FAB 3. UNSUNG HEROES WILL DETERMINE BUCS VS. COWBOYS WINNER
NBC Sunday Night Football will bill the battle between Dallas and Tampa Bay as a battle of the stars.

Jameis vs. Dak.

Mike vs. Dez.

Doug vs. Zeke.

With the playoffs on the line, I expect Jameis Winston to shine in his first Sunday Night Football game after a pair of Thursday Night Football games and a Monday Night Football under his belt over the last two years. With his job – and the playoffs on the line – I expect Dak Prescott to bounce back after a shaky stint last Sunday night in New York in a loss that snapped Dallas’ 11-game winning streak.

I expect Dez Bryant and Mike Evans, who have been quiet in recent weeks, to erupt on the national stage through the air with so much at stake for their respective teams. I expect Doug Martin to find that ever-elusive 100-yard rushing performance he’s been trying to find for over a year, while rookie Ezekiel Elliott continues his march to the Pro Bowl in Martin’s place.

Cowboys S Byron Jones – Photo by: Getty Images

But it’s not necessarily going to be those players that will end up determining who wins on Sunday night. It’s going to be the unsung heroes that will tilt the game in Tampa Bay or Dallas’ favor.

It’s going to be safeties like the Cowboys’ Byron Jones going up against tight end Cameron Brate, and the Bucs’ Keith Tandy matching up against tight end Jason Whitten. Will Tandy come up with a game-clinching interception for a third week in a row? Can Jones, who has struggled covering tight ends this year, shut down or even contain Brate?

It’s going to be Bucs slot receiver Adam Humphries going up against Cowboys rookie nickel cornerback Anthony Brown, a Hillsborough High School graduate who had a daring interception in the fourth quarter in the loss at New York last week.

It’s going to be left guard Ronald Leary, the most unheralded of Dallas’ offensive linemen, battling to neutralize Tampa Bay’s defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Does Leary have what it takes to hold a Pro Bowler at bay?

If Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick double-teams McCoy to help Leary out, can Bucs nose tackle Clinton McDonald win one-on-one match-ups against Cowboys Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin?

It’s going to be the job that Vernon Hargreaves does on Terrance Williams, the Cowboys’ No. 2 wide receiver, when the rookie cornerback is not facing off against Bryant. Helping Brent Grimes contain Bryant does no good if Williams is allowed to go off for 100 yards receiving and a touchdown or two.

It’s going to be Bucs rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo, who has had his ups and downs this year vs. underappreciated Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey, who has connected on 87.5 percent of his field goals this year with just three misses.

And it’s going to be rookie nickel cornerback Javien Elliott squaring off against slot receiver Cole Beasley that may be the biggest battle of the night – believe it or not. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Beasley is ultra-quick in the middle of the field and has 64 catches for 711 yards and five touchdowns – all career-highs – this season.

“When you look at their personnel, you wouldn’t think that he’s their leading target guy, the slot one,” Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said of Beasley. “They have a Hall of Fame tight end and a big-play wide receiver. They throw a lot to the back and he is having a really good year. He’s going to give us problems. He’s a matchup issue in the slot.”

Cowboys WR Cole Beasley – Photo by: Getty Images

Beasley has six years of NFL experience, while Elliott is seeing action on defense for just the third time an in NFL game.

“Beasley’s one of the top slot receivers in the league, he’s got great quickness,” Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith said. “It’s going to be very important for Javien to be very disciplined with his eyes. This guy has got very good quickness, he’s a great route-runner and if we don’t have good eye discipline in that matchup, then we’re not going to have the results that we want. And it’s going to be a challenge, but we’re very proud of the way that Javien has come in and played. What he’s been doing in practice – I know Dirk talked about it earlier in the season – what he’s been doing in practice has carried over to the game field these last two weeks.”

It’s true that the stars shine brightest on the biggest stages, but the national spotlight is also known for making stars out of role players, too. Expect that to happen on Sunday Night Football.