After staring down an abysmal 0-4 start, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers delivered a shocking 24-16 road win against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, and they didn’t just win, they completely outplayed them. This victory was a massive statement from head coach Todd Bowles, who everyone in the NFL had pegged as sitting on the hottest seat around. The Glazer family, who owns the Bucs, has a history of not firing coaches mid-season, but an 0-4 hole, their first since 2013, created real urgency to get that first win. Veteran left tackle Tristan Wirfs put it best, saying, “I think everyone felt it.”
A Much-Needed Turnaround After a Brutal Stretch
Before this surprising Thursday night upset, the Buccaneers were in a serious free-fall. Not only did they start this season 0-4, but they had a midseason collapse last year where they dropped seven of their last nine games. That meant heading into Week 5, this squad had lost an astonishing 11 of their last 13 games. Honestly, most coaches don’t get the chance to pull themselves out of a slide like that. It felt like a bad loss against Dallas, coupled with the long weekend, might have given ownership the perfect window to make a tough in-season change. Instead, the locker room was buzzing postgame, with players consistently giving credit to Bowles. They praised his defensive game plan, which held the Cowboys to a full 14 points below their season average, and his ability to keep the team focused under some seriously difficult logistical circumstances. Bowles said after the game that it’s “a long way to climb out,” but stressed that if they “play this hard and play this effective, we’ll be OK.” He even told the team the first quarter of the season was over after the 0-4 start, telling them to start fresh on the second. And no surprise, a Bowles-coached team got it done through defense.
Bowles’ Big Calls: The Good, The Bad, and The Risky
While the win was huge, Bowles still showed he’s got some work to do on his decision-making. Late in the first half, the Bucs lined up for a massive 61-yard field goal. But just before kicker Chase McLaughlin could even attempt it, they got flagged for delay of game. Bowles said he thought officials would “pump the clock” to give them more time, but he should have recognized they didn’t and used one of his three timeouts to avoid the five-yard penalty that forced a punt. Then, in the fourth quarter, with a 24-10 lead, the Bucs faced a fourth-and-goal from the Cowboys’ one-yard line. A short, easy field goal would have made it a three-score game with 8:36 left on the clock, putting them up by 17 points. But Bowles chose to go for it, and running back Sean Tucker was stuffed short. Bowles explained it was less than a yard, and they’d been running the ball well, so he wanted to “firmly put the game away.” You have to respect the guts, but sometimes the safe play is the smart play.
This is just one win for the Buccaneers, but it’s a critical first step. It’s a long road ahead for Bowles and the team to truly bounce back from that rough 0-4 start, but if they keep that fire and defensive intensity, you can bet they’ll be a team to watch in the coming weeks.
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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