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The 2021 NFL season already promised to be unheard of. After closing-365 days’s bizarro marketing campaign of empty stadiums and football on Wednesdays, a measure of return to normalcy is a shock in and of itself.
But if Thursday’s season-opener in front a packed home at Raymond James Stadium became as soon as any indication, then the 2021 season is going to be even wilder than we concept. The defending Immense Bowl champion Buccaneers held off a laborious-charging Dallas crew to wait on leer that they derive no longer seem like giving up their throne with out a fight. The Cowboys showed that they is customarily a power within the NFC East this 365 days.
NFL football is abet. And it came abet with a bang.
There became as soon as fully no ask what the dominant offseason storyline became as soon as for the Cowboys: The health of megastar quarterback Dak Prescott. After losing many of the 2020 season to a fractured ankle (an fret that completely wrecked issues in Sizable D), downside ratcheted up when Prescott missed valuable of camp and did no longer play within the preseason as a result of of a strained throwing shoulder.
On the other hand, as Jori Epstein reported for USA Nowadays, Prescott insisted that he would be ready to rock and roll against Tom Brady and the Bucs.
“I’m positively ready,” Prescott acknowledged. “I adore it the plan it is (and) wouldn’t settle on it any other plan, to be upright. I love evening video games. Love playing on prime time. I specialize in or no longer it is appropriate design for the supreme stage. Them coming off the Immense Bowl title, and us, having fans abet to beefy skill, I specialize in here’s what the NFL and the arena wants. From the shoulder to the leg to my mind, I’m ready to transfer.”
He wasn’t kidding even rather.
If there became as soon as any ask about Prescott’s readiness for the season, it became as soon as answered within the affirmative early on. On the Cowboys second drive of the game, Prescott led the crew 75 yards in seven performs earlier than discovering extensive receiver CeeDee Lamb from 22 yards out.
It became as soon as something of a theme on the evening.
With the Cowboys fully unable to transfer the ball on the ground against a Tampa trip defense that has led the league in yards per sport allowed every of the past two years, it fell to Prescott to records the Dallas offense. To carry the crew.
Raise it he did—in his first live sport action since signing a four-365 days, $160 million extension with $126 million assured, Prescott lit up one on the NFL’s easiest defenses for 403 yards and three touchdowns on 42-of-58 passing. Outmoded extensive receiver Amari Cooper blew up to the tune of 13 catches for 139 yards and two ratings. Lamb added 104 yards and a rating on seven grabs. Prescott became as soon as sacked appropriate as soon as, and his lone interception became all all over again Lamb’s fault than the quarterback’s.
When Dallas kicker Greg Zuerlein punched thru a 48-yard discipline aim with 1: 24 left within the game, it appeared that Prescott could perchance even beget engineered an outstanding comeback—a take dangle of that could perchance perchance design the tone for a entire season in Dallas.
There became as soon as appropriate one discipline.
That discipline’s title became as soon as Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.
At this level in what could be the finest career of any participant at any situation within the historical past of the National Soccer League, nothing that Brady does can also serene surely shock us anymore. He’s the second-oldest quarterback to ever originate an NFL sport and most certainly the greatest signal-caller to ever produce 300 regular-season starts.
But it surely’s serene nothing short of fantastic to see a 44-365 days-former quarterback playing love he’s 24. To search Brady hit extensive receiver Antonio Brown perfectly in hump with a 47-yard seed within the second quarter.
Brady matched Prescott blow-for-blow. Landing for touchdown. He additionally landed the closing punch, main the Bucs on an 11-play, 57-yard drive that culminated in Ryan Succop’s sport-winner from 36 yards out.
At sport’s pause, Brady became as soon as 32-of-50 for 379 yards and three ratings. His two interceptions came on a tipped ball off the fingers of running abet Leonard Fournette and a Hail Mary at the top of the main half. Brown (5 catches for 121 yards and a rating), wideout Chris Godwin (nine grabs for 105 yards and a touchdown) and tight pause Seize Gronkowski (eight catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns) all had massive video games.
After the game, Brady expressed support that the Buccaneers prevailed—and the realizing that the crew serene has work to enact.
“Clearly plenty to make stronger on,” he told Michele Tafoya of NBC Sports actions. “But I’m delighted we won it. Ryan made a enormous kick at the top. Protection made some surely massive stops for us. But turnovers, penalties, a pair of missed assignments … we gotta derive abet to work.”
He’s factual in that regard. The Buccaneers cannot be delighted to beget allowed over 451 yards of offense. Tampa additionally grew to develop into the ball over four situations and dedicated 11 penalties. As wins jog, it wasn’t an especially super one.
Conversely, the Cowboys must be upset to beget reach so shut most effective to be unable to seal the deal. Zuerlein missed a short discipline aim and an extra level. Dan Quinn’s unique defense would be better than closing 365 days’s sieve on that aspect of the ball, nevertheless that would no longer produce them factual; 0-1 is 0-1.
However the Cowboys showed they’ll dangle with most certainly the greatest within the convention on the avenue. To teach the agenda lightens up from here is an underestimation—Dallas would no longer play every other crew that made the postseason in 2020 till they talk about with Kansas Metropolis on Nov. 21.
Scott Audette/Related Press
The Bucs gutted out a tricky take dangle of and derive a reprieve of their very own in Week 2 against Atlanta earlier than hitting the avenue for a seemingly playoff preview against the Rams in Los Angeles.
If Thursday’s nailbiter became as soon as a blended score for the teams fervent, it became as soon as an absolute delight for fans—a curler-coaster of massive performs and out of the ordinary quarterback play. If that became as soon as a preview of what is to reach abet in 2021, we’re all going to need oxygen by Thanksgiving.
Right here’s hoping that the massive matchups this weekend between the Payments and Steelers in Buffalo and Browns and Chiefs in Kansas Metropolis are half as interesting.
Pointless to mutter, those video games are lacking a definite Brady component.
But hey, that you just would possibly want to also’t beget the complete lot.
