DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and are a win away from securing the NFC East. Back in 2008, Cowboys fans wondered if they could even win a game during the three-game stretch quarterback Tony Romo sustained a broken pinkie in his throwing hand.
In Week 7, Dallas, led by head coach Wade Phillips, took it on the chin at St. Louis as the Rams whipped the Cowboys up and down the field 34-14 with 40-year-old backup quarterback Brad Johnson filling in.
To give Dallas fans even more reason to fret, that Sunday night, Jon Gruden's Buccaneers hosted the injury-riddled Seattle Seahawks, who were starting Seneca Wallace at quarterback, and crushed them 20-10 with a 17-0 halftime lead. It was a warning of what Tampa Bay would do to the Cowboys when they sailed into Texas Stadium on Oct. 26 for the noontime affair. By the way, Gruden was out for revenge from two years ago on Thanksgiving when Romo torched the Bucs for five touchdowns.
The Cowboys got the ball first and went three-and-out, the staple of a Jason Garrett's tenure as offensive coordinator. Fill-in punter Sam Palescu, who was in his second game after Mat McBriar broke his foot in Week 6's overtime loss at Arizona, couldn't hardly get punts past midfield. What Palescu couldn't make up for with punts, he could with tackles, as he laid out returner Clifton Smith. From the Dallas 47-yard line, the Buccaneers took five plays to get on the board 3-0 with a 36-yard Matt Bryant field goal.
Dallas went three-and-out, and so did the Buccaneers. The Cowboys added a third straight three-and-out to start the day, and Tampa Bay had a first-and-10 from the Dallas 14-yard line five plays later. The defense stuffed running back Warrick Dunn for no gain, and then the Buccaneers offense led by quarterback Jeff Garcia, who had a career 3-2 record against Dallas, went backwards. Garcia threw an illegal forward pass. Then, receiver Antonio Bryant, a former Dallas second-round pick from 2002, committed illegal motion on a third-down incomplete pass for another former Cowboys receiver, Joey Galloway. Tampa Bay again settled for a 36-yard Bryant field goal.
The Cowboys finally responded with a 10-play drive that picked up three first downs. However, the Cowboys weren't able to get past the 20-yard line and settled for a 38-yard Nick Folk field goal to make it 6-3 Bucs with 9:38 in the second quarter.
Tampa Bay went on an 11-play drive that picked up two third-down conversions. After linebacker DeMarcus Ware jumped offsides for the second time in the game to give the Buccaneers a third-and-3 compared to eight yards for the first, nose tackle Jay Ratliff ended the drive with an 8-yard sack to force Tampa Bay to send Bryant out for a 51-yard field goal, which he missed.
With 2:23 in the first half, Dallas put together an eight-play drive aided by three automatic-first down penalties on the Buccaneers. With four seconds until halftime, at the 2-yard line, newly acquired receiver Roy Williams caught his only touchdown of the season to give Dallas a 10-6 lead at the break.
The Cowboys added to their lead on their second drive of the third quarter with a 45-yard Folk field goal to even Dallas a 13-6 lead. Tampa Bay would answer with a 41-yard Bryant boot to cut the Cowboys' lead to 13-9 with 39 seconds in the third quarter.
Dallas tried to ride running back Marion Barber to victory the best they could. The four-year running back from Minnesota, who Dallas made the lead back after his first three years were spent subbing for starter Julius Jones, caught six passes for 29 yards and rushed 25 times for 71. However, penalties and sacks made the drives unsustainable, and Dallas was forced to punt.
The game came down to the Buccaneers' final drive with 4:15 to play and starting at their own 26-yard line. It was a 16-play drive fraught with Tampa Bay converting two fourth downs and a third down to keep the drive alive. There was even a booth review, since it was inside two minutes, to determine that tight end Jerramy Stevens gained one yard as opposed to three yards on a first-and-10 from the Dallas 23.
It all came down to a fourth-and-5 from the 18-yard line with 19 seconds left. Tampa Bay needed a touchdown; a field goal wouldn't do. Garcia looked for Stevens, but he couldn't find him and the pass fell incomplete. Dallas would come away with a win and inch up to 5-3 on the season.
This Sunday, all Dallas needs is a win and they are in the playoffs. However, it could be just as exciting and come down to the wire as it did 10 years ago back at Texas Stadium. The "division champs" hats weren't in the building that day. They are Sunday, and Dallas will be playing with extra motivation.
What are your fondest memories of the 2008 Dallas Cowboys squad? Share your recollections with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.