The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 on Thursday night for their first win of the season, with Bucky Irving producing a career-high 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns while rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels delivered a turnover-free display in only his second NFL start. The result lifted Tampa Bay to 1-4 after an 0-4 opening and left Dallas at 2-3.
Irving carried 21 times, an average of 7.9 yards per attempt, as the Buccaneers accumulated 241 rushing yards. His most influential play came immediately after half-time, when his 72-yard run put Tampa Bay in position to take control. Receiver Emeka Egbuka then scored on a 14-yard jet sweep to give the visitors a lead they did not surrender.
The running back also scored twice himself. Daniels found Irving for a five-yard touchdown pass in the first half, before Irving added a one-yard rushing score after Dallas had made a sequence of costly errors. Tampa Bay’s performance was particularly important because it came with Daniels continuing to deputise for Baker Mayfield, who is expected to miss at least one more game with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Irving and Daniels change the game after half-time
Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, avoiding the turnovers that troubled him in his debut against Green Bay. The undrafted rookie had thrown three interceptions in that 17-14 defeat, but he managed the offence cleanly in Dallas and converted a major third-down situation during the decisive stretch.
After Egbuka’s touchdown made it 14-10, Dak Prescott threw his first interception of the night. Dallas then allowed Tez Johnson a 64-yard reception, which led to Irving’s one-yard score and a 21-10 Tampa Bay advantage. The Buccaneers added a field goal after KaVontae Turpin fumbled the ensuing kick-off.
That passage accounted for 17 unanswered points after half-time and turned a close contest into a two-score game. Irving’s long run did not itself produce a touchdown, but it began the sequence that put Tampa Bay ahead for good. The Buccaneers’ 241 team rushing yards also meant that Irving supplied just over two-thirds of their ground production, underlining how central he was to an attack led by a replacement quarterback.
Javonte Williams led Dallas with 45 yards on 12 carries, a sharp contrast with Irving’s 165-yard night.
Daniels’ most difficult conversion came after Turpin’s fumble, when he connected with Egbuka for 21 yards on third-and-21 from the Dallas 48-yard line. Tampa Bay ultimately settled for a field goal, but the play prevented Dallas from immediately regaining possession and extended the visitors’ lead to 24-10.
Dallas rally falls short after turnovers
Prescott attempted to bring Dallas back into the match with a 99-yard fourth-quarter drive, ending it with a 13-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens. He completed 24 of 42 passes for 316 yards and Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards, but Prescott’s second interception, deflected on its way to a Tampa Bay defender, helped secure the result in the final two minutes.
Prescott’s first interception and Turpin’s fumble contributed to Tampa Bay’s decisive third-quarter scoring sequence. Prescott’s second interception then helped seal the result in the final two minutes. Dallas had the opportunity to establish control at home against a side beginning the night 0-4, but could not overcome those mistakes.
Dallas were also without cornerback Joey Porter Jr, a late scratch in what was due to be his second appearance since joining from the Pittsburgh Steelers. His absence was not presented as the reason for the defeat, but it removed one of the defensive additions the Cowboys had recently made.
For Tampa Bay, the immediate value is straightforward: the club avoided a fifth consecutive defeat while Daniels showed a markedly steadier response in his second start. Head coach Todd Bowles said the team had lost the first quarter of its season rather than the campaign as a whole, while acknowledging that there remained substantial ground to make up. Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer said his side had not expected to be 2-3 but still had considerable football left to play.