ARLINGTON, Texas — Bucky Irving ran for a career-high 165 yards, including a 72-yard run to set up the touchdown that put Tampa Bay ahead for good while scoring twice himself, and the Buccaneers beat the Cowboys, 24-16, on Thursday night for their first win of the season.
Jalon Daniels threw a TD pass to Irving in the first half while directing a turnover-free offense amid several Dallas miscues in the just the second start for the undrafted rookie.
Daniels, who was 19 of 25 for 189 yards, is filling in for Baker Mayfield, who’s expected to be sidelined at least one more game with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Irving had 21 carries while scoring on a 5-yard pass and a 1-yard plunge as the Buccaneers (1-4) finally found some footing in a season that started with expectations of winning the NFC South.
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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.
The Cowboys (2-3) continued an up-and-down start to the season, this time with an offense that was as times as sloppy as the defense has been in both seasons under coach Brian Schottenheimer.
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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 1-yard plunge for a 21-10 lead.
KaVontae Turpin’s fumble on the subsequent kickoff led to a Tampa Bay field goal, but only after the Bucs converted a third and 21 from the Dallas 48-yard line with Daniels’s 21-yard pass to Egbuka.
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 Pittsburgh last week.
Prescott was 24 of 42 for 316 yards in his first two-interception game of the season — his first picks since the opener.