Birthday to remember: McDougald ends Cowboys’ hopes with late pick The Tampa Tribune, published 16 November 2015 On his 25th birthday, Bucs safety Bradley McDougald made a play he will always remember. McDougald locked down Tampa Bay’s 10-6 win against the Dallas Cowboys on an end zone interception with 14 seconds remaining as he guarded wide receiver Dez Bryant. It was the perfect finish for a beleaguered Bucs secondary that has been criticized for poor coverage and poor tackling. Coming into Sunday, opponents had completed 70.2 percent of their passes for 19 touchdowns and just six interceptions by Tampa Bay. On Sunday, Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassel was 19 of 30 for 186 yards. His longest completion was 24 yards. “Whatever it took to finish, whatever it took to win, we were going to do that,’’ McDougald said. “The way we played feels good, but honestly, we know what we’re capable of. We have good players. We’re not really concerned with outside criticism or things that happen outside our locker room. We just show up to work each and every week.’’ McDougald praised cornerback Sterling Moore, a former Cowboys player who had primary coverage responsibilities on Bryant, holding him to five catches for 45 yards. “It was Sterling, it was all of us,’’ Bucs cornerback Alterraun Verner said. “We brought it today. We don’t lack for confidence. We’re capable of playing like this all the time. We just need consistency. This is a good boost.’’ “I think we can take this, build on it, and get even better,’’ Bucs safety Chris Conte said. “Holding them without a touchdown is awesome. It’s a good accomplishment in this league.’’