ARLINGTON, TX (WFLA) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium today at 1:00 pm. The Bucs enter the day with a 5-9 record and are trying to avoid a double-digit loss season for the second straight season and the third time in four years with Dirk Koetter on the coaching staff (2015 Offensive Coordinator). The Cowboys are coming off a stunning 23-0 loss to the Indianapolis Colts but still lead the NFC East with an 8-6 record. 

Wide receiver DeSean Jackson will return to the Bucs lineup after missing the past three games with a thumb injury. The Bucs hope Jackson can help open up the offense a little more, even though the Bucs still lead the the league in passing. Wide receiver Mike Evans will continue to play his major role, drawing the best coverages and contested passes. Evans enters the game just 94 yards shy of becoming the Bucs all-time leader in single season receiving yards.

Some of the key storylines in this matchup:

Getting back in the red:

The Bucs red zone woes returned last week against the Baltimore Ravens as the offense cashed in on just one of three visits inside the Baltimore 20-yard line. The 20-12 loss was the Bucs fifth defeat in a game that wound up being decided by one score. In the second half of the game, the two field goal drives were magnified because the Bucs only had four offensive possessions in the second half. The time of possession was lopsided with the Ravens keeping the ball for nearly 15 minutes longer than the Bucs.

Cowboys linebacker brilliance:

The Dallas defense is one of the reasons the Cowboys have emerged from slow start to the season and now have a chance to host an opening round playoff game. The strength, as Bucs Head Coach Dirk Koetter mentioned during the week, is the linebacker unit. The return of veteran Sean Lee could move Leighton Vander Esch back in the depth chart but dynamic rookie will have plenty of chances to make an impact. The Cowboys are fifth in the NFL against the run and the support of the linebackers has boosted its pass defense. The Bucs want to stretch the field and find either Jackson or wide receiver Mike Evans on deep passes. However, the longest pass play against the Cowboys this season is just 53 yards.

Contain the run:

Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is focused on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. During the week, McCoy referred to the Dallas offense as an unofficial run, pass, option but when the Cowboys run, Prescott has plenty of options. Running back Ezekiel Elliot enters the day as the NFL’s leading rusher and still put up 85 yards against a Colts defense that had the Cowboys under control during critical moments. Elliott is clearly the guy when it comes to running the ball but Prescott can do damage when things open up. With just over 300 yards on the ground, Prescott is the Cowboys second leading rusher. The run has opened up a reinvigorated passing game, led by Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper, who in seven games, has already become the team’s leading receiver with 674 yards.