ARLINGTON, Texas — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winless through four weeks and starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback, beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium for their first victory of the 2026 season.
Running back Bucky Irving ran for a career-high 165 yards and scored twice, and quarterback Jalon Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown without a turnover in his second NFL start. Tampa Bay (1-4) scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter and held on when linebacker Alex Anzalone intercepted Dak Prescott with 1:16 remaining.
Dallas (2-3) entered as a heavy favorite, with sportsbooks listing the Cowboys between 8 and 10.5 points ahead of kickoff. The Cowboys were coming off a 34-30 comeback win at Houston four days earlier.
A long answer to a fast start
Dallas scored on its opening possession, driving 70 yards and finishing with a 1-yard touchdown run by Javonte Williams for a 7-0 lead.
Tampa Bay responded with a 15-play drive that consumed 10 minutes, 58 seconds and carried into the second quarter. Daniels completed all eight of his passes on the drive and capped it with a 5-yard touchdown throw to Irving to tie the game 7-7.
The Dallas offense stalled from there, punting on three consecutive possessions. Prescott completed 9 of 20 passes for 114 yards in the first half as Tampa Bay pressured him. Brandon Aubrey’s 41-yard field goal with 26 seconds left before halftime gave the Cowboys a 10-7 lead at the break.
Third quarter swings it
Tampa Bay outscored Dallas 17-0 in the third quarter. Less than a minute into the half, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka took a handoff around the left end for a 14-yard touchdown and a 14-10 lead the Buccaneers would not give back.
Six plays into the Cowboys’ next drive, Prescott was intercepted by Yaya Diaby. Tampa Bay then went 75 yards in five plays, a drive built on a 64-yard completion from Daniels to Tez Johnson after Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland lost his footing in coverage. Irving finished it with a 1-yard run at 7:35 for a 21-10 lead.
Chase McLaughlin added a 41-yard field goal with 3:02 left in the quarter, and the Buccaneers’ defense stopped Dallas on downs before the period ended to keep a 24-10 margin.
Dallas rally comes up short
The Cowboys pulled within one score midway through the fourth quarter. Prescott led a 99-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens at 5:30, but his two-point conversion attempt to Ryan Flournoy fell incomplete, leaving Dallas behind 24-16.
The Dallas defense forced a punt and gave the offense a chance to tie. That drive ended deep in Tampa Bay territory when a Prescott pass intended for tight end Jake Ferguson was tipped and intercepted by Anzalone with 1:16 to play. Irving then broke a 22-yard run for a first down, allowing the Buccaneers to run out the clock.
Daniels credited his defense after the game, saying, “Hats off to our defense.”
By the numbers
Tampa Bay won the turnover battle 3-0 and controlled the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game. Dallas gained 366 total yards to Tampa Bay’s 419, and the Cowboys ran just 13 times.
| Team stat | Buccaneers | Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 419 | 366 |
| Rushing yards (attempts) | 241 (39) | 50 (13) |
| Passing yards | 189 | 316 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 39:21 | 20:39 |
| Penalties (yards) | 14 (92) | 7 (57) |
The Buccaneers’ victory came despite 14 penalties. Their three takeaways were two interceptions and a fumble recovered by the kickoff coverage unit.
For Dallas, Prescott finished 24 of 42 for 316 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, his first interceptions since the season opener. Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb left the game with a quadriceps injury.
What’s next
Before Thursday’s game, the Buccaneers said Baker Mayfield was expected to miss at least two more games with a dislocated right thumb, leaving Daniels in line to start again. Dallas travels to Green Bay for a Sunday night game on Oct. 18.
