The Dallas Cowboys were 9.5-point favorites heading into Thursday night, a chance for Dak Prescott to showcase his team as a real contender, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had other plans. They pulled off a stunning 24-16 road win, handing Dallas a brutal 2-3 record and potentially sparking major hot-seat talk for head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Meanwhile, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles just got a huge reprieve from his own hot-seat rumors. What an absolute stunner in the Big D.
Prescott’s Prime Time Nightmare
This was supposed to be a prime-time showcase for Prescott, against a winless opponent, a chance for the Cowboys to show everyone they were a force in a muddled NFC East. Instead, it was an absolute nightmare. Prescott struggled to complete passes to his elite receivers for most of the game, so much so that he was getting booed in his own stadium after a fourth-down pass sailed high and incomplete. Seriously, booed at home. You just don’t see that often with a favored team.
Give huge credit to Bucs corners Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish. They absolutely locked down CeeDee Lamb, who was held to just 9 yards on five targets, and George Pickens, who had 63 yards on eight targets heading into the fourth quarter. Dallas came into this game averaging 30 points per game, the second-best in the NFL. But after marching down the field for an opening drive touchdown, the Cowboys somehow managed to score only three points on their next seven drives. That’s just unacceptable. Yes, they did put together an impressive 99-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter after a stop at the 1-yard line, but it was too little, too late. Their final drive made it to the Bucs’ 33-yard line, but any hope of a tying score vanished when a Prescott pass bounced off Jake Ferguson and was picked off by linebacker Alex Anzalone. Prescott finished the night 24 of 42 for 316 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. At one point in the third quarter, he was 13 of 27 for just 117 yards, even if you take out that 48-yard catch to Ryan Flournoy right before halftime. Brutal.
Defense Goes Missing When It Matters
It wasn’t just the offense, either. There was real hope that new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker could help that defense take a major step forward in 2026, but after five games, we’re simply not seeing it. Dallas arrived at this game with a bottom-five defense in nearly any category. And the Bucs, being smart, attacked their biggest weakness: the run game.
Tampa Bay absolutely gashed them on the ground. Bucky Irving ripped off a massive 72-yard run that was a huge chunk of the damage. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers were already over 200 rushing yards and finished the night with a stunning 241 yards on the ground. This defense is allowing 168.8 rushing yards per game this season. If that number holds, that would be the most rushing yards per game the Cowboys have allowed since their inaugural season all the way back in 1960. Think about that for a second. That’s just an abysmal stat. And to make matters worse, they tried to address a major need by acquiring corner Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers, but he was a late scratch in pregame due to illness.
This loss leaves the Cowboys reeling at 2-3. After a game where their highly paid quarterback got booed and their defense looked like a sieve against the run, you gotta wonder what changes are coming.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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