Dak Prescott’s night ended with more than just a loss on the scoreboard.
After the Cowboys fell 24-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium, Prescott had a tense exchange in the stadium tunnel when a staff member reportedly called the performance “embarrassing” as the quarterback walked by. Video from the moment showed Prescott turning his head back toward the speaker, and the interaction quickly spread on social media.
It was the kind of closing scene that matched how the game unraveled for Dallas. Prescott finished 24 of 42 for 316 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions, and his late connection with George Pickens gave the Cowboys a brief opening before the comeback ran out of time.
Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown that pulled Dallas within 24-16 with 5:26 left. The Cowboys then failed on the two-point try.
Dallas’ final shot disappeared when Alex Anzalone picked off a Prescott pass that had bounced off Jake Ferguson’s hands.
The Buccaneers took over long before the fourth quarter arrived. Dallas went into halftime down just 10-7, but Tampa Bay erupted for 17 unanswered points in the third quarter, a stretch that brought boos from the home crowd.
Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels made the most of his second start, completing 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown while Baker Mayfield stayed sidelined. Bucky Irving powered the Buccaneers with a career-high 165 rushing yards and scored twice, once on the ground and once as a receiver.
For the Cowboys, the tunnel confrontation became the final sting on a night that started with hope and ended with another missed chance, leaving the team below .500.
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Todd Bowles Had A Sideline Scare During Bucs' First Win
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Bowles was seen grimacing and dropping to one knee before being reported as okay shortly after, which allowed the focus to shift back to a much-needed victory. The incident was part of the emotional release that followed the play, though reports did not identify which player made the celebratory contact. [Read more 🡒]
Dak Prescott's Postgame Frustration Has Cowboys Fans Debating This Team
The Cowboys left Thursday night with another loss, and the postgame mood around AT&T Stadium turned testy almost immediately. Dallas dropped to 2-3 after falling to the Buccaneers, and what should have been a straightforward reaction to a rough defeat quickly shifted when Dak Prescott took issue with a stadium workers comment about the result being embarrassing.
Prescott made clear he can live with blunt criticism, but he was bothered by the way the exchange unfolded after he noticed the comment. For Tampa Bay, it was the kind of road win that does more than add to the standings, because it also leaves the opponent sorting through frustration, accountability and a little bit of drama long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Sideline Scare Added Tension To A Much-Needed Bucs Win
The Buccaneers finally got the result they needed, beating the Cowboys 24-16 for their first win of the season behind rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels. It was a much-needed lift for a team that had spent the first month looking for something to stabilize around, and getting to 1-4 at least gives Tampa Bay a little breathing room heading into next weeks matchup with the Steelers.
The win came with a brief scare on the sideline when Todd Bowles was seen down on one knee and appeared to be dealing with discomfort before getting back up and saying he would be okay. For a team already trying to find its footing, even a moment like that can add tension to an afternoon that should have been about relief, and it only underscored how much the Bucs needed a cleaner, calmer path to their first victory. [Read more 🡒]