Bucs vs. Cowboys: 5 Key Matchups To Watch – Offense

Odighizuwa had a nice game against the Bucs in Week 1, taking advantage of rookie left guard Luke Goedeke, who was making his first NFL start in Dallas. The ultra-quick Odighizuwa is undersized at 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, but has nice speed-to-power and is deceptively strong. He may get a wounded Leverett if he is healthy enough to play – or he could get a rematch with Goedeke if that’s the route the Bucs choose to go. Odighizuwa finished the year with a career-high 43 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble and is considered to be an up-and-coming young defensive tackle in the league as he finishes his second year in the league.

Leverett has done a great job locking down the left guard position and playing credible football in his first extended action as a starter. He’s not a world beater by any means, and is the weak link along Tampa Bay’s offensive line. But Leverett has proven to be an upgrade over Goedeke since taking over at left guard in Week 8. Leverett was pressed into action at center last week at Atlanta and is listed as doubtful due to shoulder and and knee injuries he sustained, which caused him to miss the last two days of practice. Whoever is at left guard will have their hands full with Odighizuwa on Monday night.
ADVANTAGE: Odighizuwa

LT Donovan Smith vs. OLB Micah Parsons

Parsons has had a Pro Bowl season with a career-high 13.5 sacks, including two he got in Week 1 against Tampa Bay, and three forced fumbles. Parsons’ first sack of the season came against Smith, who injured an elbow on the play and missed the next two weeks. Parsons has played more time at defensive end than he has linebacker this year, and while he’s been more productive as a pass rusher with 90 pressures, including 15 QB hits, the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder has worn down late in the season battling in the trenches against bigger linemen. Parsons has just 1.5 sacks over the last six weeks of the season, but has vowed to play his best football in the playoffs.

Smith has been battling a foot injury for weeks. While he played every snap against Carolina helping the team win the division, he did miss the Cardinals game the week before and the Falcons game the week after. Smith will have to play his best game of the year to keep Parsons at bay, and that will be a real challenge. The 2022 season has been one of Smith’s worst from a play standpoint, even when healthy. If Smith starts to struggle against Parsons and can’t block him one-on-one then offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich must act quickly and help his left tackle with a chip from a running back or a tight end. The Bucs can’t afford to lose this matchup.
ADVANTAGE: Parsons

RB Leonard Fournette vs. LB Leighton Vander Esch

Vander Esch has battled some injuries this season, as he typically does, but played a lot in Tampa Bay’s Week 1 win at Dallas and finished with nine tackles. He had three coverage snaps against the duo of Fournette and Rachaad White, limiting them to three catches for eight yards. Vander Esch suffered a neck injury and missed the last month of the season, but is expected to return to action for the playoffs. Damone Clark, a rookie, has played well in his place. The Cowboys won’t hesitate to use the faster, more athletic LSU star if Vander Esch struggles in his return. Vander Esch has 90 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble, while Clark has racked up 47 tackles and two forced fumbles.

Fournette was the star on Tampa Bay’s offense in Week 1, rushing for a season-high 127 yards, and catching two passes for 10 yards. While White was getting more playing time as the regular season went on, the team trusts the veteran Fournette when it comes to the postseason. The Bucs hope Fournette can once again become “Playoff Lenny” and step up when needed as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. Even having “Week 1 Lenny” would be great for a Bucs offense that has struggled to score points all year and typically bogs down in the red zone as it did multiple times at Dallas in the season opener.
ADVANTAGE: Fournette

WR Mike Evans vs. CB Trevon Diggs

Diggs burst onto the scene as a Pro Bowl cornerback last year in his second season with a league-high 11 interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes. One of those interceptions came in Week 1 at Tampa Bay in 2021, but in the rematch in the 2022 season opener Diggs failed to pick off Tom Brady, and instead gave up a touchdown catch to Evans on a fade route in the end zone. Diggs only recorded three interceptions this season, which matched his total from his rookie year in 2020, and surrendered five touchdowns. Yet he made his second Pro Bowl, and the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Diggs will have to use his speed and long wingspan to make life difficult for Evans on Monday night.

Evans had five catches for 71 yards in Week 1 at Dallas, including a pair of receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown against Diggs. He sat out the Week 18 game at Atlanta due to illness, but caught 10 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns in his last game, which was a 30-24 win over Carolina. That earned Evans the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. While he may not have that big of a game against a Pro Bowler like Diggs, the Bucs would be pleased if he had even half that production, especially one or two touchdowns. Tampa Bay’s offense has struggled to put up points this year, averaging just 18.4 per game, so a TD or two from Evans would go a long way to beating the Cowboys and advancing in the playoffs.
ADVANTAGE: Evans