The NFL wild-card weekend wrapped up Monday night with the Cowboys routing the Buccaneers 31-14 in the 4 seed-5 seed matchup of the NFC playoffs. Dallas will face the 49ers in the divisional round next week.

The Athletic NFL Staff

Summary

The NFL wild-card weekend wrapped up Monday night with the Cowboys routing the Buccaneers 31-14 in the 4 seed-5 seed matchup of the NFC playoffs. Dallas will face the 49ers in the divisional round next week. Check in with The Athletic for all the latest news, highlights, reaction and analysis.

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(Photo: USA Today)

Tom Brady didn’t get his storybook ending, and the next chapter is a mystery

This is not how Tom Brady drew it up.

Monday’s 31-14 throttling at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC wild-card playoff game was not what Brady envisioned when he ended his 40-day retirement late last winter for one more stab at glory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But storybook endings are often hard to achieve even for the greatest of sports legends, and Monday night, the player regarded as the GOAT endured one of the worst playoff performances of his storied career and failed to advance past the first round for only the fourth time in 20 appearances.

Two late-game touchdown throws helped make the final score and stats look a little less unsightly. But as Brady completed just 53 percent of his 66 pass attempts, he and his team never really threatened the Cowboys.

Read more here.

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How Dak Prescott put Cowboys on his back for first road playoff win in 30 years

Dak Prescott showed up to Raymond James Stadium on Monday evening expecting to have a bounce-back performance. It would’ve been difficult to play any worse than he did the previous Sunday in the Cowboys’ regular-season finale at Washington.

Facing a much better opponent, one led by the greatest player in NFL history, the pressure was on Dallas’ franchise quarterback. If he didn’t play well, the Cowboys were likely headed home with another disappointing end to their season. Questions about whether or not Prescott is still the right person for the position would likely follow.

But he silenced any of that talk with one of the greatest playoff performances by a quarterback in franchise history, leading the Cowboys to a dominant 31-14 wild-card win over Tom Brady and the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prescott threw for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth score, something that had never been done. Not by Roger Staubach. Not by Troy Aikman.

Read more here.

Cowboys rout Buccaneers despite Maher’s record 4 PAT misses: What’s next for Tom Brady?

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-14 in the NFC wild-card game Monday night. Here’s what you need to know:

• Cowboys quarterback Dan Prescott went 25-for-33 with 305 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. He is the first quarterback in Cowboys franchise history with at least two passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown in a playoff game.
• Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady finished with 351 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His interception in the second quarter was the first red-zone pick he’s thrown since 2019.
• Cowboys kicker Brett Maher missed four extra points, a new NFL postseason record.
• The Cowboys will travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in the NFC divisional round Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Read more here.

(Photo: USA Today)

Tom Brady mum on football future

When asked what’s next after the Buccaneers’ 31-14 loss to the Cowboys in the NFC wild-card game, quarterback Tom Brady said that he plans to get “a good night’s sleep” and remained quiet about his future. Here’s what you need to know:

• Brady said it “just feels like the end of a season” when asked if this loss felt any different to him.
• He said his focus this week had been on preparing for Monday night’s game and hadn’t given much thought to anything else.
• Brady attempted a career-high 66 passes against Dallas. He led the NFL with 733 pass attempts during the regular season.
• He hinted that he’d take some time before making any decisions.

Read more here.

Russell Gage taken to hospital

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said after the game that WR Russell Gage was taken to the hospital. Gage has a concussion and is being checked for a neck injury but has movement in his extremities.

Earlier tonight, Gage was immobilized and carted off the field following a play in the fourth quarter.

Mike McCarthy voices support for Brett Maher after missed PATs

Doesn’t sound like the Cowboys will be looking for another kicker.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on Brett Maher missing 4 PATs tonight: “We need to get him back on it. Get him ready to go this week. We need him.”

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Dak Prescott's stellar night

Dak Prescott silenced many of his doubters with a historic performance against the Bucs.

49ers open as favorites

The 49ers open as 4.5 point favorites against the Cowboys next Sunday at BetMGM. The over/under is set at 46 points.

Tom Brady shows appreciation to the Buccaneers fans

Tom Brady tipped his cap to cheering fans as he left the field and stopped to hug his parents.

Cowboys rout Buccaneers, advance to the divisional round

It was complete domination. There were few nervous moments for the Cowboys, and outside of Brett Maher's PAT misses there weren't many awkward ones. Dak Prescott got rolling after what looked like a bit of a nervous start, and the Cowboys' pass rush won throughout the night. Though the Cowboys built a three-score lead in the second quarter and CeeDee Lamb delivered a bit of an exclamation point late, the Cowboys really asserted themselves with their two response drives, one in each half. This Cowboys team wins when it creates turnovers and when Prescott is sharp, and though the Bucs played a little like they wanted put out of the misery, the Cowboys' rush constantly getting to Tom Brady and Prescott continuing to find open receivers in big moments were big parts of that.

At the two-minute warning, ESPN broadcaster Joe Buck said this felt like a breakthrough win for the Cowboys. For a team that hadn't won a road playoff game in 31 years, it was. That last road postseason win was against the 49ers, who now host the Cowboys Sunday night. Does the breakthrough continue? As long as the game doesn't come down to a PAT kick, you have to figure the Cowboys at least have a chance.

(Photo: USA Today)

Brady TD pass cuts Cowboys lead to 31-14, over/under now in play

Tom Brady connects with Cameron Brate on an 8-yard touchdown and then hits Mike Evans for the two-point conversion. Cowboys lead 31-14 with 2:04 to play.

Brady avoids being held to single-digit points for the first time in his postseason career.

Being that the over/under in total points for this game hovered around 45 points, the result of the drive following the successful onside kick for Tampa Bay will be of interest to a lot of sports bettors.

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Bucs WR Russell Gage carted off field

Bucs WR Russell Gage was immobilized and carted off the field in the fourth quarter

After he was targeted on a second-down pass, Gage struggled to get up and then fell back to the ground. No official word yet on the specifics of the injury.

Bad day in the office

With the Bucs on offense for perhaps the final time of the night, keep this in mind:

Tom Brady's teams have never been held to single-digits in any of his previous 47 career playoff starts.

On four occasions his teams scored 13 points, but never fewer.

That includes the Patriots' 13-3 win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

Cowboys eyeing first postseason road win since 1992

Cowboys entered the night having lost eight consecutive playoff road games

That was the longest such streak in franchise history and tied for the second longest in NFL history.

Dallas' last road playoff win came in the 1992 NFC Championship Game against the 49ers.

Most consecutive road playoff losses – NFL history

• Lions: 11 (1970-pres.)
• Cowboys: 8 (1995-pres.)
• Seahawks: 8 (1984-2010)
• Browns: 8 (1970-2002)
• Giants: 8 (1933-63)

>> Entering Monday

Don't give up on your kicker

Hall of Fame head coach Bud Grant said that if you have a good kicker and he misses some kicks, you don’t give up on him because you know he’s a good kicker. These stats show that the Grant approach works.

Dak Prescott through the air and on the ground

Dak Prescott is the first player in Cowboys history with at least four touchdown passes and a touchdown rush in a single playoff game.

Only three other players have done it in the Super Bowl era, per Stathead:

• Matt Ryan (2016 NFC championship vs. Packers)
• Aaron Rodgers (2009 wild card vs. Cardinals)
• Peyton Manning (2004 wild card vs. Broncos)

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Cowboys up big in the 4Q

The Bucs have been putrid except on two drives. The Cowboys have dominated, but their two response drives following those long Bucs' possessions have been their most impressive -- and most important. That Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb pass happened because there's no way the Cowboys were trotting Brett Maher back out there, and now it's all but over at 31-6.

The touchdown pass is notable but everyone in the football world (sans Tampa Bay fans) are celebrating Brett Maher finally making an extra point attempt.

Brett Maher's kicks are all over the place

This brings to mind the 1940 NFL Championship game when the Bears scored so many touchdowns that they had to stop kicking extra points because the fans in the stands wouldn’t return the footballs. They had to go for one via a scrimmage play, as there was no two-point rule back then.

Bucs use hurry-up, jump-starts offense

The Bucs used the hurry-up and then got some life via the Julio Jones touchdown. But they missed the 2-pointer so they're still down three scores, something that makes Brett Maher feel a little bit (but just a little bit) better down there on the Cowboys' sideline.

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