The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Thursday Night Football in a rough spot, sitting at 0-4 and staring down a Dallas Cowboys team that can score in bunches. The matchup comes under the lights in front of a national audience, and the Cowboys’ offense has been every bit as dangerous as expected with Dak Prescott leading the way and CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens delivering as advertised.
Dallas has been putting up points at a clip that has it second in the NFL in scoring, and Lamb is the league’s leading receiver. But the record still says 2-2, and the reason is hiding on the other side of the ball. The Cowboys’ defense has been a mess, and no team is giving up more yards per completion than Dallas, which is allowing 8.0 yards per pass.
That opening is exactly why Tez Johnson feels like the kind of weapon Tampa Bay needs to feature more often. The Buccaneers’ passing game has been stuck in the mud, with neither Baker Mayfield nor Jalon Daniels able to get much going. But Johnson has kept flashing the kind of juice this offense badly needs.
He has shown big-play ability every time he’s been on the field, stretching back to last season. The speed is real, the movement is sharp, and the ball skills jump out. For Tampa Bay, he looks like the closest thing to a DeSean Jackson type, and with Jalen McMillan hurt and Emeka Egbuka struggling, he stands out as the player most likely to create something vertical.
Dallas has also been vulnerable through the air, ranking No. 24 in pass defense and allowing 240 yards per game. Even some of the names the Cowboys are counting on have been exposed, including DaRon Bland, who has allowed two touchdowns, a QBR allowed near 130, and 15 catches on 21 targets.
That’s part of why Dallas traded for Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., though he is expected to spend most of his time matched up with Chris Godwin Jr. and Egbuka. That could leave Johnson with friendlier looks against the Cowboys’ weaker defensive backs.
So far this season, Johnson has been targeted only nine times, but he has turned those chances into four catches for 79 yards. His 18.5 yards per reception leads the team, and his 8.2 yards per target does too. The numbers tell the same story the tape does: this is an explosive player who needs the ball in his hands.
If Zac Robinson gives him the chance, Johnson has the kind of speed and burst to change the game with a couple of deep shots and maybe swing the night in Tampa Bay’s favor.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Already Have Two Tough Offseason Contract Decisions
The early part of the season has already put Tampa Bay in an awkward spot with a pair of homegrown starters whose futures are suddenly far less straightforward than they looked not long ago. Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby and right guard Cody Mauch are both playing out the final year of their rookie deals, and both were expected to be key pieces as the Buccaneers tried to keep their core intact on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Through the first four games, though, neither has made the kind of case that usually leads to a quick extension. Diabys pass rush production has tailed off, while Mauch has had a rough return from injury in both the run game and protection. If those trends hold, Tampa Bay could be staring at two more obvious free-agent decisions next spring, and neither one looks simple right now. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Heat Is Rising But Bucs History Says Plenty Too
The early part of the 2026 season has not gone the way Tampa Bay hoped, and the frustration is starting to spill over beyond the standings. Todd Bowles is suddenly part of the league-wide coaching conversation, with some bettors even tagging him as a possible first firing of the year, a reflection of how quickly the temperature can rise when a veteran team stumbles out of the gate.
Still, the Buccaneers own history matters here. Bowles is 35-37 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason since taking over in 2022, so there is real pressure around the program, but Tampa Bay ownership has not made a habit of cutting loose head coaches in the middle of a season. That track record makes any in-season move feel unlikely for now, even if the noise around Bowles keeps getting louder. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Brutal Thursday Test With Early Pressure Mounting
Thursday night brings a tricky reset point for Tampa Bay, which heads into Week 5 still searching for its first win and doing it without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. The spotlight is on the kind of primetime matchup that can either steady a season or deepen the early damage, and the Buccaneers are walking into a Dallas team that will be eager to respond in front of its own crowd.
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 🡒]