The Dallas Cowboys gave the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers their first victory of the season, which is probably the last distinction any team wants in 2026. The loss offered more proof that the defense is no closer to turning things around, while three second-half turnovers from the offense and special teams ultimately sealed Dallas' fate.
Even on a short week, the coaching staff deserves a ton of blame for not having this team ready, but more so for how lifeless they looked in the second half despite holding a 10-7 lead.
Of course, players still need to be held accountable too after a loss like this. These players deserve the most blame for the 24-16 result.
3 Cowboys to blame the most for Week 5 loss to the Bucs
1. Dak Prescott - QB
Dak Prescott got outplayed by an undrafted rookie in Jalon Daniels. After the opening touchdown drive, "GOTI" essentially disappeared until Dallas was behind by multiple possessions in the fourth quarter. Cowboys fans have seen this story play out many times under Prescott,
After Tampa Bay easily tied it up at 7, Dallas punted three straight times. It looked a lot like last week's game at Houston. Most thought the offense would wake up in the second half like last week, but the offense dug a deeper hole with a Prescott interception on a Ryan Flournoy drop and a Kavontae Turpin fumble.
Dallas' receivers dropped passes, but Prescott flat-out did not play well from after the opening drive until halfway through the fourth quarter.
If the Cowboys' offense is the best in the NFL, as Prescott proclaimed, this game should have been easy considering the Buccaneers were winless with an undrafted rookie at quarterback.
Prescott does not deserve all of the blame when his defense once again did him no favors, but he deserves the most for coming up small in a game that looked easy.
2. Shavon Revel - CB
Shavon Revel looks like another bust on defense.
Once again, Dallas thought they could turn an injured college player into something bigger. With Revel now healthy, most expected him to take the next step and finally contribute. Thursday night showed why he might not be a long-term solution at corner for this team.
Before kickoff, it was announced that Joey Porter Jr. would not play due to an illness, forcing Revel into the starting lineup. The returns were not promising. Revel looked lost and committed the biggest penalty of the game when Dallas still had a chance.
Towards the end of the third quarter, the Buccaneers were faced with a 3rd and 13. Even a defense as bad as the Cowboys should be able to get off the field. Instead, Revel committed a costly pass interference penalty that kept the drive alive and, more importantly, allowed Tampa Bay to keep taking time away from the Dallas offense.
While the drive ended in a great play being made by Jaishawn Barham at the one-yard line, Dallas could have had more time to get back in the game. If Porter can play next week, Revel needs to be reduced to a third- or fourth-stringer, because he is clearly not ready to be CB2. He deserves a good amount of blame for this loss.
3. Jake Ferguson - TE
Jake Ferguson had another forgettable performance. After his poor blocking was hard to ignore last week, he got more notice this week for dropping passes. Ferguson only had three catches but should have had more.
His first big drop came right at the end of the third quarter. With the defense once again failing to get stops, the offense stayed on the field on 4th down to try to keep the drive going. They only needed two yards and could not even pass for that many, as Ferguson dropped a ball that should have been caught.
If that drive continued, the Cowboys would likely score and have a better chance to win at the end.
Ferguson's other big drop came on the team's final drive. Prescott threw the ball hard, but it hit him right in the hands regardless. Instead it went off Ferguson's hands for the game-ending interception. Sure on both of Ferguson's drops the ball could have been thrown better, but if you get your hands on it you got to catch it when your team needs you.
Ferguson has been inconsistent this season, to say the least, and has failed to reach even 50 receiving yards in a game. He is good down by the goal line, but he needs to make plays between the 20s too. He deserves a lot of blame for this loss.
Add us as a preferred source on Google