Buccaneers Rout Favored Cowboys 24-16 for First Win
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers stunned the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium, picking up their first win of the season against a team favored by 9.5 points. The result drops Dallas to 2-3 and hands first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer his first taste of scrutiny, while Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles gets a reprieve after weeks of pressure on his job status.
Dallas opened the game on a scoring drive but then stalled, managing just three points across its next seven possessions. Quarterback Dak Prescott finished 24 of 42 for 316 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, and was booed by the home crowd after a high, incomplete fourth-down throw. Buccaneers corners Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish limited Dallas' top receiving duo for most of the night - George Pickens had 63 yards on eight targets and CeeDee Lamb just 9 yards on five targets entering the fourth quarter. A late 99-yard touchdown drive pulled Dallas closer, but a Prescott pass that deflected off tight end Jake Ferguson was intercepted by linebacker Alex Anzalone, sealing the outcome. mpl betting
Tampa Bay's offense, held to seven first-half points under first-year coordinator Zac Robinson, broke open in the third quarter. Running back Bucky Irving opened the second half with a 72-yard run, followed immediately by a 14-yard touchdown catch from Emeka Egbuka. On the next drive, undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels connected with Tez Johnson for a 64-yard gain that set up another Irving touchdown, pushing the Buccaneers to a 21-10 lead. Tampa Bay outscored Dallas 17-0 in the third quarter and outgained the Cowboys 198-59 in total yardage during the period. The Buccaneers finished with 241 rushing yards, exploiting a Cowboys run defense that has now allowed 168.8 yards per game this season - a pace that would mark the franchise's worst rushing defense since its inaugural 1960 campaign if it continues.
Dallas also entered the game thin at cornerback after newly acquired Joey Porter Jr., obtained in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was ruled out pregame with illness. The Cowboys' pass rush remains a concern, with just five sacks through five games. For Tampa Bay, the performance offers evidence that Daniels can operate behind a line still prone to penalties, while Dallas faces mounting questions about its defense and quarterback protection heading into the next stretch of the season.
