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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys: PFM Team Comparison

PFM rates the Dallas Cowboys higher than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers overall, with a slight advantage. The main reasons are the more dependable offense.

Current PFM Team Scores

TB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

77.0PFM Team Score#21 NFL
Slight edgeDAL

Dallas Cowboys

77.4PFM Team Score#20 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
Swap Teams Clear Comparison
PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Dallas Cowboys Higher

The Cowboys can create offense in more than one way. One bad matchup is less likely to shut down the entire scoring approach. Tampa Bay's strongest counterargument is Defense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the more dependable defense. It does not need the offense to answer every possession to keep control of a game.

Dallas still holds the overall PFM Team Score lead by 0.4 points. That is enough to keep the Dallas Cowboys ahead.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Tampa Bay vs. Dallas 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.

TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
DALDallas Cowboys
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.8, Dallas Cowboys 81.6, edge DAL +2.8; Offense: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.7, Dallas Cowboys 84.6, edge DAL +5.9; Defense: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 80.9, Dallas Cowboys 68.3, edge TB +12.6; Coaching Direction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.3, Dallas Cowboys 73.7, edge TB +2.6; Roster Depth: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.1, Dallas Cowboys 77.8, 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 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. The defense advantage is a real point in Tampa Bay's favor, but it does not outweigh the rest of the higher-rated team’s advantages. The problem for Tampa Bay is that Dallas counters with the more dependable offense.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

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

Overall NFL Rank

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

QB Stability

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

Roster Strength

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

Coaching Direction

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

Recent Performance

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

Offense

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

Defense

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

Franchise Direction

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

Explosiveness

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

Conference Rank

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

Division Rank

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

Outlook

TBIn the Playoff MixDALIn the Playoff Mix
Same outlook
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

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 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

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