The 2-6 Dallas Cowboys hit the road this weekend to face the 3-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game the Cowboys need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It's the Cowboys' best chance for a win since Tony Romo was injured and they'll try to finally snap a six-game losing streak. Here are three reasons why the Cowboys will blow out the Buccaneers.
3. Improved Play From Matt Cassel
Cassel wasn't just bad in his first two starts; he was downright awful. However, he was much better against the Eagles last week. Cassel threw for 299 yards, had three TDs and completed 66 percent of his passes. Tampa Bay has a pretty strong pass defense, ranking ninth in the NFL. Cassel might not play as well as he did against the Eagles, but he should be better than he was against the Seahawks. The Cowboys don't need Cassel to carry the offense, but they do need him to make a few plays and avoid turnovers. He proved he can do that against the Eagles and that confidence boost will help the Cowboys beat the Bucs.
2. Desperation
This is essentially a must-win game for Dallas. The Cowboys can't afford to enter Week 11 with a 2-7 record. They can still win the NFC East, especially with the return of Tony Romo next week. However, the team needs to give Romo a chance to make a playoff push. If the Cowboys drop to 2-7, their playoff chances take another, potentially fatal, hit. The Cowboys play the Bills, Jets, Panthers and Packers this season and it's unfair to expect Romo and Dallas to win all of those games. A win against the Bucs is needed to give the Cowboys a little bit of breathing room. It's still going to take an incredible finish from Romo, but Dallas must win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive.
1. Running Game
The Cowboys running game has been fantastic this season and that shouldn't change against a Tampa Bay defense that is average against the run. The Cowboys have a Top 10 run offense, racking up nearly 129 yards per game. Darren McFadden has been a great replacement for the now-released Joseph Randle. He's racked up 117 yards in two of his last three games, with the only exception coming against the Seahawks. With McFadden running well, the Cowboys will be able to cruise to a win over the Bucs.