The Buccaneers lost control of the NFC South with a heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys.
The Cowboys defeated the Bucks 26-24 in what may be the most memorable forced fumble of epic proportions in a heated “Sunday Night Football” showdown at AT&T Stadium.
With just over a minute and a half left in the game and the Buccaneers trailing by two points, Baker Mayfield withstood the Cowboys' pass rush and, with a Dallas defender hugging his waist, Mayfield made a short pass to Rashard White. .
As Tampa marched downfield, White appeared to be trying to gain yards, but when he was about to be taken down near the Bucs' 31-yard line, Daron Brand took advantage of the opportunity to free the ball from White's hands. He succeeded in stealing the ball. I worked on it.
“I saw him with the ball and it looked a little loose, so I thought it was time to go get it.” Brand told NBC after the game. “We made a mistake at the end on the drive before that, so we had to get the ball back.”
The moment became even more heartbreaking as the Buccaneers fell to even 8-7 with the Falcons, who had defeated the Giants earlier in the day to take first place in the division.
Atlanta has defeated Tampa twice this season, giving them an advantage in the tiebreaker. Tampa Bay is also on the outside looking into the postseason as the No. 8 seed.
This play also occurred in a heated battle between the Bucks and Cowboys, even though Dallas didn't have much of a chance to play after their playoff hopes were officially over earlier in the day.
The Cowboys snapped a five-game losing streak and have won four of their last five games.
The Buccaneers will face the Panthers and Saints to close out the season.
