Tampa Bay Earns First Win of the Season
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up their first victory of the 2026 NFL season Thursday night, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 at AT&T Stadium. Behind a dominant rushing performance from Bucky Irving and a clutch defensive effort, Tampa Bay overcame an early deficit to pull off the upset.
The Buccaneers entered the matchup looking for their first win, while Dallas hoped to take advantage of playing at home. Instead, Tampa Bay controlled the second half and forced three turnovers to secure the victory.
Cowboys Start Strong
Dallas opened the game with an impressive offensive drive. Running back Javonte Williams capped a 70-yard possession with a one-yard touchdown run, giving the Cowboys an early 7-0 lead.
Tampa Bay responded with a lengthy drive of its own. Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, starting in place of the injured Baker Mayfield, guided the offense down the field before connecting with Irving on a five yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.
The Cowboys regained the lead late in the first half when kicker Brandon Aubrey connected on a 41-yard field goal. Dallas went into halftime ahead 10-7 and appeared to have control of the contest.
Irving Takes Over in the Second Half
The Buccaneers completely changed the game after halftime. Irving broke free for a spectacular 72-yard run to set up Tampa Bay near the goal line. On the following play, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka took a handoff and scored on a 14-yard run to give the Buccaneers a 14-10 advantage.
Tampa Bay continued to capitalize on Dallas’ mistakes. Daniels connected with Tez Johnson for a 64-yard completion before Irving finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
A fumble on a KaVontae Turpin kickoff return gave the Buccaneers another scoring opportunity. Chase McLaughlin converted a 41 yard field goal, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 24-10.
Irving finished with a career-high 165 rushing yards and two total touchdowns, providing the spark Tampa Bay needed.
Cowboys Rally Falls Short
Dallas attempted to make things interesting in the fourth quarter. Prescott led a 99-yard touchdown drive, finishing it with an 18 yard scoring pass to George Pickens. However, the Cowboys failed to convert the two-point attempt, leaving them trailing 24-16.
Prescott got another opportunity to lead a late comeback, but his pass intended for Jake Ferguson was tipped into the air and intercepted by Alex Anzalone with just over a minute remaining.
Prescott finished with 316 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, while CeeDee Lamb left the game with a quadriceps injury.
Tampa Bay Gets Back on Track
Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, earning his first career win as a starting quarterback. The Buccaneers improved to 1-4, while Dallas dropped to 2-3.
Tampa Bay’s combination of explosive running, timely passing and opportunistic defense proved too much for the Cowboys. For Dallas, the turnovers and inability to stop the run turned a promising start into a disappointing home loss.
