Game story
In Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season on 2024-12-22, the Dallas Cowboys took care of business against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pulling away with a 26–24 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 39 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
B. Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) paced the passing game, with -1.01 total EPA, and +3.2% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, C. Rush (Dallas Cowboys) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +9.12 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-28.4% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Tampa Bay Buccaneers changed the game: (1:40) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short right to 1-R.White to TB 31 for 5 yards (26-D.Bland) [2-J.Lewis]. FUMBLES (26-D.Bland), RECOVERED by DAL-26-D.Bland at TB 31. ** Injury Update: DAL-27-A.Oruwar
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 C. Rush · Dallas Cowboys · Passing · +9.12 total EPA · 39 snaps · +0.23 EPA/play
- 2 J. Tolbert · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +5.67 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.89 EPA/play
- 3 C. Lamb · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +5.64 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.70 EPA/play
- 4 B. Cooks · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +3.47 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.16 EPA/play
- 5 M. Evans · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +2.78 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.35 EPA/play
- 6 J. McMillan · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +2.58 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.37 EPA/play
- 7 B. Irving · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Rushing · +2.29 total EPA · 16 snaps · +0.14 EPA/play
- 8 B. Irving · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +2.12 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.71 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
C. Rush — DAL · Passing
C. Rush posted the highest total EPA (+9.12) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Dallas Cowboys's efficiency. Across 39 counted snaps, they averaged +0.23 EPA per play.
The signature play (+3.98 EPA) came from Dallas Cowboys: (2:33) (Shotgun) 10-C.Rush pass deep right to 88-C.Lamb to TB 11 for 52 yards (27-Z.McCollum; 29-C.Izien). Penalty on TB-27-Z.McCollum, Defensive Holding, declined.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Dallas Cowboys — J. Tolbert (C. Rush pass)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — B. Irving
- Dallas Cowboys — E. Elliott
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — J. McMillan (B. Mayfield pass)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — R. Miller (B. Mayfield pass)
Field goals
- Dallas Cowboys — B. Aubrey
- Dallas Cowboys — B. Aubrey
- Dallas Cowboys — B. Aubrey
- Dallas Cowboys — B. Aubrey
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — C. McLaughlin
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Dallas Cowboys won the period 10–0. Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the TB 40 (Q1 54:10) — (9:10) 17-B.Aubrey 58 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the TB 10 (Q1 47:53) — (2:53) (Shotgun) 10-C.Rush pass short middle to 1-J.Tolbert for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN [50-V.Vea].; Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the TB 15 (Q1 47:49) — 17-B.Aubrey extra point is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger..
The second quarter: Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the period 20–19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the DAL 2 (Q2 41:34) — (11:34) 7-B.Irving right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers added 1 points from the DAL 15 (Q2 41:30) — 4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning.; Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the TB 31 (Q2 39:20); Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the TB 1 (Q2 31:48) — (1:48) 15-E.Elliott left tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the TB 15 (Q2 31:45) — 17-B.Aubrey extra point is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the DAL 11 (Q2 30:54) — (:54) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short right to 15-J.McMillan for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the DAL 15 (Q2 30:48) — 4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning.; Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the TB 40 (Q2 30:05).
The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the TB 35 (Q3 21:38) — (6:38) 17-B.Aubrey 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected on a field goal from the DAL 27 (Q3 15:34) — (:34) 4-C.McLaughlin 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning..
The fourth quarter: Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the period 7–0. Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the DAL 13 (Q4 2:40) — (2:40) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short middle to 81-R.Miller for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers added 1 points from the DAL 15 (Q4 2:36) — 4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 1:40) — (1:40) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short right to 1-R.White to TB 31 for 5 yards (26-D.Bland) [2-J.Lewis]. FUMBLES (26-D.Bland), RECOVERED by DAL-26-D.Bland at TB 31. ** Injury Update: DAL-27-A.Oruwar
- Dallas Cowboys (Q4 1:52) — (1:52) 5-B.Anger punts 52 yards to TB 10, Center-44-T.Sieg. 10-T.Palmer pushed ob at TB 26 for 16 yards (86-L.Schoonmaker).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q1 50:02) — (5:02) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass incomplete short middle to 17-S.Shepard.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 6:30) — (6:30) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep middle intended for 15-J.McMillan INTERCEPTED by 2-J.Lewis at DAL -2. Touchback.
- Dallas Cowboys (Q4 2:31) — (2:31) (Shotgun) 10-C.Rush pass short right to 88-C.Lamb to DAL 34 for 5 yards (23-T.Smith).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Dallas Cowboys (Q2 32:33) — (2:33) (Shotgun) 10-C.Rush pass deep right to 88-C.Lamb to TB 11 for 52 yards (27-Z.McCollum; 29-C.Izien). Penalty on TB-27-Z.McCollum, Defensive Holding, declined.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 6:30) — (6:30) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep middle intended for 15-J.McMillan INTERCEPTED by 2-J.Lewis at DAL -2. Touchback.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 1:40) — (1:40) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short right to 1-R.White to TB 31 for 5 yards (26-D.Bland) [2-J.Lewis]. FUMBLES (26-D.Bland), RECOVERED by DAL-26-D.Bland at TB 31. ** Injury Update: DAL-27-A.Oruwar
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 6:55) — (6:55) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass deep left to 10-T.Palmer to DAL 46 for 27 yards (28-M.Hooker).
Quarterback report card
B.Mayfield led all passers in efficiency for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- B.Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) · 52 dropbacks · 59.6% completion · +3.2% CPOE · -0.02 EPA/play · -1.01 total EPA
- C.Rush (Dallas Cowboys) · 39 dropbacks · 66.7% completion · +5.0% CPOE · +0.23 EPA/play · +9.12 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Dallas Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.026 | +0.054 |
| Offensive success rate | 57.0% | 42.5% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.020 | +0.234 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.207 | -0.523 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.054 | -0.026 |
| Defensive success rate | 57.5% | 43.0% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Tampa Bay Buccaneers +0.03, Dallas Cowboys +0.05) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- Dallas Cowboys: 12 drives, +4.35 total EPA, 6 scoring drives
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11 drives, +2.24 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Dallas Cowboys leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- C. Rush (Dallas Cowboys) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- B. Mayfield (TB) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
- C. Rush (DAL) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q1 54:10 · TB 40 · Score 0-3
(9:10) 17-B.Aubrey 58 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q1 47:53 · TB 10 · Score 0-9
(2:53) (Shotgun) 10-C.Rush pass short middle to 1-J.Tolbert for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN [50-V.Vea]. - Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q1 47:49 · TB 15 · Score 0-10
17-B.Aubrey extra point is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q2 41:34 · DAL 2 · Score 6-10
(11:34) 7-B.Irving right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers XP (+1) — Q2 41:30 · DAL 15 · Score 7-10
4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning. - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q2 39:20 · TB 31 · Score 7-13
(9:20) 17-B.Aubrey 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger. ** Injury Update: DAL-79-M.Waletzko has returned to the game. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q2 31:48 · TB 1 · Score 7-19
(1:48) 15-E.Elliott left tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Dallas Cowboys TD (+7) — Q2 31:45 · TB 15 · Score 7-20
17-B.Aubrey extra point is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q2 30:54 · DAL 11 · Score 13-20
(:54) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short right to 15-J.McMillan for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+7) — Q2 30:48 · DAL 15 · Score 14-20
4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning. - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q2 30:05 · TB 40 · Score 14-23
(:05) 17-B.Aubrey 58 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger. ** Injury Update: TB-26-K.Merriweather has returned to the game. - Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q3 21:38 · TB 35 · Score 14-26
(6:38) 17-B.Aubrey 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-T.Sieg, Holder-5-B.Anger. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers FG (+3) — Q3 15:34 · DAL 27 · Score 17-26
(:34) 4-C.McLaughlin 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q4 2:40 · DAL 13 · Score 23-26
(2:40) (Shotgun) 6-B.Mayfield pass short middle to 81-R.Miller for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers XP (+1) — Q4 2:36 · DAL 15 · Score 24-26
4-C.McLaughlin extra point is GOOD, Center-86-E.Deckers, Holder-5-J.Browning.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys?
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-24 in Week 16, 2024 on 2024-12-22.
What was the final score of Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys?
The final score was Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Dallas Cowboys 26 (TB 24-26 DAL) in Week 16, 2024 on 2024-12-22.
What was the score by quarter in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys?
Q1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0, Dallas Cowboys 10; Q2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Dallas Cowboys 19; Q3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3, Dallas Cowboys 3; Q4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7, Dallas Cowboys 0; Final: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Dallas Cowboys 26.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys?
Dallas Cowboys touchdown — J. Tolbert (C. Rush pass) (Q1 47:53) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — B. Irving (Q2 41:34) Dallas Cowboys touchdown — E. Elliott (Q2 31:48) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — J. McMillan (B. Mayfield pass) (Q2 30:54) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — R. Miller (B. Mayfield pass) (Q4 2:40) Dallas Cowboys field goal — B. Aubrey (Q1 54:10, 3 pts) Dallas Cowboys field goal — B. Aubrey (Q2 39:20, 3 pts) Dallas Cowboys field goal — B. Aubrey (Q2 30:05, 3 pts) Dallas Cowboys field goal — B. Aubrey (Q3 21:38, 3 pts) Tampa Bay Buccaneers field goal — C. McLaughlin (Q3 15:34, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys?
B. Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 59.6% completion, +3.2% CPOE, -0.02 EPA per dropback, -1.01 total passing EPA. C. Rush (Dallas Cowboys), 66.7% completion, +5.0% CPOE, +0.23 EPA per dropback, +9.12 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys?
C. Rush (Dallas Cowboys) led the game in total EPA with +9.12 on passing plays. across 39 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+3.98 EPA): (2:33) (Shotgun) 10-C.Rush pass deep right to 88-C.Lamb to TB 11 for 52 yards (27-Z.McCollum; 29-C.Izien). Penalty on TB-27-Z.McCollum, Defensive Holding, declined.. The biggest win-probability swing was -28.4%.
Was Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys a close game?
Yes — the margin was 2 points. Dallas Cowboys won 26-24 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Entered 8-6 Now 8-7 L
Dallas Cowboys
Entered 6-8 Now 7-8 W
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