Stephen A. Smith didn’t leave much room for debate after the Cowboys’ latest stumble.
Following Dallas’ upset loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, Smith made it clear on ESPN’s First Take on Friday that he believes Brock Purdy is the better quarterback over Dak Prescott, and he tied that view to what he sees as the difference in the biggest moments.
“He's not better than Brock Purdy. He's not.
Just watch. Just look at him.
Look at the two play. It's night and day.
Now you can point to, ‘oh my goodness, Brock Purdy's got Kyle Shanahan.' Well, da*n it, whose fault is that?
"He is class personified, Dak is the ultimate professionalist."@stephenasmith comments on Dak Prescott and his postgame encounter with stadium staff ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0Y1bvXNPq5
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 9, 2026
How many coaches is it going to take for Dak Prescott to win playoff games? Only got two in 10 years.
How much? How much of a pass are you going to give him?
Here's what I will say: He handled the whole situation in the tunnel with the utmost class. He is class personified.
Yes, Jack is the ultimate professional,” Smith said.
The timing of that take came after a rough night for Dallas, which fell to 2-3 despite carrying one of the league’s more explosive offenses and a defense still in the middle of a retool. The loss also came against a Tampa Bay team that was without Baker Mayfield because of injury.
Dallas actually had a solid opening stretch and took a 10-7 lead into halftime. But the game flipped in the third quarter, when Tampa Bay put up 17 points and seized control. The Cowboys tried to answer late, but the comeback ended when Prescott’s final throw was picked off.
Prescott finished 24 of 42 for 316 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. On the ground, Javonte Williams led Dallas with 12 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. George Pickens turned in his best outing of the season, catching nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown.
The Cowboys now turn to Week 6, when they hit the road to face the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff is set for Oct. 18 at 8:20 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Bucs Upset Win Left Dak Prescott Seething After A Wild Postgame Scene
The Cowboys home loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday night already had the feel of a damaging one, and the night only got stranger after the final whistle. In the tunnel at the stadium, a viral exchange unfolded when a stadium worker called Dak Prescott embarrassing, turning a rough defeat into the kind of postgame scene that tends to linger long after the score is forgotten.
Prescott was clearly bothered by what happened and addressed it in his postgame press conference, explaining why the comment struck a nerve. For Dallas, the frustration went beyond the upset itself, spilling into a moment that put the quarterback in the middle of an unexpected confrontation and added another layer to a night the Cowboys would rather move past quickly. [Read more 🡒]
George Pickens Said What Had Him So Frustrated After Cowboys Loss
George Pickens had one of his best games of the season in the Cowboys 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium, finishing with nine catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. Even with that production, the evening ended the way too many Cowboys losses do lately, with a missed chance to turn a strong individual performance into a much-needed win.
Pickens was visibly frustrated afterward, and it was easy to see why. Dallas never managed to put together a late push strong enough to seriously threaten Tampa Bay, leaving the receiver to walk off with the kind of stat line that usually feels good and the kind of result that does not. The bigger concern for the Cowboys is how often that gap has shown up when they need a comeback most. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Let A Winnable Game Slip Away And The Blame Is Everywhere
Dallas spent Thursday night chasing a game it never quite controlled, and the frustrating part is how avoidable it all felt. In a 24-16 loss to Tampa Bay, the Cowboys were undone by a mix of defensive lapses, turnovers and coaching decisions that kept putting them behind the chain of events instead of ahead of them. Even as the night wore on, there were stretches where the game was there for the taking, only to slip back toward the Buccaneers.
What makes this one linger is how many different places the blame can land. The defense had trouble getting off the field, the offense had trouble protecting possessions and the sideline decisions added to the sense that Dallas never found the right answer at the right time. A late comeback try gave the Cowboys a chance to make it interesting, but they still came up short, leaving them with a loss that will invite hard questions all around. [Read more 🡒]