The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up their first victory of the 2026 NFL season, beating the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 at AT&T Stadium. Tampa Bay flipped the script after halftime, using a game-changing ground stretch and a turnover-heavy second half to secure the road upset.
How the Bucs seized control
Tampa Bay trailed early after Dallas opened with a one-yard touchdown run from Javonte Williams, but the visitors tied the game when rookie Jalon Daniels connected with Bucky Irving on a five-yard touchdown pass. The contest remained tight into the half, but the Bucs took over in the third quarter.
On the opening play of the second half Irving broke free for a 72-yard run that set Tampa Bay deep in Cowboys territory, and on the next snap Emeka Egbuka finished the series with a 14-yard touchdown run to put the Bucs ahead. From there Tampa Bay controlled momentum and forced three turnovers in the second half to protect the lead and close out the win.
Key performances and decisive plays
Bucky Irving was a central figure in the comeback, twice reaching the end zone and producing the long second‑half burst that swung field position. Yahoo! News reported Irving rushed for a career-high 165 yards on 21 carries and also caught two passes, though Tampa Bay’s official game narrative emphasized his dominant rushing performance and the explosive 72-yard run that set up the go‑ahead score.
Jalon Daniels provided steadiness on offense, moving the chains and avoiding turnovers. Yahoo! News reported he completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown in his second start. Daniels also helped engineer a late scoring drive that included a 64-yard completion to Tez Johnson, a play that preceded Irving’s short touchdown plunge to extend the lead.
Defensively, Tampa Bay capitalized on Dallas miscues. The Buccaneers turned two Cowboys turnovers into points during the third quarter, and Alex Anzalone intercepted a potential game-tying pass from Dak Prescott with 1:16 remaining to clinch the victory, a play Yahoo! News highlighted as the decisive defensive moment. Sky Sports also noted that Prescott threw two interceptions late in the game, including one that led directly to a Tampa Bay score.
Special teams swung the game as well: after Irving’s second touchdown, KaVontae Turpin fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Bucs converted that sudden change into a field goal that made it 24-10. Dallas later cut the deficit on an 18-yard touchdown catch by George Pickens, but the two-point attempt failed and Tampa Bay held on.
Sports Illustrated pointed to the run game as a major factor, reporting the Buccaneers totaled 243 rushing yards and averaged over six yards per carry as a team. Combined with the three second-half turnovers and timely playmaking, the rushing attack and opportunistic defense delivered Tampa Bay’s first win of the season in emphatic fashion.
