Buccaneers Beat Cowboys 24-16 as Irving Races for 165 Yards

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned their first victory of the 2026 NFL season by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 at AT&T Stadium on Thursday night, October 8. Tampa Bay combined a powerful rushing attack with three defensive takeaways to overcome a winless start, while Dallas dropped to 2-3 despite entering the matchup after a comeback victory over Houston.

According to the Buccaneers' official game report, Tampa Bay accumulated 419 total yards, including 241 on the ground, and controlled possession for nearly 40 minutes. Running back Bucky Irving led the way with 165 rushing yards on 21 carries and scored twice, while rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown without an interception.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott finished with 316 passing yards and a touchdown, but two interceptions contributed to the defeat. Receiver George Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, while CeeDee Lamb managed two receptions for nine yards before leaving with a quadriceps injury, according to the game coverage published by Sports Yahoo and USA Today.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones expressed deep dissatisfaction with the defensive performance, particularly the inability to stop Tampa Bay between the tackles. He also acknowledged that the Buccaneers executed their game plan more effectively.

"Extraordinarily, extraordinarily disappointed," Jones said of the loss. "You really do need to get it done when it's there to take. They basically were very physical.

I thought both their fronts, was really surprised at how well they ran the ball, how they ran it between the tackles. That was surprising. We thought if they were going to run it, they'd do it outside, and thought we'd put it on the quarterback shoulders.

Their staff, their quarterback, all their players got a great victory here tonight, and it was a tough loss for us."

Jones said the defeat was particularly frustrating because he believes the team has room to improve. Dallas had entered the game with expectations of capitalizing on Tampa Bay's previous struggles and the absence of starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was sidelined after dislocating his right thumb in Week Three against Minnesota.

"Boy, I've been so disappointed before with losses, but this was disappointing," Jones said. "And I'm disappointed because I see potential growth here. And we need to have good experiences on an individual basis as well as a team. And this was not a good experience out here."

The Cowboys' defensive problems have persisted through the opening five games. According to the team's official website, Dallas entered Thursday allowing 389.5 yards per game, the third-highest total in the NFL, and 28 points per game, the fifth-highest average. Tampa Bay's 24 points represented its highest scoring output of the season.

Despite the latest setback, Jones voiced confidence in defensive coordinator Christian Parker, whose unit struggled to contain Irving and failed to force a turnover. Jones said the coaching staff would review the problems exposed by Tampa Bay's interior running game.

"I do. Yes I do. He's sitting there taking it with taking it on the shoulders, which is the goes with the territory," Jones said. "But I feel that he's competent, and the things that he's trying to do."

The owner also identified the Buccaneers' success running between the tackles as a priority for further evaluation. Tampa Bay repeatedly gained ground through the middle, preventing Dallas from consistently forcing the offense into difficult passing situations.

"I'm gonna say it one more time, the thing that probably bothers me the most tonight is how they ran between the tackles so to speak and we're able to have that running game up in there with where we have a lot of strength. So that's something that we've got to really look at and will."

For Tampa Bay, the victory offered a needed response after four consecutive one-possession defeats. Head coach Todd Bowles credited the team's performance across all three phases and praised Daniels for protecting the ball in his second NFL start.

"We played good complementary football in all three phases, starting out, and that kind of spurred everything in the first half," Bowles said. "Jalon did an excellent job of taking care of the football and the defense played well."

Irving's 72-yard run early in the second half helped shift momentum toward Tampa Bay and set up a scoring opportunity. The Buccaneers scored on their first three second-half possessions, building a 21-10 advantage before adding a field goal after linebacker Yaya Diaby intercepted a deflected Prescott pass and safety Miles Killebrew forced a fumble by Dallas returner Kavontae Turpin.

Dallas mounted a late response when Prescott connected with Pickens for an 18-yard touchdown following a 99-yard drive. However, rookie defensive back Keionte Scott broke up the ensuing two-point attempt, and linebacker Alex Anzalone intercepted another deflected pass with just over a minute remaining to secure the victory.

Daniels credited the defense for protecting the lead and helping Tampa Bay finish the game. His performance also gave the Buccaneers their first win with Mayfield unavailable, while Irving's production provided the offense with a reliable ground attack.

"Hats off to our defense," Daniels said. "They played lights-out the whole entire game. Alex Anzalone, being able to get that game-winning interception, I appreciate those guys. Offensively we went out there and were able to execute our game plan."

Dallas will have 10 days before its next game, giving the team time to recover from injuries and evaluate possible roster changes. The Cowboys are scheduled to face the Green Bay Packers on the road on Sunday, October 18, according to the team's official website.