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Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: PFM Team Comparison

The Dallas Cowboys hold a slight overall advantage over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the current PFM ratings. Dallas separates itself through the more dependable offense.

Current PFM Team Scores

Slight edgeDAL

Dallas Cowboys

77.4PFM Team Score#20 NFL
TB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

77.0PFM Team Score#21 NFL
WEEK 5 MATCHUP Thursday, Oct. 8 8:15 PM ET
View on NFL Schedule
PFM CALL Locks October 8th at 8:15 PM EDT

Who wins Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys?

Week 5 matchup
AwayTB0-4
HomeDAL2-2

Pick the winner.

Choose your Call
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PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Dallas Cowboys Higher

The Dallas Cowboys have the more dependable offense. The unit has more ways to create points when a game forces the team away from its preferred approach. Tampa Bay's strongest counterargument is Defense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own the stronger defense. More dependable stops give the offense better field position and keep one bad drive from controlling the day.

Dallas still holds the overall PFM Team Score lead by 0.4 points. The Dallas Cowboys still deserves the higher PFM rating.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Dallas vs. Tampa Bay Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

DALDallas Cowboys
TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Dallas Cowboys 81.6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.8, edge DAL +2.8; Offense: Dallas Cowboys 84.6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.7, edge DAL +5.9; Defense: Dallas Cowboys 68.3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 80.9, edge TB +12.6; Coaching Direction: Dallas Cowboys 73.7, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.3, edge TB +2.6; Roster Depth: Dallas Cowboys 77.8, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.1, edge TB +1.3. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
Hover or tap a team to focus that profile. Use Show Both to bring the overlay back.
THE COUNTERARGUMENT

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Best Argument

The Buccaneers can lean on their defense more than the Cowboys can. That creates a better floor when the offense stalls or field position turns against the team. That is why the overall gap is smaller than the score first suggests. Dallas still answers with the more dependable offense, which keeps the overall judgment in place.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

DAL77.4
Dallas Cowboys 77.4
TB77.0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 77.0
Slight Dallas Cowboys edge

Overall NFL Rank

DAL#20
Dallas Cowboys #20
TB#21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #21
Dallas Cowboys ranks higher

QB Stability

DAL81.6
Dallas Cowboys 81.6
TB78.8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.8
Clear Dallas Cowboys edge

Roster Strength

DAL77.8
Dallas Cowboys 77.8
TB79.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.1
Slight Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Coaching Direction

DAL73.7
Dallas Cowboys 73.7
TB76.3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.3
Clear Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Recent Performance

DAL76.6
Dallas Cowboys 76.6
TB70.0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 70.0
Clear Dallas Cowboys edge

Offense

DAL84.6
Dallas Cowboys 84.6
TB78.7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.7
Clear Dallas Cowboys edge

Defense

DAL68.3
Dallas Cowboys 68.3
TB80.9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 80.9
Major Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Franchise Direction

DAL74.1
Dallas Cowboys 74.1
TB75.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75.1
Slight Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge

Explosiveness

DAL72.9
Dallas Cowboys 72.9
TB72.6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 72.6
Slight Dallas Cowboys edge

Conference Rank

DAL#10
Dallas Cowboys #10
TB#11
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #11
Dallas Cowboys ranks higher

Division Rank

DAL#3
Dallas Cowboys #3
TB#1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranks higher

Outlook

DALIn the Playoff MixTBIn the Playoff Mix
Same outlook
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

Dallas Cowboys

Remaining schedule rank: #13

Toughest stretch: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars

Strongest opponents: Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams

Next five difficulty: 77.2

View Dallas Cowboys Road Ahead

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Remaining schedule rank: #23

Toughest stretch: Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions

Strongest opponents: Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions

Next five difficulty: 78.3

View Tampa Bay Buccaneers Road Ahead

Dallas has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 13. The strongest opponents include Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams. Tampa Bay gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while Dallas still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated October 6, 2026. Schedule data updated October 6, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams