We’ve heard a lot about the passion for football in Texas, but when the Dallas Cowboys came to party at our house, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stopped them in their cowboy hats with a 31 to 29 win.
If you missed it, the party roared on all night long as Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his posse played catch up and galloped close behind the Bucs. They were breathing down our necks the whole game.
It’s not like Tampa Bay wasn’t hospitable. We “handed them” the ball (as Coach Bruce Arians quipped angrily) – four times in messy turnovers that the Cowboys turned into capital almost every time.
It was a tough-fought game, and the Cowboys were really tearing up the house. Luckily, the refs were chaperoning the party and threw flags on nearly every play, so things never got out of hand. But in the last few seconds of the 4th quarter, it was still a 2-point game, with the Cowboys ahead. I wanted to go to bed!
But I stayed awake to watch Cowboy’s quarterback Prescott throw deep passes on nearly every play. Did his wonder arm pose any threat to that Bucs’ defense? The answer is no! The Bucs had eyes in the back of their heads. They played their sweet refrain all night: Cowboy catches ball – Bucs bash receiver. Not much traction in the 80-degree heat.
I think the most amazing thing about the Cowboys’ coaches was the faith they placed in their kicker, Mr. Greg Zuerlein, who started with the team in 2020.
Cowboys K Greg Zuerlein: "If I did my job, we win that game. I feel bad for the guys in there that played their ass off, and I didn’t hold up my end of the deal. ...We’re right there (as a team). I just have to do my job."
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 10, 2021
Even after missing two important scoring opportunities, they went to Zuerlein in the clutch, and he came through with a crucial field goal that put the Cowboys on top in the last few minutes of the game.
But, as they say, you never want to give the ball back to Brady, especially when there is less than a minute in a game. I remember watching a similar game with the New England Patriots playing the Denver Broncos on November 24, 2013. I was in a Sports bar in Cabo St. Lucas, Mexico.
The whole room was filled with Bronco fans, cheering loudly for Peyton Manning who had just thrown a touchdown pass that forced the game into overtime. We were just one table of Pat’s hopefuls in the room, silently praying for a miracle. The Pats were up against the wall and the Bronco fans were betting the ranch that the game was in the bag.
But I was not buying it, because previously for that whole season Brady had been coming back for the second half of the game like the “Comeback King.”
Our table roared, while the bar went silent. I scanned the faces of those once-happy Bronco fans – now with mouths wide open, eyes masked in shock, like deer in the headlights. . . Order me a another BURRITO please, let’s have a round of tequila for the GOAT!!
What can I say? Brady and his apostles, the Gronk Spike, Bad Boy Antonio Brown, and Mr. Godwin were outstanding. The Bucs stopped hard, with the help of defensive lineman, nose tackle, #50 Vita Vea. He was spectacular and almost ended the speculation about who was going to win this game. Until finally, Mr. Succop stepped up and put an end to the party with a perfecto 36-yard field goal. For the GOAT and his apostles, the party was over. Dak – you can go home now. Me – time for bed!
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