The Buccaneers head to Dallas on Thursday night still looking for that first breakthrough, and they do it with a short week, a losing streak, and a rookie quarterback under center.
Tampa Bay is 0-4 after a fourth straight defeat, and the margin for error has already vanished. The Bucs have had 10 one-score games dating back to last season, but only two of those ended in wins.
Now they’re trying to reset fast, on the road, against the Cowboys at 8:15 p.m. ET on Oct. 8 at AT&T Stadium.
The quarterback situation adds another layer. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is set to make his second straight start while Baker Mayfield continues to recover from a dislocated thumb. For Daniels, this will also be his first start in primetime.
The challenge is a Dallas defense that has not lived up to its offseason hype. Through four games, opponents have found room to move the ball, with the Cowboys allowing 6.4 yards per play. They rank No. 30 in total defense at 389.5 yards per game, No. 24 against the pass at 239.3 yards per game, No. 31 against the run at 150.3 yards per game and No. 28 in points allowed at 27.3 per game.
Tampa Bay has shown some life on the ground with Daniels at quarterback. The Bucs rushed for 141 yards against the Packers and are averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game overall, but the turnover issue remains glaring. Tampa Bay is No. 3 in the NFL with nine turnovers.
The biggest matchup on the field figures to come through the air, where the Buccaneers’ secondary will be tested by CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Tampa Bay has been solid against the pass, sitting in the top 10 and allowing 204.3 yards per game, but Dallas brings a top-10 passing attack of its own at 258 yards per game, with Dak Prescott directing the offense.
Lamb has been the league’s most productive wideout through the first month. He leads the NFL in receiving yards with 498, receptions with 37 and is third in receiving touchdowns with four.
He’s averaging 13.5 yards per catch and owns a success rate of 69.6 percent. In last week’s comeback win over the Houston Texans, Lamb caught 17 passes on 21 targets for 189 yards and scored the winning touchdown with 40 seconds left.
Pickens has been less busy but still dangerous, with 18 catches, a 12.5-yard average per reception and a 50 percent success rate.
Thursday night hasn’t treated Tampa Bay well in recent years, either. The Buccaneers haven’t won on a Thursday since 2021, when they beat Philadelphia 28-22, and they’ve dropped four straight on that day. Overall, Tampa Bay is 5-12 on Thursdays.
Dallas also has the edge in the series history. The Cowboys lead the all-time matchup 14-6, have won the last two meetings and took the most recent one, 26-24, in 2024. Tampa Bay’s last win over Dallas came in 2022, a 19-3 road victory.
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For Tampa Bay, the challenge is not just surviving the short week but finding enough stability to hang around against a Cowboys team that needs better defense while counting on its offense to set the tone at home. The matchup feels like a steep ask already, and the expectation around it is leaning heavily toward Dallas taking control by a wide margin. [Read more 🡒]