Baker Mayfield and the Bucs take a 4-game winning streak into a meeting with Cowboys

Tampa Bay (8-6) at Dallas (6-8)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC

BetMGM NFL Odds: Buccaneers by 4 1/2.

Against the spread: Buccaneers 9-5; Cowboys 5-9.

Series record: Cowboys lead 16-6.

Last meeting: Cowboys beat Buccaneers 31-14 in wild-card playoff on Jan. 16, 2023, at Tampa, Florida.

Last week: Buccaneers beat Chargers 40-17; Cowboys beat Panthers 30-14.

Buccaneers offense: overall (3), rush (4), pass (4), scoring (4).

Buccaneers defense: overall (27), rush (11), pass (30), scoring (19).

Cowboys offense: overall (17), rush (27), pass (12), scoring (19).

Cowboys defense: overall (26), rush (29), pass (21), scoring (30).

Turnover differential: Buccaneers minus-2; Cowboys minus-5.

Buccaneers player to watch

WR Mike Evans leads the list of playmakers for QB Baker Mayfield in one of the NFL’s most productive offenses. Evans had nine catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. Despite missing three games and part of a fourth, he’s tied for fourth in the NFL with nine TDs receiving. The Bucs are 8-3 when he plays and 8-1 when Mayfield targets him five or more times. In six games vs. Dallas, Evans has 32 receptions for 444 yards and two TDs.

Cowboys player to watch

Star edge rusher Micah Parsons has been promising he would make it to 10 sacks for the fourth time in his four seasons despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain. Parsons had just one sack when he returned for the ninth game of the season, and had two against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. The two-time All-Pro has 7 1/2 sacks in six games since returning, including a trio of two-sack showings. Parsons is at 8 1/2 for the season, looking to become the fifth player to record double-digit sacks in each of his first four years. The other four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Key matchup

Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle vs. Bucs run defense. The first three 100-yard outings of Dowdle’s career have come the past three weeks, capped by his best of 149 yards against the Panthers. Tampa Bay just held the Chargers to a season-low 32 yards rushing.

Key injuries

Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) sat out last week against the Chargers and is expected to miss at least one more game. The status of LB K.J. Britt (ankle) and S Mike Edwards (hamstring) will be evaluated as the week progresses. ... Cowboys rookie C Cooper Beebe could clear concussion protocol after missing last week’s game. The outlook is less clear for CB Jourdan Lewis (elbow) and RG T.J. Bass (thigh), who was forced into the lineup when Brock Hoffman had to fill Beebe’s spot. Hoffman was the replacement for seven-time All-Pro RG Zack Martin, out for the season with an ankle injury. ... Hope seems to be fading for DE DeMarcus Lawrence’s return this season. He hasn’t played since Week 4 because of a foot injury and isn’t expected to be available this week.

Series notes

Tampa Bay’s 19-3 win in the 2022 season opener was just the second for the Bucs at Dallas. The Cowboys are 12-2 at home against the Bucs.

Stats and stuff

The Bucs are 8-1 in December/January regular-season games going back to last winter. They’re 20-5 in such games going back to 2020, the first of Tom Brady’s three seasons with Tampa Bay. … Mayfield threw four TD passes vs. the Chargers, increasing his season total to a career-best 32. It was his seventh game with at least three TDs passing. Only Joe Burrow (eight) has done it more times this season. … Evans needs eight catches for 251 yards over the next three games to extend his streak with at least 60 catches and 1,000 yards receiving to 11 consecutive seasons. … With rookie RB Bucky Irving (117 yards, 15 carries) leading the way, the Bucs ran for 223 yards against the Chargers, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. They have rushed for 100-plus yards in 11 of 14 games after doing it just nine times over 34 games the past two seasons. … Tampa Bay’s defense has allowed a league-low 15 points per game during the four-game winning streak that has the Bucs back to the top of the NFC South standings. ... Cowboys QB Cooper Rush had a career-high three TD passes against Carolina. ... The Dallas offense has been among the worst in touchdown percentage inside the 20 this season, but all three of Rush’s TD tosses helped the Cowboys convert three of four red zone chances. His lost fumble was the only failure. ... Dowdle needs 120 yards rushing for a 1,000-yard season. He already has his first 1,000-yard showing in scrimmage yards (1,085). Three of his four touchdowns are receiving scores. ... The Cowboys have 24 sacks in the six games since Parsons returned. That’s the most in the NFL in that stretch. ... DT Osa Odighizuwa has four sacks, tied for his career high.

Fantasy tip

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb is on a pretty good roll in prime time. He has three receiving TDs in his past three prime-time games and is looking for a fourth in a row with at least six catches for 90 yards.