Cowboys vs Buccaneers live updates: Tampa Bay edges Dallas 31-29

The 102nd NFL season kicked off Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing host to the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium (NBC). Tampa Bay was a nine-point favorite and led for most of the game, but Dallas took a one-point lead with 1:29 left to play.

But with Tom Brady under center, the game was far from over. Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Giovanni Bernard and Chris Godwin maneuvered the Bucs down the field to set up a 36-yard Ryan Succop field goal with seven seconds remaining. Succop booted it through for a 31-29 lead and the win.

The kick was set up on a back shoulder throw from Tom Brady to Chris Godwin for 24 yards with 18 seconds to play. It allowed Godwin to atone for a huge fumble that was the catalyst for a drive that Dallas turned into its late lead.

It was Dallas’ second lead of the game, and it came on a 48-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein, who had missed two field goal attempts and one extra point attempt earlier in the game.

The Buccaneers got their biggest lead of the game, 28-19, when Brady found Gronkowski across the middle for an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It was their 100th touchdown connection in their long careers together and second of the game. But the Bucs also committed four turnovers, an extremely difficult total to overcome.

(Photo: Kim Klement / USA Today)