Todd Bowles found a way to draw fire even in a win, and that says plenty about how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got out of Dallas with their first victory of the season.
Thursday night’s upset over the Cowboys checked almost every box for Tampa Bay. The Bucs went on the road and finally broke through, playing their sharpest game of the season by a wide margin.
They forced three turnovers without giving any away, held Dallas to a season-low 16 points, and got major contributions across the board. Bucky Irving delivered a career night, Emeka Egbuka turned in his most impactful game of the season, and undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels looked calm and collected while picking up the first win of his NFL career.
It was the kind of performance Tampa needed badly, especially as a 9.5-point underdog. But even after the prime-time victory, Bowles still ended up back in the crosshairs.
The first flashpoint came in the second quarter, when Bowles opted to attempt a 61-yard field goal just a week after calling a potential 65-yard game-tying kick a “good 10-15 yards too long.” Chase McLaughlin made the kick, but the attempt never counted because Bowles waited too long to get the call in. A delay-of-game penalty erased the three points and sent the Bucs back to punt.
Still, that wasn’t the decision that really set people off.
The bigger controversy came late in the fourth quarter with Tampa Bay leading 14-10 and facing fourth-and-goal from the Dallas 1-yard line. A field goal would have pushed the lead to seven.
A touchdown would have done the same. Either way, the risk didn’t seem to match the possible payoff.
Bowles went for it anyway, and Sean Tucker was stopped short. Dallas then needed just a little over three minutes to go 99 yards for a touchdown, suddenly turning a comfortable cushion into a one-score game and throwing the outcome back into doubt.
That choice drew heavy criticism during and after the game, and it landed Bowles at the top of my “losers” list for the night.
Not everyone saw the call as the problem, though. One coach from another team pushed back on the backlash, arguing that the sequence around the play mattered more than the play itself.
"'Why is everyone so hung up on that decision?' a coach from another team said.
'There are so many other moving parts that will have greater effect on the outcome, starting with keeping the clock moving on your next drive, and working those play clocks. There is always the layer of being a yard away and, if you like your play, giving it a go.'"
The Bucs can point to the final result and shrug off plenty of the noise. But the reality is that Tampa had no wiggle room at 0-4, and Bowles’ team could not afford self-inflicted damage from the sideline.
The defense bailed itself out enough to win the game, but it also allowed Dallas to go 99 yards in three minutes when the margin should have been nearly closed. That’s why the criticism stuck.
If Tampa Bay wants to build on this first win and get back into the NFC South race, Bowles will have to be cleaner.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Are Stuck In A Debate Fans Know Too Well
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Todd Bowles has kept insisting there is still time for the season to swing back in the right direction, and that optimism is part of what makes the current debate so recognizable for Buccaneers fans. The frustration is real, both in the locker room and in the stands, but so is the sense that this team has seen enough swings before to know the story is not fully written yet. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield's Push To Return Has Bucs Fans Watching One Thing
Baker Mayfields recovery from a dislocated thumb has become one of the bigger watch items around the Buccaneers this week, with his status for Tampa Bays Week 6 matchup against the Steelers still unsettled. Todd Bowles has said he expects rookie Jalon Daniels to start again if Mayfield cannot go, which leaves the Bucs preparing as if they may need to ride with the young quarterback for a third straight game.
Mayfield is reportedly pushing to return sooner than originally anticipated, but the final call will come down to the medical staff and how the thumb responds as he heals. The real test is whether he can handle the football without pain and get the grip he needs to operate normally, and until that happens, Tampa Bay is stuck waiting on the most basic question of all: whether its starter is ready. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Risky Baker Mayfield Decision Against Pittsburgh
Baker Mayfields status has become one of the more delicate decisions facing Tampa Bay as it weighs whether to bring its quarterback back for the Steelers. Mayfield is still working his way back from the dislocated thumb he suffered in Week 3, and the Buccaneers have at least seen a capable stopgap in Jalon Daniels, who steadied the offense well enough to help them pick up their first win of the season.
The problem is the balance between urgency and caution. Rushing Mayfield back could leave Tampa Bay vulnerable if the thumb is not ready for full game action, yet sticking with the current setup raises its own questions about how much the offense can grow without its starter. With Pittsburgh on deck, the Buccaneers are in the awkward spot of trying to protect both their quarterback and their momentum at the same time. [Read more 🡒]