Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys — 2026-10-08 Game Analysis

Recap

On October 8, 2026, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday Night Football. The Buccaneers scored 17 points in the third quarter to turn a 10-7 halftime deficit into a 24-10 lead they held the rest of the way.

Bucky Irving ran for 165 yards on 21 carries with a 7.9-yard average and scored twice, including a 72-yard run that set up the touchdown that put Tampa Bay ahead for good. He also caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jalon Daniels, who completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards with no interceptions in his second start while Baker Mayfield recovers from a dislocated thumb. Tampa Bay piled up 241 yards rushing and finished with 39:21 of possession.

Dallas opened with a 70-yard touchdown drive but struggled after that as a 10-7 lead became a 24-10 hole in the third quarter. Dak Prescott was 24 of 42 for 316 yards with two interceptions, his first multi-interception game of the season. He threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens in the fourth quarter, but a second pick on a tipped pass helped seal the win for Tampa Bay, which improved to 1-4. The Cowboys fell to 2-3. CeeDee Lamb had two catches for 9 yards on five targets before leaving with a quadriceps injury.