Cowboys Vs. Bucs Injury Update: Are Baker Mayfield & Tyler Smith Playing?

The Dallas Cowboys take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on Thursday in a game where Brian Schottenheimer's team is the overwhelming favorite.

And that is because there's no Baker Mayfield; instead, it is rookie Jalon Daniels, who is set to get his second start after taking on the Green Bay Packers last week.

For most, this is a game the Cowboys should be winning and easily, simply because they are facing a rookie who has barely seen the field with real NFL bullets flying.

But we know better than that, don't we? Plus, it isn't like the Buccaneers are devoid of weapons; in fact, they have a host of them that can make Dallas' life hell.

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And for Brian Schottenheimer, even though Jalon is a rookie, he isn't about to overlook Tampa on Thursday night.

"He's an NFL quarterback, very athletic, great success at Kansas," Schottenheimer said. "He's got weapons galore, [Chris] Godwin's still playing great. [Emeka] Egbuka’s a great player, [Cade] Otton the tight end, [Kameron] Johnson who's a speed guy to get behind people. Got a great running game, Bucky Irving, really good offensive line.

"To play quarterback in the National Football League is extremely difficult and he's learning on the fly, but he throws the ball well, got good velocity, again, he doesn't have to do it by himself. So, we go in knowing his strengths and his weaknesses and try to make him show us more of his weaknesses."

And looking at the numbers, this won't exactly be an easy outing for the Cowboys.

The Buccaneers' defense hasn't allowed more than 300 total yards, 23 points, or 86 rushing yards in their last three games.

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So this won't be a game where Dak Prescott and Co. can simply hang 35 points, although they are more than capable.

Dallas is slated to get guard Tyler Smith back into the lineup, though, after missing a month due to thumb surgery.

The Buccaneers' offense, though, has struggled, not scoring more than 19 points in each of its last three games, and for Daniels, he managed 14 points against the Packers, only threw 148 yards, threw two interceptions, and was sacked three times.

So, there is a chance that Christian Parker's defense - which will be without injured starters DeMarvion Overshown and Cobie Durant - can get after him on Thursday night.

Still, even though he's a rookie and is coming off a less-than-stellar debut, Schottenheimer and the Cowboys aren't about to overlook Daniels, because if they do, an embarrassing game could be on the cards.