Cowboys Stumble Against Winless Buccaneers
Facing a team that hadn’t won a game yet and playing in front of their home crowd, the Cowboys seemed poised to turn their season around and push over the .500 mark.
But, somehow, things took a turn for the worse. Dallas lost to the Buccaneers, who had been winless prior to this matchup, with a final score of 24-16 on “Thursday Night Football.” The loss was tough to swallow—especially since the Cowboys had a chance to tie it late in the game. That hope all but vanished, however, with Dak Prescott’s interception during their last offensive series. This left owner Jerry Jones and standout wide receiver George Pickens visibly upset.
As the clock ticked under 1:30 in the fourth quarter, and the Cowboys facing an eight-point deficit, Prescott snapped the ball from the shotgun on a second-and-1 play. He attempted a pass over the middle to tight end Jake Ferguson, but it slipped through Ferguson’s fingers and soared into the air. Alex Anzalone was quick to capitalize on the situation, snatching the interception and handing the ball back to Tampa Bay.
From his suite at AT&T Stadium, Jerry Jones could be seen slamming his hand in frustration, while a visibly disappointed Pickens on the sideline slammed his helmet into the ground.
Just two plays after the interception, Bucky Irving, who had an impressive game with 165 rushing yards and a touchdown, sealed the deal with a 22-yard run. With this win, Tampa Bay improved to 1-4, while the Cowboys dropped to 2-3.
Despite the game slipping away, Pickens had a strong showing with nine receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, but ultimately it didn’t help the team escape this surprising home defeat.
Jones addressed the media after the game, acknowledging the Buccaneers’ performance while expressing his frustration with the outcome. “I certainly appreciated any chance we might have had there near the end,” he stated. “But the Buccaneers really took it to us. They did the damage inside, and that was surprising to me. This was a missed opportunity to build something here. Disappointing is an understatement, especially for our home crowd—it’s disappointing to me as well.”
