On paper
4 games in. Samples are still small, so a rank can move a lot in a week. Ranks are out of 32 teams and 1st is always best, on offense and defense alike.
Cowboys
4
pairings with the edge
Buccaneers
3
pairings with the edge
On paper, the Cowboys hold the edge across the position groups.
Cowboys big edge
Cowboys pass protection (15th) against the Buccaneers pass rush (30th)
Buccaneers big edge
Buccaneers receiving corps (23rd) against the Cowboys pass coverage (32nd)
Buccaneers edge
Buccaneers run defense (10th) against the Cowboys run game (18th)
Cowboys edge
Cowboys pass rush (26th) against the Buccaneers pass protection (32nd)
Position group by position group
Each offense against the other team's defense, one position group at a time. Circle: the offense. Diamond: the defense. Whoever sits further right wins that pairing.
Cowboys offense vs Buccaneers defense
Pass protection vs pass rush
Cowboys big edgeWeakestBestThe Cowboys pass protection ranks 15th. The Buccaneers pass rush ranks 30th.
The numbers and the players
Cowboys pass protection
- Sacks allowed per dropback3.7% (6th)
- Pressure allowed per dropback25% (25th)
- T.J. Bass (G) 100% of snaps
- Cooper Beebe (C) 100% of snaps
- Tyler Booker (G) 100% of snaps
- Tyler Guyton (T) 100% of snaps
- Terence Steele (T) 100% of snaps
Buccaneers pass rush
- Sacks per dropback4.5% (25th)
- Pressure per dropback19% (30th)
- Quarterback hits per dropback11.9% (28th)
- David Walker (LB) 3 pressures, 2 sacks
- A'Shawn Robinson (DL) 3 pressures, 1 sacks
- Al-Quadin Muhammad (LB) 3 pressures
Run game vs run defense
Buccaneers edgeWeakestBestThe Cowboys run game ranks 18th. The Buccaneers run defense ranks 10th.
The numbers and the players
Cowboys run game
- Points added per run−0.05 (14th)
- Runs that keep the drive on track43% (12th)
- Rushing yards after contact1.3 (29th)
- Runs of 10+ yards7.4% (21st)
- Rushing yards before contact2.6 (14th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line22% (26th)
- Javonte Williams (RB) −0.04 per run on 60
- Tyler Goodson (RB) −0.07 per run on 9
- T.J. Bass (G) 100% of snaps
- Cooper Beebe (C) 100% of snaps
- Tyler Booker (G) 100% of snaps
- Tyler Guyton (T) 100% of snaps
- Terence Steele (T) 100% of snaps
Buccaneers run defense
- Points allowed per run−0.23 (5th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line22% (6th)
- Runs of 10+ yards allowed7.2% (8th)
- Missed tackles11.7% (28th)
- Josiah Trotter (LB) 33 tackles, 3 missed
- Alex Anzalone (LB) 22 tackles, 6 missed
Quarterback vs coverage
Cowboys edgeWeakestBestThe Cowboys quarterback play ranks 12th. The Buccaneers pass coverage ranks 19th.
The numbers and the players
Cowboys quarterback play
- Points added per dropback+0.21 (8th)
- Completions above expected+4.6 (8th)
- Interceptions per throw0.7% (4th)
- Passes of 20+ yards per dropback5.6% (30th)
- Dak Prescott (QB) +0.23 per dropback on 151
Buccaneers pass coverage
- Points allowed per throw+0.01 (16th)
- Completions allowed above expected+3.8 (26th)
- Interceptions per throw2.3% (14th)
- Zyon McCollum (CB) 108.7 passer rating allowed on 20 targets
- Benjamin Morrison (CB) 77.6 passer rating allowed on 17 targets
Receivers vs coverage
EvenWeakestBestThe Cowboys receiving corps ranks 11th. The Buccaneers pass coverage ranks 18th.
The numbers and the players
Cowboys receiving corps
- Points added per target+0.34 (8th)
- Yards after the catch3.9 (28th)
- Drops per target2.1% (5th)
- Tackles broken per catch5.0% (13th)
- CeeDee Lamb (WR) +0.89 per target on 47
- George Pickens (WR) +0.20 per target on 26
- Ryan Flournoy (WR) +0.01 per target on 22
Buccaneers pass coverage
- Passes of 20+ yards allowed6.7% (10th)
- Passer rating allowed99.3 (22nd)
- Points allowed per throw+0.01 (16th)
- Zyon McCollum (CB) 108.7 passer rating allowed on 20 targets
- Benjamin Morrison (CB) 77.6 passer rating allowed on 17 targets
Buccaneers offense vs Cowboys defense
Pass protection vs pass rush
Cowboys edgeWeakestBestThe Buccaneers pass protection ranks 32nd. The Cowboys pass rush ranks 26th.
The numbers and the players
Buccaneers pass protection
- Sacks allowed per dropback10.3% (32nd)
- Pressure allowed per dropback26% (27th)
- Graham Barton (C) 100% of snaps
- Ben Bredeson (G) 100% of snaps
- Luke Goedeke (T) 100% of snaps
- Cody Mauch (G) 100% of snaps
- Tristan Wirfs (T) 100% of snaps
Cowboys pass rush
- Sacks per dropback3.1% (29th)
- Pressure per dropback24% (16th)
- Quarterback hits per dropback13.2% (23rd)
- Donovan Ezeiruaku (LB) 7 pressures, 0.5 sacks
- Quinnen Williams (DT) 5 pressures, 1 sacks
- Rashan Gary (LB) 5 pressures, 1 sacks
Run game vs run defense
Cowboys edgeWeakestBestThe Buccaneers run game ranks 15th. The Cowboys run defense ranks 11th.
The numbers and the players
Buccaneers run game
- Points added per run−0.05 (15th)
- Runs that keep the drive on track37% (20th)
- Rushing yards after contact1.5 (18th)
- Runs of 10+ yards6.3% (24th)
- Rushing yards before contact2.8 (8th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line18% (16th)
- Bucky Irving (RB) −0.02 per run on 55
- Kenny Gainwell (RB) −0.30 per run on 13
- Graham Barton (C) 100% of snaps
- Ben Bredeson (G) 100% of snaps
- Luke Goedeke (T) 100% of snaps
- Cody Mauch (G) 100% of snaps
- Tristan Wirfs (T) 100% of snaps
Cowboys run defense
- Points allowed per run−0.13 (9th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line15% (23rd)
- Runs of 10+ yards allowed8.4% (12th)
- Missed tackles6.4% (7th)
- Dee Winters (LB) 25 tackles, 1 missed
- Jaishawn Barham (LB) 21 tackles, 2 missed
Quarterback vs coverage
Buccaneers edgeWeakestBestThe Buccaneers quarterback play ranks 32nd. The Cowboys pass coverage ranks 32nd.
The numbers and the players
Buccaneers quarterback play
- Points added per dropback−0.25 (32nd)
- Completions above expected−0.5 (22nd)
- Interceptions per throw3.5% (28th)
- Passes of 20+ yards per dropback5.8% (28th)
- Baker Mayfield (QB) −0.33 per dropback on 108
Cowboys pass coverage
- Points allowed per throw+0.41 (32nd)
- Completions allowed above expected+9.8 (31st)
- Interceptions per throw0.0% (32nd)
- DaRon Bland (CB) 129.5 passer rating allowed on 21 targets
- Shavon Revel (CB) 62.9 passer rating allowed on 15 targets
Receivers vs coverage
Buccaneers big edgeWeakestBestThe Buccaneers receiving corps ranks 23rd. The Cowboys pass coverage ranks 32nd.
The numbers and the players
Buccaneers receiving corps
- Points added per target−0.05 (32nd)
- Yards after the catch6.2 (7th)
- Drops per target3.3% (12th)
- Tackles broken per catch1.3% (31st)
- Emeka Egbuka (WR) −0.22 per target on 23
- Cade Otton (TE) +0.13 per target on 23
- Chris Godwin Jr. (WR) +0.33 per target on 18
Cowboys pass coverage
- Passes of 20+ yards allowed10.8% (31st)
- Passer rating allowed127.5 (32nd)
- Points allowed per throw+0.41 (32nd)
- DaRon Bland (CB) 129.5 passer rating allowed on 21 targets
- Shavon Revel (CB) 62.9 passer rating allowed on 15 targets
Tale of the tape
Every unit on its own, side by side.
- 12thQuarterbackOffense32nd
- 17thOffensive lineOffense23rd
- 11thReceiversOffense23rd
- 16thRun gameOffense17th
- 26thPass rushDefense30th
- 11thRun defenseDefense10th
- 32ndPass coverageDefense20th
Longer bar is better. Each unit is graded on the stats shown in the pairings above, ranked among all 32 teams.
How these grades are calculated
- Each position group is judged on three to five plain stats, listed below. All of them are per play or per throw, never season totals.
- Every stat is ranked across all 32 teams, 1st to 32th, the right way round (fewer drops is better, more pressure is better for a pass rush).
- A rank becomes a score from 0 to 100, with 1st at 100 and last at 0. The group's grade is the average of its stats' scores.
- Teams are ranked by that grade, and that rank is the number on the cards.
For example, the Buccaneers quarterback is 32nd. Its stats rank 32nd (points added per dropback), 22nd (completions above expected), 28th (interceptions per throw), and 28th (passes of 20+ yards per dropback). Averaged, that is a grade of 15 out of 100, which is 32nd among the 32 teams.
This is why a grade can disagree with a total or with another site's rating. A team can rank high in rushing yards because it carries the ball a lot or trails late, and still rank low here because each run adds little. Film grades, like PFF's, come from watching every player on every snap, and these do not. Early in the season a few plays can move a rank a lot.
- Quarterback
- points added per dropback, completions above expected, interceptions per throw, passes of 20+ yards per dropback
- Offensive line
- sacks allowed per dropback, pressure allowed per dropback, rushing yards before contact, runs stopped at or behind the line
- Receivers
- points added per target, yards after the catch, drops per target, tackles broken per catch
- Run game
- points added per run, runs that keep the drive on track, rushing yards after contact, runs of 10+ yards
- Pass rush
- sacks per dropback, pressure per dropback, quarterback hits per dropback
- Run defense
- points allowed per run, runs stopped at or behind the line, runs of 10+ yards allowed, missed tackles
- Pass coverage
- points allowed per throw, completions allowed above expected, passes of 20+ yards allowed, interceptions per throw, passer rating allowed
The coaches
Records are regular-season games since 1999, against the spread as listed by the games file. A new coach has no history here yet.
| Measure | Cowboys | Buccaneers |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Brian Schottenheimer | Todd Bowles |
| Record as a head coach | 9-11-1 in 21 games | 61-78 in 139 games |
| With this team | 9-11-1 since 2025 | 35-37 since 2022 |
| Against the spread, this season | 2-1-1 | 0-3-1 |
| Against the spread, career | 9-11-1 | 61-72-6 |
| Against the spread as an underdog | 6-2-1 | 34-36-4 |
| Against the spread as a favorite | 3-9 | 27-36-2 |
| Coming off a bye | 1-0 | 2-6 |
| Head coach against head coach | Have not met | Have not met |
| Team against team since 1999 | 8-6 | 6-8 |
How each team plays
Not good or bad, just the style. Ranks go from the highest rate down, so a 1st means the most of it in the league.
Pass rate over expected
Cowboys +3.7 pts (4th highest) — throws more than the situation calls for
Buccaneers −2.0 pts (15th highest)
Play-action share of dropbacks
Cowboys 23% (17th highest)
Buccaneers 24% (14th highest)
Plays with pre-snap motion
Cowboys 55% (21st highest)
Buccaneers 70% (4th highest) — moves players before almost every snap
No-huddle plays
Cowboys 6% (15th highest)
Buccaneers 9% (9th highest)
Plays from the shotgun
Cowboys 66% (13th highest)
Buccaneers 67% (9th highest)
Blitz rate
Cowboys 27% (20th highest)
Buccaneers 43% (3rd highest) — sends extra rushers often
Pass rushers sent
Cowboys 4.3 (20th highest)
Buccaneers 4.6 (3rd highest) — sends the most rushers
Runs against a loaded box (8+)
Cowboys 7% (20th highest)
Buccaneers 22% (1st highest) — stacks the box against the run
Who is missing
The latest injury report for each team, sorted by position group. A starter averaged more than half the team's snaps in the games he played.
Cowboys
- Cobie Durant CBStarterDid not practice · pass coverage
- DeMarvion Overshown LBStarterDid not practice · run defense
- Drew Shelton TDid not practice · offensive line
- Tyler Smith GLimited in practice · offensive line
Buccaneers
- Antoine Winfield Jr. SStarterDid not practice · pass coverage
- Baker Mayfield QBStarterDid not practice · quarterback
- Benjamin Morrison CBStarterDid not practice · pass coverage
- SirVocea Dennis LBDid not practice · run defense
- Anthony Nelson LBLimited in practice · run defense
- Ko Kieft TELimited in practice · receivers
Data: nflverse play-by-play, CC BY 4.0. Ranks use the 2026 regular season through Week 4. Also FTN charting, Pro Football Reference advanced stats, snap counts and injury reports, all through nflverse. Calculations and charts by Raiders Rundown.