Cowboys Fall Late to Buccaneers, 10-6

In what was probably the ugliest of these remarkably ugly last seven games in the absence of Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys could muster just 216 yards of total offense as they fell to the Buccaneers late in Tampa Bay, 10-6 on Sunday.

Most of the scoring was done in the first half. The Cowboys’ Dan Bailey got it started with four minutes remaining in the first quarter, with a 42-yard field goal. Tampa Bay answered in the second with a 52-yarder from Connor Barth, but the Cowboys got back on top with a 53-yarder from Bailey, which made it 6-3 going into half.

The Cowboys’ offense was unwatchable. In what will likely be his last start of the season, Matt Cassel went 19-of-30 for 186 yards and an interception, in the end zone to end the game. Darren McFadden  was limited to 32 yards on 17 carries, and the leading receiver on the day was Dez Bryant, who had 45 yards on five catches.

Even with the nonexistent offensive threat though, the Cowboys looked like they’d win after Jeff Heath recorded his second interception of the day to end a Bucs’ drive with five minutes left in the game. Of course, that meant the offense had to come back on the field.

Cassel and co. went three and out, and punted to Tampa Bay with about four minutes on the clock. Winston led the Bucs 56 yards in nine plays, and ultimately scored the game-winning touchdown with just under a minute remaining. Of course, this was after a Winston fumble at the goal line that was recovered by Dallas (and would have sealed a win for the Cowboys) was negated by a holding penalty on who else but the earlier hero, Heath.

At 2-7, the Cowboys will face the Dolphins next week in Miami.