missing a record-breaking four extra kicks in a single game.
Cowboys will visit the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Levi's Stadium for the Divisional Round.
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