On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys won thanks to one of the wildest plays of the 2024 NFL season.
With less than two minutes remaining at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Cowboys were leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-24. Dallas needed to stop Baker Mayfield from leading his team to a scoring drive.
Mayfield had a first-and-10 at the Buccaneers’ 26-yard line. The Cowboys blitzed Mayfield, giving cornerback Jourdan Lewis a free path to the veteran quarterback.
However, Mayfield refused to go down. He struggled hard to stay on his feet and somehow passed the ball to running back Rachaad White before being tackled.
However, when White fought for extra yardage, Cowboys cornerback Daron Bland snatched the ball right out of his hands, forcing a turnover. Dallas subsequently milked the clock to secure the 26-24 victory.
The game-ending turnover was hardly Mayfield’s first highlight-turned-mistake in the fourth quarter. Just seconds before, Mayfield launched a bomb to wide receiver Jalen McMillan that appeared to be a score. But Lewis snatched the ball straight out of McMillan’s grasp for an interception.
Mayfield finished 31/43 for 303 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. The loss decreased Tampa Bay’s record to 8-7, tying Atlanta for the NFC South lead. If the teams finish with identical records, the Falcons will have the tiebreaker.
Sunday’s wild finish could be the difference in the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes.
Conversely, the Cowboys are already out of playoff contention. However, this did not prevent them from playing the spoiler role in Week 16.