Leonard Furnett gains 127 yards and Tom Brady adds a late touchdown as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers easily outrun the Dallas Cowboys; Duck Prescott suffered a late hand injury that owner Jerry Jones said would keep him out for weeks.
Leonard Furnett rushed for 127 yards while the new bond of Tom Brady and Julio Jones blossomed as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Dallas Cowboys 19–3 in the first NFL season, and the night for the hosts was further deteriorated by Quarterback Duck’s injuries. Prescott.
Dallas drove 54 yards to a field goal on the first possession but did not score again, scoring the second-lowest point in Game 1.
Julio Jones caught the ball for 48 yards in a two-time All-Pro debut at Tampa Bay, scoring one of four first-half field goals from Ryan Succop, who had five no-hit attempts by the Bucks before halftime.
Brady, who improved to 7-0 against the Cowboys, was 18-of-27 for 212 yards with a touchdown, and Prescott was 14-of-29 for 134 yards with an interception that became one of the team’s field goals. First half.
The Cowboys only stayed close in the first half due to two sacks by reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Mick Parsons. Both forced field goals and Succop missed one of his attempts.
Furnett went 40-for-79 on the drive, which ended with Brady’s 5-yard assist to Evans to lead 19-3.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the game that Prescott needed surgery for a fracture near the thumb in his pitching hand and would be out for a few weeks, which would change the season for the reigning NFC East champions.
A difficult night for Prescott was made worse after his right hand hit a defenseman on a pass in the fourth quarter. He was searched on the sideline before running to the locker room.
The most recent injury comes nearly two years after Prescott’s compound fracture of his right ankle on the same field, a horrific injury that ended his 2020 season in week five.