The aftermath: The playoffs – Tampa Bay/Dallas

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14, Dallas Cowboys 31 (Jan. 16)

I honestly wanted to tell you how Tom Brady had never lost to the Cowboys (insert “We Them Boyz”). I would like to write how Tom Brady is a legend when it comes to the playoffs. And I wish I could celebrate how the Bucs’ run game came alive and assure you that the three touchdowns to Mike Evans most definitely weren’t a fluke. I really did want that.

The Dallas Cowboys laid an ass-kicking on the Tampa Buccaneers.

Honestly there’s no way better to say it.

I have never really had an issue with Dallas Cowboys football, they are all right with me. It’s them damn Cowboys fans that drive me crazy! Not in a good way.

All I can tell you is what I witnessed. I blame the fans, and most of the media. If you read my previous articles I never really believed that Tom Brady alone could win a championship. Yet Monday night all I heard was “Tom Brady Lost to the Cowboys,” Tom Brady this, Tom Brady that. I don’t just blame the fans. I’m sure not gonna just blame Tom Brady. When they won this year I never gave it to Tom Brady either. When he ran a two minute drill down the field, I would remind you it was the defense kept them in the game to do that.

Brady threw the ball 66 times. In case you didn’t hear me – 66 times. Yet the offense didn’t score until the two minutes left in the 3rd quarter. The team played uninspired.

The defense could not perform at the level required in the playoffs.

The Cowboys had over 21 first downs. Over 21 first downs!! The Bucs defense gave up 31 points. The defense didn’t play good, but they damn sure didn’t play bad. The offense had, I believe, 10 or so 3 and outs. Because the offense could get a first down and stay on the field, the defense was constantly out there.

The Bucs offense ranked 18th in scoring, 32nd for rushing, 2nd in passing. Now the passing rank is misleading. If you’re constantly behind, you’re constantly throwing. 66 attempts here is playing catch up. It’s the bad way to get to a good ranking. Really the offense didn’t do much all season. The two or three big games by the offense brought the stats up. So I knew what the offense was going to be, especially against a decent defense. More importantly I knew what Tom Brady had proven to be all this year: average. That also includes other players on offense. They very much underachieved, given the weapons they had.

Now the defense was ranked in the top 10 with Head Coach Bowles, but as I said they could not get off the field because the Bucs offense could not stay on the field. They were Top 10 in most categories. So did they underachieve? I don’t think so; I think this playoff performance wasn’t that great. Dallas for most of the game had their way.

However, I think they played like they played all year. Just wasn’t enough to win more games.

Former defensive end Stylez White played for the Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears and Orlando Predators. He was on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense from 2007 to 2010.