The Dallas Cowboys probably thought they were catching a break heading into their Week 5 Thursday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Seriously, their defense was already a mess, giving up an average of 28.0 points per game, the fourth-worst in the league. But with Baker Mayfield out and understudy Jalon Daniels looking shaky in his NFL debut, it felt like Dallas would finally get a pick-me-up. Yeah, not so much. It took just one drive for everyone watching to realize this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. Tampa Bay made history right at Dallas’ expense.
The “Death by 1,000 Paper Cuts” Drive That Stunned Dallas
The Buccaneers kicked off their first drive from their own 27-yard line, and what followed was an absolute masterclass in methodical execution. Jalon Daniels, the guy who looked “shaky” last week, became the conductor of a “death by 1,000 paper cuts” symphony against a bewildered Dallas defense. Over 15 grueling plays, Todd Bowles’ crew just kept inching forward. Daniels was locked in, completing all eight of his passes and single-handedly accounting for 60 yards of offense, with 49 coming from his arm and another 11 from his legs. It was brutal to watch Dallas try and fail to stop it.
Penalties and History: A Recipe for Disaster
As if Tampa Bay didn’t have enough going for them, Brian Schottenheimer’s side kept shooting themselves in the foot, giving up a whopping 25 yards due to penalties. Seriously, they practically rolled out the red carpet for Daniels and the Bucs to waltz down the field. It was only a matter of time before Tampa Bay cashed in. On second-and-goal, Daniels found Bucky Irving, who turned the corner and leaped into the end zone to tie the game at seven apiece. This drive wasn’t just a tough start, though. It clocked in at about 11 minutes, making it Tampa Bay’s longest drive by elapsed time since 2007. Even wilder, it was the longest opening drive authored by any team since 2022.
The Cowboys knew their defense was shaky, even against a less-than-full-strength Buccaneers offense. But to struggle this hard, right out of the gate, against a backup QB in his second start? That’s a major red flag. This entire performance doesn’t bode well for Dallas’ prospects moving forward, and you gotta wonder what kind of season they’re looking at with a defense like that.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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