Eliminated Cowboys flex 'their pride,' beat Bucs

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Like they do hours earlier kickoff anterior to each game, Dallas Cowboys proprietor and wide head Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy met successful the coach's office, though this clip location were not galore words.

"It was a down time," Jones said. "We some looked for illustration we had mislaid somebody."

The Cowboys' playoff chances officially came to a adjacent erstwhile the Washington Commanders hit the Philadelphia Eagles successful the last seconds, immoderate 4 hours earlier Dallas would kickoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Before the crippled was a existent punch successful the gut to opportunity the least," McCarthy said.

Despite knowing their playoff streak would extremity astatine 3 seasons, the Cowboys still managed to hit the Buccaneers, 26-24, to bring their grounds to 7-8 pinch their 4th triumph successful their past 5 outings.

Already without Pro Bowlers Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs because of injury, the Cowboys were down their starring tackler, linebacker Eric Kendricks, because of a calf wounded that did not loosen up successful a pregame warmup. In the game, they mislaid Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for astir of the 2nd half aft he landed connected his injured correct enarthrosis successful the first half. They besides mislaid receiver Jalen Tolbert to an unfastened dislocation of his pinky digit astatine the extremity of the first half.

They were outgained by 93 yards, had 10 less first downs and had the shot for 5 minutes, 36 seconds little than the NFC South-leading Buccaneers.

Yet they still won.

Cooper Rush threw for 226 yards successful the first half, a profession high, pinch a touchdown walk to Tolbert. Ezekiel Elliott scored a 1-yard touchdown connected his only transportation of the game, giving him 72 successful his Cowboys career.

Cornerback Jourdan Lewis, playing pinch a brace connected his elbow, intercepted Baker Mayfield successful the extremity area successful the 4th quarter, and DaRon Bland ripped the shot distant Rachaad White for a game-clinching fumble pinch 1:31 to play.

"I conscionable emotion the measurement our squad plays," McCarthy said. "I conscionable can't opportunity capable astir the locker room. Their pride. Their character. Their toughness. Resiliency."

Jones could not opportunity capable astir McCarthy, who could beryllium entering his last 2 games arsenic coach since he does not person a statement beyond this season.

"Proud of those guys, boy," Jones said. "They wouldn't springiness it up retired there. So I'm existent proud of them, and Mike McCarthy, he conscionable won't fto them not deliberation that they're not playing for a Super Bowl retired there."

McCarthy said he did not admit the team's playoff position anterior to kickoff. He said the interactions betwixt the players was not overmuch different than immoderate different game, though he said he said location were one-on-one discussions astir the effect of the Washington victory.

Rush was driving to AT&T Stadium listening to the Eagles-Commanders crippled erstwhile he learned the play will extremity either Jan. 4 aliases 5, whenever the NFL finalizes its Week 18 schedule.

"There's a batch of players pinch a batch of wins successful that locker room the past 3 seasons," Rush said. "So, we cognize what it's about. We cognize who we are arsenic competitors and erstwhile you're playing football, you're competing to win."

The only alteration McCarthy made was electing to return the shot aft winning the coin toss. After his crippled guidance gathering connected Friday, the determination was made to defer.

"I said, 'Hey, let's return the shot and let's get up and get going and get this point started the correct way,'" McCarthys aid. "So I thought it was bully the discourtesy went retired location and sewage immoderate points connected the board."

Brandon Aubrey gave the Cowboys a 3-0 lead pinch a 58-yard section goal, his first of 3 section goals of astatine slightest 50 yards successful the game. Aubrey's 3rd section extremity gave Dallas a 26-14 lead pinch 6:33 near successful the 3rd quarter. The Buccaneers drew to wrong 2 points pinch 2:36 to play but past Bland delivered the Cowboys' 2nd takeaway to crystal the win.

"There's galore things that person gone into america sitting present not successful the playoffs an you tin commencement pinch me," Jones said. "And I'm not trying to beryllium immoderate measurement different than a batch of group lend to it erstwhile you triumph (and) a batch of group lend to it erstwhile you don't. But, boy, you springiness that benignant of effort, that benignant of professionalism, those guys came retired and played arsenic if they were fighting for a title crippled to spell to a Super Bowl."

Except the Cowboys won't. Their Super Bowl drought will widen to 29 seasons. Yet there's still thing to play for pinch 2 games remaining.

"Everything," Rush said. "I mean this is your life. This is ball. This is what you do. You get paid to do it. I don't deliberation group request overmuch much motivation."