The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels standing in for injured Baker Mayfield, shocked the Cowboys 24-16 in Dallas on Thursday for his or her first victory of the NFL season.
Trailing 10-7 at halftime, the Bucs out-scored the Cowboys 17-0 within the third quarter to grab a 14-point lead and held on after the Cowboys minimize the deficit within the fourth.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone intercepted a possible game-tying move from Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott with 1:16 remaining to seal the triumph.
Daniels, making his second begin since Mayfield dislocated his proper thumb, accomplished 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a landing.
Bucky Irving rushed for a career-high 165 yards and a landing on 21 carries and caught two passes for 10 yards and a TD.
His 72-yard run on the opening play of the second half arrange the landing — a 14-yard run from Emeka Egbuka — that put the Bucs up for good.
"Hats off to our protection," Daniels mentioned. "They performed lights-out the entire total sport. Alex Anzalone, having the ability to get that game-winning interception, I recognize these guys.
"Offensively we went on the market and have been capable of execute our sport plan."
After Prescott threw the primary of his two interceptions Tampa Bay prolonged their result in 21-10 on Irving's one-yard scoring plunge, which capped a five-play 75-yard drive that included a 64-yard move from Daniels to Tez Johnson.
Dallas' KaVontae Turpin fumbled on the next kickoff and the Buccaneers capitalized with a drive capped by a area purpose that made it 24-10.
Prescott discovered George Pickens with an 18-yard landing move to chop the deficit to 24-16 within the fourth quarter, however the two-point conversion try failed.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles praised his crew's "good complementary soccer."
"Jalon did a wonderful job of caring for the soccer and the protection performed properly," he mentioned.
The Cowboys took management early, marching 70 yards for a landing on the opening possession of the sport.
However Daniels and the Bucs responded with a 15-play landing drive capped by Irving's five-yard TD reception.
"The truth that we have been capable of begin the sport that method that and acquire confidence in ourself I feel that's the place it got here from," Daniels mentioned.
Mayfield is predicted to overlook at the least yet another sport, however Bowles mentioned the victory marked the beginning of the second quarter of the season.
"It's an extended method to climb out," he mentioned. "However on the identical time we're upbeat and if we play this tough and play this efficient we'll be OK."
For the Cowboys — who noticed huge receiver CeeDee Lamb exit within the fourth quarter with a quadriceps harm — it was a humbling defeat.
"Terribly disappointing," crew proprietor Jerry Jones instructed reporters after his closely favored crew fell to 2-3 with their second dwelling defeat of the season. "It was a tricky loss for us."
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