Cowboys vs. Buccaneers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Radio, Game Time and More

After another heartbreaking loss that threw a monkey wrench into their postseason hopes, the Dallas Cowboys have a chance to right the ship against the punchless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. 

The Cowboys should sitting at 9-4 right now with a comfortable lead in the NFC East. Instead, stupid mistakes by the players and coaches have them in a battle with the New York Giants and things could go either way. Oh yeah, they also lost DeMarco Murray to a broken ankle in last week's loss. 

The Buccaneers look like they have quit. After starting the season 4-2, they have lost seven straight games. Everything has fallen apart for Raheem Morris and there is no end to the bleeding in sight. At least they will have the offseason to regroup and figure out how to fix their problems. 

Where: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida

When: Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8:20 p.m. ET

Watch: NFL Network

Listen: 105.3 The Fan (Dallas); WFUS 103.5, WDAE 620 AM (Tampa Bay)

Betting Line: Dallas (-7)

What's At Stake?

The Cowboys need to get back on track. It doesn't matter if they play their best game of the season or not; they just need a win in the worst way. All those questions about their mental toughness are going to start getting louder the longer these bad losses continue. 

The Buccaneers are in the same boat as the Cowboys, only they don't have a shot at the playoffs. This losing streak has gotten so ugly that you feel bad for them. They gave up 41 points to a Jacksonville team that scored just 152 total through 12 games. 

Confidence and some kind of momentum has to be the order of the day when these two teams meet because whichever team loses is not going to have a Merry Christmas. 

Cowboys Injury Report

Out: RB DeMarco Murray (Ankle), DB Barry Church (Shoulder), DB Mike Jenkins (Shoulder)

Probable: WR Miles Austin (Hamstring), LB DeMarcus Ware (Shoulder)

Buccaneers Injury Report

Out: LB Jacob Cutrera (Head), DL John McCargo (Triceps)

Questionable: QB Josh Freeman (Shoulder), DB Aqib Talib (Hamstring)

Fantasy Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, Sleeper

Start 'Em: Cowboys QB Tony Romo

For all the crap that Romo gets about not being able to "win big games," he is doing his part to get the Cowboys into the postseason. It may take a little more work, but it is hard to argue with what he has been doing. 

The Buccaneers have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. In fact, the only team that allows more points per game than they do is Indianapolis. 

Romo will be the best fantasy quarterback in Week 15, better than Rodgers or Brady. Owners couldn't dream of a better game for any of their players, much less one as good as Romo. 

Sit 'Em: Buccaneers RB LeGarrette Blount

Blount has been one of the few Buccaneers actually worth starting on a weekly basis, but this will not be one of his better games. 

Because the Bucs have been getting behind in games early, they have been forced to throw the ball a lot more, which takes away Blount's carries. 

The Cowboys front seven is the best part of their defense and they rank eighth in the league in rush yards allowed. 

Even if Blount has a good yards-per-carry average, he won't get enough carries to justify starting him in the fantasy playoffs. 

Sleeper: Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman

Freeman was supposed to build on his breakout 2010 season but he has struggled more often than not in 2011. 

But under the right circumstances, he will be able to put up good numbers that make him a valuable fantasy player. 

The Cowboys don't defend the pass well, and they will likely be ahead by a lot of points which will force Freeman to throw the ball more than he wants to. He can pile up a lot of cheap yards and add a touchdown pass or two just for good measure. 

What They Are Saying

Randy Galloway of the Boston Herald wrote an article about Tony Romo, and why it is unfair to blame him for the problems that are facing the Cowboys right now. 

"

Tony, can you rescue this game? Can you outscore your own pitiful defense?

No, Romo couldn’t, despite an excellent performance overall. Except he missed on the one pass that could have saved this game, and even yanked his own defense away from that 18-wheeler, the one which Rob and the boys will be thrown under for the next week.

If 34 points isn’t enough to win, then Romo needed 41 points.

And there Miles was, running wide open past midfield nearing the 2-minute mark, and the Cowboys up by 34-29. It was a third-and-5 from his own 25, and with a hot read on a blitz, Romo saw Austin had beaten coverage.

The throw looked catchable, but was overthrown by about a foot. Miles reacted like he never saw the ball, never adjusting his route. As it turned out, Austin didn’t see it.

"

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports took a look at Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris, specifically, his job security with the team crumbling around him. He even got a quote from an anonymous player about why Morris' decision to not release Aqib Talib was bad for the franchise. 

"

“Wrong message,” a Bucs player said this week. “Raheem believes he can get through to anybody and he can, to an extent. Guys do listen to him. But sometimes they have to see that you’re going to back it up … [Talib] is a huge talent, but you have to know there are certain guys who are impossible to get through to.”

 

"

Cowboys Player To Watch: RB Felix Jones

With the loss of DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys will hand over the reins at running back to Felix Jones, who was the starter at the beginning of the year. 

Jones stepped in nicely last week with 106 yards on just 16 carries, and the Buccaneers haven't been able to stop anyone from running the ball this season. 

While the Cowboys like to air it out with Romo, the key to the offense this season has been a productive running game. Jones has the potential to be a dominant running back, and now he has the stage to prove himself. 

Buccaneers Player To Watch: QB Josh Freeman

We talked about Freeman in the fantasy section, but he is the most important player for this team to evaluate over the final three weeks of the season. 

We should be willing to give him a hall pass for his performance last week, when he had two interceptions and no touchdowns against Jacksonville, because he had a bad shoulder.

But at some point he has to show something that leads the team to believe that he is closer to the quarterback we saw in 2010 and not the one that has been running around this season. 

Key Matchup: Cowboys Offensive Line vs. Buccaneers Defensive Line

The biggest problem for the Buccaneers the last two seasons has been a lack of pressure from the defensive front four. They have some talented players, but for some reason it hasn't clicked for them and that is hurting the other layers of their defense. 

If Romo has all day to throw and Jones has holes to run through, this game is going to get ugly in a hurry. The Cowboys have not had any substantial problems with protection this season, so the Bucs have to hope they are catching them on a bad day. 

Prediction

It is going to take a small miracle for the Buccaneers to overcome all of their problems on offense and defense in order to win this game. 

Cowboys 35, Buccaneers 20

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