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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached the point where every game feels critical. Tampa Bay travels to Arlington for a Thursday night matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Kickoff comes at 8:15 p.m. Eastern from AT&T Stadium on Prime Video. The Buccaneers enter the game at 0-4 after another frustrating loss. Dallas enters at 2-2 after beating the Houston Texans 34-30 on Sunday. Therefore, both teams have plenty riding on this prime-time matchup. Tampa Bay desperately needs its first victory before its season slips further away. Dallas wants to build momentum after returning to .500. However, the Buccaneers must attempt that turnaround without their starting quarterback.
Jalon Daniels Gets Another Opportunity
Baker Mayfield continues recovering from a dislocated right thumb. Mayfield suffered the injury during Tampa Bay’s Week 3 loss against Minnesota. His absence gives rookie Jalon Daniels another opportunity Thursday night. Daniels made his first NFL start against Green Bay on Sunday. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 148 yards. Additionally, Daniels threw one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed eight times for 55 yards. Those 55 rushing yards set a Buccaneers single-game record for a rookie quarterback. Daniels showed athletic ability and composure despite some rookie mistakes.
However, Dallas presents another difficult challenge on a short week. Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed Daniels will remain the starter Thursday. Tampa Bay must help its rookie quarterback with a strong running game. Bucky Irving rushed 16 times for 61 yards against Green Bay. Overall, Tampa Bay finished with 141 rushing yards. That balance could help Daniel’s handle Dallas’ defensive pressure.
Buccaneers Defense Must Slow Dallas
Tampa Bay’s defense continues giving the team opportunities to win. The Buccaneers held Green Bay to 283 total yards Sunday. Green Bay also converted only two of 10 third-down attempts. However, Tampa Bay’s offense failed to capitalize on several important opportunities. Dallas presents a completely different offensive challenge. Dak Prescott enters Thursday after throwing for 335 yards against Houston. He produced 254 passing yards during the second half. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb delivered one of his best career performances. Lamb caught 17 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown against Houston. Through four games, he has 37 catches for 498 yards. Therefore, Tampa Bay’s secondary faces its toughest assignment of the young season. The Buccaneers cannot allow Prescott and Lamb to control the game. Dallas also received three rushing touchdowns from Javonte Williams against Houston. Williams finished with 62 rushing yards. Tampa Bay must stop Dallas from establishing balance.
Recent History Favors Dallas
The Cowboys hold a significant advantage in the all-time series. Dallas leads Tampa Bay 14-6 across 20 meetings. The Cowboys have also won all three postseason meetings. However, several recent games have delivered memorable moments. Tampa Bay defeated Dallas 31-29 in the 2021 season opener. Ryan Succop kicked the winning field goal with two seconds remaining. The Buccaneers won again in Dallas the following season. Tampa Bay defeated the Cowboys 19-3 during the 2022 opener. Leonard Fournette rushed for 127 yards during that victory. However, Dallas answered several months later in the playoffs. The Cowboys dominated Tampa Bay 31-14 in the NFC Wild Card round.
Dak Prescott accounted for five touchdowns during the victory. That game also became Tom Brady’s final NFL appearance. Dallas won the teams’ next meeting during the 2024 season. The Cowboys defeated Tampa Bay 26-24 at AT&T Stadium. DaRon Bland sealed the victory by forcing and recovering a late fumble. Dallas has now won two consecutive games against Tampa Bay. Furthermore, six of the last eight meetings have finished within one score. That history suggests Thursday could provide another tight game.
Tampa Bay Cannot Keep Wasting Opportunities
The Buccaneers have competed despite their winless record. Unfortunately, competing does not matter much after four consecutive losses. Tampa Bay fell 17-14 against Green Bay despite another strong defensive performance. The Buccaneers generated 275 total yards and converted five of 12 third downs. More importantly, turnovers hurt them again. Green Bay scored 10 points following Tampa Bay turnovers. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay failed to score following two late defensive takeaways. Those missed opportunities ultimately decided the game. Thursday night leaves little room for similar mistakes. Dallas possesses too much offensive firepower to give away possessions. Daniels must protect the football. The offensive line must also protect its young quarterback. Tampa Bay has already allowed 16 sacks through four games. That number needs immediate improvement.
Dallas Wants Momentum
Dallas enters Thursday feeling much better about itself. The Cowboys trailed Houston by 10 points after struggling during the first half. However, Dallas scored 28 second-half points. Prescott eventually engineered another fourth-quarter comeback. The victory also moved him into a tie with Roger Staubach. Both quarterbacks have 85 regular-season victories for Dallas. Only Troy Aikman has more with 95. Meanwhile, Lamb continues looking like one of football’s most dangerous receivers. George Pickens also gives Prescott another explosive option. Pickens caught only two passes against Houston. However, those receptions produced 75 yards. Tampa Bay cannot focus entirely on Lamb.
A Must-Win Feeling for Tampa Bay
Nobody wants to call an October game a must-win contest. However, Tampa Bay has reached dangerous territory. The Buccaneers have started 0-4 for the first time since 2013. Another loss would drop them to 0-5 before a Week 6 matchup against Pittsburgh. Fortunately, Tampa Bay’s defense has played well enough to keep games close. Now, the offense must provide more help. Daniels does not need to become Mayfield overnight. He needs to protect the football and extend drives. Meanwhile, Irving needs opportunities to establish the running game. Tampa Bay also needs Chris Godwin and Cade Otton to help their rookie quarterback. Most importantly, the Buccaneers must finish opportunities when they appear. Dallas showed Sunday that it can erase deficits quickly.The Cowboys also have confidence after winning an emotional road game against Houston. Thursday night provides Tampa Bay with another opportunity to change its season.
However, opportunities will eventually disappear. The Buccaneers need a victory. They need it badly. Beating Dallas inside AT&T Stadium would provide a massive confidence boost. It would also finally put Tampa Bay in the win column. Thursday night will show whether the Buccaneers can finally turn competitive performances into a victory. The matchup information, records, recent performances, quarterback situation, and series history come from current official Buccaneers and Cowboys reporting. Tampa Bay’s official history lists Dallas with a 14-6 series advantage, including 3-0 in postseason meetings
This is a big game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because if they do not win, they will fall to 0-5.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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