Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Inactive and Injury Reports for Monday Night Football Wild Card Playoffs

By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Published:

- The Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers inactive and injury reports for the Monday Night Football Wild Card Playoff game show not a single Cowboys starter with an injury designation
- Tampa Bay listing four starters as questionable. As well, Buccaneers starting RG Nick Leverett (knee) is doubtful to play
- See all of the Cowboys vs Buccaneers injuries for Monday Night Football here
- The injury reports for both the Dallas Cowboys (12-5, 10-7 ATS) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9, 4-12-1 ATS) have been heavily populated throughout the NFL season. However, as these two NFC rivals get set to clash on Monday Night Football in the NFL Wild Card Playoffs, the Buccaneers and Cowboys are about as healthy as they’ve been all season.
Dallas is listing nary a starter with an injury designation. That’s unheard of at this time of the football season. Tampa Bay is showing four starters as questionable – one each on the offensive and defensive line, and two in the secondary. As well, starting right guard Nick Leverett is doubtful due to a knee injury.
Dallas is listed as 2.5-point road favorites. Tampa Bay is an NFL-worst 4-12-1 ATS this season. There was a slight movement in the line, which was showing Dallas -3 in the Wild Card Weekend opening odds. Meanwhile, the total has held steady at 45.5 points.

The Cowboys vs Buccaneers public betting splits are divided. Spread handle and bets are backing Dallas. However, moneyline splits on both counts are going with Tampa Bay. The game is being broadcast by ESPN. Kickoff set for 8:15 pm ET at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, January 15.
Dallas Cowboys Injury Report
To see not a single Dallas starter with an injury designation is an astonishing development. That’s not merely because of the time of year, but also when taking into consideration how injury-riddled the Cowboys have been throughout this season.
It started in their Week 1 home-field loss to these same Buccaneers. In that game, QB Dak Prescott suffered a fractured thumb when his passing hand hit the helmet of Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett on a follow-through. Prescott would miss the next five games.
Other starters who’ve missed time through injury this season include WR Michael Gallup, SS Jayron Kearse, and MLB Leighton Vander Esch. Vander Esch (neck) missed the last three regular-season games but has been a full practice participant this week.
LDE Dexter Lawrence (foot) and RT Tyron Smith (knee) were also full participants in practice. Smith spent the first 13 weeks of the season on IR. The only absence for Dallas will be backup LCB Trayvon Mullen. He’s out with an illness.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Injury Report
There’s not a significant amount of players on the Tampa Bay injury list, but there are some fairly significant players listed there. Leverett was only able to practice once this week. He was limited in what he could do and it was early in the week.
Robert Hainsey, who has started all 17 games at center this season, is questionable with a hamstring injury. LT Donovan Smith (foot) is also questionable, as is backup OL John Molchon (ankle). Backup TE Kyle Rudolph (knee) is doubtful.
Defensively, NT Vita Vea (calf) is also questionable. In the secondary, FS Mike Edwards (hip) and RCB Carlton Davis III (shoulder) are questionable as well. Backup WLB Carl Nassib (pectoral) is questionable.
How Could Injuries Affect the Cowboys vs Buccaneers Lines?
Providing relief to the injury-plagued Tampa Bay offensive line is the return from IR of starting center Ryan Jensen. Out all season after injuring his knee in training camp, Jensen has been activated and already moved ahead of Hainsey on the Buccaneers’ depth chart.
We've activated C Ryan Jensen from injured reserve 👀#GoBucs
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 16, 2023
If you’re thinking about a play on Buccaneers WR Mike Evans in the Cowboys vs Buccaneers player props, the illness that was slowing him earlier in the week has cleared up. He’s been a full practice participant since Thursday.
Adding concern to the Tampa Bay injuries in the secondary is that backup SS Logan Ryan (knee) and reserve FS Kyle Neal (hip) are also showing an injury designation as questionable. However, the good news from a Buccaneers point of view is that all four DBs have been full participants during practice this week.
As Bucs activate C Ryan Jensen from IR, Cowboys are making a move, too. NT Johnathan Hankins (pec) is officially back from a four-game IR stint. Cowboys C Tyler Biadasz and LB Leighton Vander Esch also to return tonight.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 16, 2023
For Dallas, starting center Tyler Biadasz is back in the lineup after missing last week’s season finale against Washington due to an ankle injury. As well, backup NT Johnathan Hankins (pectoral) is being activated from IR.
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Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.