SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS

BY ADAM GREENE

Our Sunday Night Football season opener was a Thursday night opener last season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers once more face “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys, this time at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas.

Both teams made the playoffs a season ago, with the Cowboys getting bounced int the Wild Card round by the San Francisco 49ers and the Bucs drawing the short straw in the final seconds against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional bracket.

This is not exactly a storied rivalry. It’s just the 21^st all time meeting between the two franchises and it won’t shock you to learn that the Cowboys have a distinct advantage, 15-5, in the head to head record. Of course, most of those were before Tom Brady joined Tampa two seasons ago.

In their season opening match up last year, the Bucs won 31-29. Brady threw for 379 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Chris Godwin caught nine passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Rob Gronkowski (who is now retired), had eight catches for 90 yards and two scores. Antonio Brown (who is now unemployed, but probably should be in a mental institution) caught five passes for 121 yards and a TD. For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott passed for 403 yards, three touchdowns and a pick. Amari Cooper (now with the Cleveland Browns) caught 13 passes for 139 yards and two scores. CeeDee Lamb hauled in seven balls for 104 yards and a TD.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (+2.5, O/U: 50.5)

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Broadcast: NBC

Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-0)

Tampa Bay rolls into this game not only the favorites to win it, but to take the whole NFC after Tom Brady cut his retirement short. Brady hung up his spurs to spend more time with his family, but after about a month of that, he was ready to come back. Hey, we’ve all been there, Tom.

The Brady under center, the Bucs remain loaded. The only issue is the health of his wide receiver group. Both Godwin and Russell Gage are listed as questionable, but Mike Evans is completely clear and so is Julio Jones. And those two, with Scotty Miller coming off the bench, should be more than formidable.

DALLAS COWBOYS (0-0)

Cowboys fans will get a live and in person look at Mike McCarthy enjoying his farewell tour with the team. Dallas is still loaded with talent, even after trading away Amari Cooper for peanuts in the offseason. Losing Tyron Smith in the preseason is a blow, but they’ll still be able to score some points. But the McCarthy X-Factor will always show up at the worst possible time. You can count on it.

THE PICK

I would love nothing more than seeing McCarthy somehow unleash the best coaching job of his career and hang an opening week loss on Tom Brady and the Bucs. And if Sean Payton was prowling the Dallas sideline, I would all but guarantee it. But that’s not happening until next season. So the choice here is obvious. Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 27

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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