Coming off a hard-fought win in Houston. The Eagles reeling and selling off pieces. The Giants without their franchise quarterback. The Dallas Cowboys had rightfully become division favorites after last week, but Thursday night proved they are as unserious as they looked in Week 1.
Facing a can't-lose game against the 0-4 Buccaneers, the Cowboys came out flatter than flat. A fourth-quarter comeback came up short and Dallas bowed out embarrassingly to the tune of a 24-16 final score in front of their home crowd at AT&T Stadium.
If you're struggling to remember a regular-season loss as bad as this, you are not alone. It's one of those losses where no one can be absolved of blame. It's going to be a long 10 days, so let's start the grieving and venting process by getting into some postgame observations.
Instant reactions to the Cowboys' loss to the Buccaneers
Tyler Smith's immediate impact
The Cowboys' offense marched down the field on the game's first possession. Javonte Williams polished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run, running behind you guessed it: Tyler Smith.
Smith's power and physicality loomed large on the scoring drive. In fact, the first rushing attempt behind Smith and Tyler Guyton on the left side went for a gain of 21 yards, with Smith creating a massive hole by collapsing the defensive front to his right and giving Williams a clear runway into the second level.
Dak Prescott had the offense functioning at such a high level in the first four games that you almost forgot Smith wasn't out there. Rest assured, though, Smith is one of this team's most important players, and it showed on the first drive.
Embarrassing first defensive drive for Dallas
Leave it to the defense to suck the life out of the game. After Dallas' opening TD, Tampa Bay, led by undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels, orchestrated a 15-play, 10:58 drive that finished with a Bucky Irving touchdown. It's the Buccaneers' first opening-drive TD since Week 18 of last season.
Embarrassing.
Penalties by DaRon Bland (holding), Shavon Revel (illegal contact), and Rashan Gary (offsides) played a huge role. Bland negated a 3rd-and-5 sack. Revel gave Tampa Bay a 1st-and-10 instead of 2nd-and-20, and a 2nd-and-10 moved to 2nd-and-goal at the five after Gary's lapse.
It was an embarrassing look for the entire operation, including Christian Parker. Yes, his players have to execute and be more disciplined on extended plays, but Week 1 was a long time ago.
Malachi Lawrence was a bright spot, though
Lawrence would have had a sack on the Bucs' never-ending drive if not for an obvious holding penalty. He was breathing down Jalon Daniels' blindside. It was one of the few quick pressures Dallas' defensive front has generated this season.
The first-round pick came up big later in the first half, teaming up with Dee Winters to contain Daniels after he escaped the pocket on third down. Tampa Bay wanted to try a long field goal, but a delay of game prompted Todd Bowles to punt.
In the second half, Lawrence recorded a half-sack with Donovan Ezeiruaku and batted a 2nd-and-21 pass out of the air. It was an ugly, ugly game for the Cowboys, but Lawrence popped on multiple occasions.
Jake Ferguson has to go
The Cowboys were driving on their final possession before halftime. A 48-yard completion to Ryan Flournoy looked like the jolt that was needed. Until Jake Ferguson dropped a likely seven- or eight-yard gain on 1st-and-10 from the Buccaneers' 27.
A four-yard gain to CeeDee Lamb on second down kept the clock moving, and Todd Bowles dialed up pressure on third down to force a quick throw and an incompletion.
There is obviously no guarantee that Dallas would have found the end zone if Ferguson had held on, but his drop killed all of the momentum. A 2nd-and-short (maybe a first down) turned into 2nd-and-10, which is not where you want to be against an aggressive defense.
But Ferguson's biggest blunder came with Dallas driving for a potential game-tying score late in the fourth quarter. On 2nd-and-1, Prescott rifled a pass that ricocheted off Ferguson's helmet, popped into the air, and eventually landed in the arms of Alex Anzalone to effectively end the game.
Instead of moving inside the red zone with Tampa Bay's defense on its heels, Dallas handed the ball back to the Bucs, who picked up one first down and ran out the clock.
Routine mistakes have become all too familiar for a player who's making $12.5 million a year. The front office needs to have a serious conversation about cutting him.
DaRon Bland has become unplayable
Ferguson and Bland have been public enemy No. 1 in Dallas, and rightfully so. Christian Parker may soon take Ferguson's spot, but Bland has been absolutely dreadful this season and that continued Thursday night.
Midway through the third quarter, Bland had allowed four catches (on as many targets) for 76 yards. The bulk of that came on a 2nd-and-14 in the third quarter. He lost his footing on a deep post, leaving Tez Johnson wide open for a 64-yard gain in a 14-10 ball game.
Somehow, that wasn't Bland's worst moment.
Bland was in coverage on Emeka Egbuka on a 3rd-and-21 (!!!) conversion with 6:48 left in the third quarter. It's a sad development, but he's lost all of his confidence. He's a shell of the All-Pro who set the pick-six record in 2023. The decision to restructure his contract before the season has aged like milk.
The Cowboys would be better off playing Shavon Revel, Ameer Speed, Reddy Steward, and even Derion Kendrick.
Third quarter straight out of a nightmare
Some of the highlights from a third quarter that saw Dallas' 10-7 lead on the scoreboard dissolve into a 24-10 deficit:
- Buccaneers two-play 86-yard TD driveÂ
- Prescott INT on a dropped pass at the Tampa Bay 27 to kill a promising driveÂ
- Buccaneers five-play, 85-yard touchdown driveÂ
- KaVonte Turpin follows the ensuing kickoffÂ
- Buccaneers field goal after allowing a 3rd-and-21 to be convertedÂ
- Cowboys turn it over on downs on the ensuing possessionÂ
End scene.
It could go down as the quarter that changed Dallas' season.
Bad Dak Prescott game
I am normally the first to throw flowers at Prescott's feet, but he was off tonight. The opening drive was a thing of beauty, but the Cowboys' QB never found that same rhythm again.
Normally composed and efficient under pressure, Prescott looked rattled as the Buccaneers' pass rush started getting home. He was hesitant with the football, unsure of where to go at times and too quick to abandon the pocket on others.
It was an uncharacteristically disjointed performance from a quarterback who was one of the better QBs in football in the first month of the year. The entire operation looked disjointed, but Prescott also left plays on the field.
The light came on for Prescott in the fourth quarter. He might have led a 14-point comeback if not for Ferguson's drop, but the offense was silent for three quarters. That can't happen.
Christian Parker is out of excuses
The NFL will chew you up and spit you out, and through five games, Christian Parker looks in way over his head. Whatever growing pains were expected with a first-time play-caller, the Cowboys are well beyond that point. The defense is just as bad as last year's.
Todd Archer tweeted that the 352 yards allowed through three quarters were the most by a Dallas defense since Week 8 of the 2024 season, when they surrendered 381 yards to San Francisco.
The Bucs surpassed 200 yards rushing on the night, and Jalon Daniels looked like anything but an undrafted rookie. The players deserve all the scorn for missing tackles and not winning their individual matchups, but Dallas is at a severe schematic disadvantage every single week.
Last year's defense was helpless, but context matters. Micah Parsons was traded on the eve of the season, and Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn were the starting linebackers. Trevon Diggs. Donovan Wilson. More than half the starting defense did not have jobs when the 2026 season started.
Parker is working with a lot more ingredients. The talent isn't overbearing, but Quinnen Williams is here for a full season. The front office invested two first-round picks in the defense. Rashan Gary. Otito Ogbonnia. Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant. Joey Porter Jr. All perceived floor-raisers.
Say what you will about Matt Eberflus, but he didn't have that much talent to work with. The Cowboys spent the entire 2026 offseason envisioning a new defense. And it's just as bad.
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