Bucky Irving and rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels starred as the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a shock 24-16 road win over the Dallas Cowboys on on Thursday night.
Irving ran for a career-high 165 yards, including a 72-yard run that set up Tampa Bay’s go-ahead touchdown, while Irving himself twice found the end zone.
Daniels tossed one of those TDs to Irving in the first half while directing a turnover-free offense amid several Dallas miscues in what was only the undrafted rookie’s second NFL start.
Undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a shock road win
Daniels, who was 19 of 25 for 189 yards, is filling in for Bucs starting QB Baker Mayfield, who is expected to be sidelined at least one more game with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Dak Prescott led a 99-yard drive and threw a 13-yard TD pass to George Pickens in the fourth quarter before his second interception off a tipped pass helped Tampa Bay clinch the win in the final two minutes.
Stats leaders:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Passing: Jalon Daniels, 19/25, 189 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing: Bucky Irving, 21 carries, 165 yards, 2 TDs
- Receiving: Tex Johnson, 1 catch, 64 yards
Dallas Cowboys
- Passing: Dak Prescott, 24/42, 316 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
- Rushing: Javonte Williams, 12 carries, 45 yards
- Receiving: George Pickens, 9 catches, 130 yards, 1 TD
The Cowboys (2-3) continued an up-and-down start to the season, this time with an offense that was as sloppy as the defense has been in both of their seasons under head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
After Irving’s long run on the first play of the second half was followed by receiver Emeka Egbuka’s 14-yard TD run on a jet sweep, Prescott threw his first interception and the Dallas defense left Tez Johnson wide open on a 64-yard grab that led to Irving’s second scoring plunge from up near the goal line.
With the score 21-10 to the visitors, KaVontae Turpin’s fumble on the subsequent kickoff led to a Tampa Bay (1-4) field goal, but only after the Bucs converted a third-and-21 from the Dallas 48-yard line with Daniels’ 21-yard pass to Egbuka.
For the game, the Cowboys were missing one of the pieces they recently added to try to fix a porous defense. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr was a late scratch in what was supposed to be his second appearance since arriving in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
Prescott was 24 of 42 for 316 yards in his first two-interception game of the season – his first picks since their opening defeat to the New York Giants.
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