Dak Prescott Injures Thumb, Bucs Smother Cowboys on Sunday Night Football

After an incredibly exciting day of football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys ruined the party with an injury-riddled slog of a Sunday Night Football game. The Bucs dominated despite only scoring one touchdown, and the Cowboys simply had no answers for a defense that suffocated receivers and got home with the pass rush. The Bucs controlled the game all the way to a final score of 19-3, and the game never felt that close

Injuries proved an enormous issue for both teams, and the Buccaneers did a better job managing their replacements across the night. The Cowboys lost starting left guard Connor McGovern early, and the Bucs lost left tackle Donovan Smith and wide receiver Chris Godwin before halftime. Worst of all, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott left in the fourth quarter due to a thumb injury with the game already out of hand. Both teams will cross their fingers and hold out hope for good news in the coming days.

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The Bucs adjusted to the tough night when the Cowboys could not, feeding running back Leonard Fournette to the tune of 127 yards on 21 carries. The Bucs dominated the sloppy affair with a defense that forced three turnovers on downs and four sacks, and the offense never paid the price for kicking short field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. The team will hope improved chemistry with new pass catchers Julio Jones and Russell Gage will yield better results as the season progresses.

The Cowboys scored a field goal on the opening drive, and it never got any better. They stacked penalty after penalty, finishing with 10 for 73 yards. Combine that with a wretched 3/15 performance on third down, and the Cowboys never stood a chance. Last year's top-scoring offense appeared a shell of its former self, and the absences of departed wide receiver Amari Cooper and injured left tackle Tyron Smith loomed large. Should Prescott miss time, the Cowboys could find themselves in big trouble in the NFC East.

Looking ahead to Week 2, the Dallas Cowboys have a date with the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go on the road for a critical divisional matchup against the New Orleans Saints.