NFL 2026
Week 5 · Thursday, October 8, 2026 · AT&T Stadium · 92,351 attended
Game Recap

Buccaneers Beat Cowboys 24-16 in Week 5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Dallas Cowboys 16 at AT&T Stadium. Jalon Daniels went 19 of 25 for 189 yards with 1 touchdown.

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Quarter Scoring

Team Q1Q2Q3Q4 Total
Buccaneers
07170 24
Cowboys
7306 16

Cowboys Leaders

Passing Yards
Dak Prescott
24/42, 316 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Yards
Javonte Williams
12 CAR, 45 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Yards
George Pickens
9 REC, 130 YDS, 1 TD
Tackles

Buccaneers Leaders

Passing Yards
Jalon Daniels
19/25, 189 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing Yards
Bucky Irving
21 CAR, 165 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving Yards
Tez Johnson
1 REC, 64 YDS
Sacks
-
Tackles

Team Stats

Buccaneers Stat Cowboys
24 1st Downs 20
10 Passing 1st downs 12
10 Rushing 1st downs 5
4 1st downs from penalties 3
7-13 3rd down efficiency 4-10
0-1 4th down efficiency 0-1
65 Total Plays 55
419 Total Yards 366
6.4 Yards per Play 6.7
11 Total Drives 10
178 Passing 316
19/25 Comp/Att 24/42
6.8 Yards per pass 7.5
0 Interceptions thrown 2
1-11 Sacks-Yards Lost 0-0
241 Rushing 50
39 Rushing Attempts 13
6.2 Yards per rush 3.8
3-5 Red Zone (Made-Att) 2-2
14-92 Penalties 7-57
0 Turnovers 3
0 Fumbles lost 1
0 Interceptions thrown 2
0 Defensive / Special Teams TDs 0
39:21 Possession 20:39

Scoring Plays

7 scores
Q1 10:51
Javonte Williams 1 Yd Rush (Brandon Aubrey Kick)
0–7
Q2 14:53
Bucky Irving 5 Yd pass from Jalon Daniels (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
7–7
Q2 0:21
Brandon Aubrey 41 Yd Field Goal
7–10
Q3 14:00
Emeka Egbuka 14 Yd Rush (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
14–10
Q3 7:31
Bucky Irving 1 Yd Rush (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
21–10
Q3 2:58
Chase McLaughlin 41 Yd Field Goal
24–10
Q4 5:26
George Pickens 18 Yd pass from Dak Prescott (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
24–16

Week 5: Winless Buccaneers Visit Cowboys on Thursday Night With a Rookie Under Center

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, October 8. Tampa Bay is 0-4 after a 17-14 home loss to Green Bay in undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels' first start; Baker Mayfield is out at least two more weeks with a dislocated thumb and receiver Jalen McMillan is on injured reserve. Dallas is 2-2 after a 34-30 win at Houston in which Dak Prescott threw for 335 yards, CeeDee Lamb caught 17 passes for 189 yards and Javonte Williams scored three touchdowns; cornerback Joey Porter Jr. made his debut after the trade from Pittsburgh. Thursday update: Dallas activated Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith from injured reserve for his season debut.

Daniels' second start

Nineteen of 27 for 148 yards with two interceptions against Green Bay.

Lamb's volume

Seventeen catches in Houston, and 39 career touchdowns from Prescott.

Dallas' defense with Porter

Still 112 points allowed in four games, the most of any 2-2 team.

Pregame AI Prediction

Winner missed Confidence: High

How the prediction did

Predicted 17-30 (Buccaneers vs Cowboys), final was 24-16. Miss at High confidence, the second straight week the model's widest lean of the opening game has lost. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels went 19 of 25 without a turnover, Bucky Irving ran for 165 yards, and Tampa Bay held the ball for more than 39 minutes and outscored Dallas 17-3 in the third quarter. Dak Prescott threw two interceptions among three Cowboys turnovers. The model's own roundup warned that its record against replacement quarterbacks argued for caution, and it should have listened.

Buccaneers
17
26% to win
VS
Cowboys
30
74% to win
Buccaneers 26% Cowboys 74%

The quarterback gap is the widest of the week

Prescott has 10 touchdown passes; Tampa Bay's rookie has one in a game and a half.

Tampa Bay keeps it close with defense

All four losses by one score, and the Buccaneers held Green Bay to 283 yards.

Dallas' defense gives up points to everyone

Thirty from Houston, 34 from Baltimore, which is why Tampa Bay is projected at 17.

A High-confidence home lean. The model's record against replacement quarterbacks argues for caution, but Tampa Bay's offense has not topped 19 points since Week 1.

Venue

AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
Attendance: 92,351

Closing Line

DAL -8.5
O/U 49.5
via DraftKings

Officials

Dana McKenzie Down Judge
Terrence Miles Back Judge
Mearl Robinson Field Judge
Anthony Jeffries Side Judge
Terry Killens Jr. Umpire

Futures odds for these teams

Super Bowl futures, win totals & where to bet

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Cowboys Injuries

Dee Winters
LB · Strain
Questionable
Luke Schoonmaker
TE · Not Specified
Questionable
KaVontae Turpin
WR · Not Specified
Questionable
P.J. Locke
S · [object Object]
Questionable
Caleb Downs
S · Concussion
Questionable

Buccaneers Injuries

Emeka Egbuka
WR · Not Specified
Questionable
Yaya Diaby
LB · Sprain
Out
Josh Hayes
CB · Surgery
Injured Reserve
Christian Rozeboom
LB · Not Specified
Injured Reserve
Jalen McMillan
WR · Sprain
Injured Reserve