It was a week later than they probably would have preferred, but the Dallas Cowboys clinched the N.F.C. East for the second time in three seasons by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-20, on Sunday.

The big win came on a slow day for the Dallas offense, as the star-laden unit led by Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper managed just 232 total yards. But Prescott passed for one touchdown, and ran for another, and the team’s defense and special teams took care of the rest. Jaylon Smith returned a fumble 69 yards for a touchdown, and Brett Maher connected on two field goals, one of which came on a 59-yard attempt late in the second quarter.

“We’ve got a lot more work to do,” Prescott said of the division title at his postgame news conference. “This is something that we set out, wanted to do way back in the off-season, and this is giving us a chance to go and get the greater goal.”

The Dallas defense, which has showed remarkable improvement this season, had a bend-don’t-break approach against the vertically-inclined Buccaneers. Jameis Winston may have passed for 336 yards, but he endured eight hits and three sacks, with Randy Gregory forcing two fumbles, including the one Smith returned for a touchdown.