TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich called the NFL’s postseason “true varsity football” and “good on good.”
As the Bucs enter NFL Wild Card Weekend against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, they have not always been good this season. Just good enough to win the NFC South Division with an 8-9 record.
One of those wins came against the Cowboys (12-5) way back in week one.
“That was 17 weeks ago; this is a different football team,” Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David said. “We thought we were hot stuff back then, but they got the better record; it seems like they got the better football team. We are a confident group, I feel. We understand what they’re bringing; we’re going to be ready for it.”
Tampa Bay won that game in Arlington, 19-3.
Nothing was pretty for the Bucs this season. The team showed resiliency but lacked consistency. With the exception of blowout losses against the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay was in every game until the end.
“It didn’t feel that way; it just felt like we were fighting every week,” Leftwich said. “It felt we were fighting every week for a win. None of them came easy.”
“We’ve been through tough times together,” Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans added. “We know how each other responds to moments like that. We’ve been doing it all year. Our division helped us out, it was a low division.”
The Bucs are three-point underdogs against Dallas, but in the postseason, they just have to be the better team on one night to advance.
“It’s a new season,” David said. “We want to go 1-0 in this season. That’s the goal.”
Tampa Bay might have the home turf advantage at Raymond James Stadium on Monday. The Cowboys have played five games on grass this season and they’ve gone 1-4 and those games.
