By admin 
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t ask Jalon Daniels to win in Dallas. They handed the ball to Bucky Irving 21 times, and Irving ran for a career-high 165 yards as Daniels picked up his first NFL win, a 24-16 decision that ended a 0-4 start.
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The undrafted rookie made his second start in place of Baker Mayfield, who dislocated his right thumb in Week 3. Tampa Bay ran 39 times for a season-high 241 yards and outscored the Cowboys 17-0 in the third quarter. Here is how each offensive group and the head coach grade out.
Quarterback: B
Daniels did what a rookie in his second start has to do. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, went 8-for-8 on a 15-play, 73-yard opening drive that took 10:58 off the clock and didn’t turn the ball over a week after two interceptions against Green Bay.
The passing game didn’t offer much beyond that. Take away Tez Johnson’s 64-yard catch and Daniels had 125 yards on his other 18 completions, and PFF gave him a 64.8 grade. Daniels “did an excellent job of taking care of the football,” head coach Todd Bowles said, and in a game the Bucs controlled on the ground, that was enough.
Running backs: A
Irving’s 72-yard run on the first play of the second half was the longest of his career, and Emeka Egbuka scored on a 14-yard run one play later. Irving finished with 21 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass and earned a 79.9 grade, the best on the offense, according to PFF. His previous season high was 89 rushing yards.
Dallas came in allowing 150.3 rushing yards per game, 31st in the league, and Irving made that number look generous. The one bad moment for the group came with 8:36 left, when Sean Tucker was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Offensive line: B
Bowles gave the line plenty of credit. “I thought the offensive line took it upon themselves, as well as Bucky making some great cuts,” he said after the game. Daniels was sacked once, and left tackle Tristan Wirfs posted a 90.6 pass-blocking grade, according to PFF.
PFF’s run-blocking grades were less glowing, which says a lot about how many of those 241 yards Irving created on his own. Right tackle Luke Goedeke led the starters at 71.4. Left guard Ben Bredeson was flagged three times and graded 40.5 as a run blocker, and the line accounted for seven of the offense’s eight penalties, per PFF.
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Tight ends: B-
The tight ends earned this grade as blockers. Payne Durham’s 72.0 run-blocking grade was the best on the team, according to PFF, and Cade Otton added a 66.7 on 32 run-blocking snaps.
Neither did much as a receiver. Otton caught three of four targets for 25 yards and Durham caught one for 5. Through five games, Otton has 18 catches for 182 yards and no touchdowns.
Wide receivers: C
Egbuka was targeted nine times and caught six passes for 38 yards. He also scored on that 14-yard run and converted a third-and-21 with a 21-yard catch that set up a field goal. Johnson’s 64-yarder, his only target of the night, set up Irving’s 1-yard touchdown.
That’s most of the highlight reel. Chris Godwin caught three passes for 37 yards and graded 55.9, according to PFF, and Ted Hurst played 33 snaps without a catch. Without Johnson’s long gain, the receivers combined for 75 yards on nine catches.
Head coach: B-
Bowles and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson built the night around the run, and it worked. “When you’ve got a young quarterback, you’ve got to lean on the ground game a little bit more,” Bowles said after the win. The Bucs held the ball for 39:21 and won after four straight one-possession losses.
Two things keep this from an A. Tampa Bay was flagged 14 times for 92 yards, and up 24-10 with 8:36 left, Bowles went for it on fourth-and-goal instead of kicking a field goal. Dallas drove 99 yards for a touchdown after the stop, and Bowles’ goal-line gamble nearly cost him the win. Mayfield’s earliest return is Week 7 at Carolina, so Daniels should get at least one more start before the talk about Mayfield’s job heats up.
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More on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Buccaneers Snap Counts Show A’Shawn Robinson’s Season Low, Even as He Graded Best in Dallas
- 3 Overreactions to Buccaneers’ Win Over Cowboys in Week 5, Including Benching Baker Mayfield
- Todd Bowles Calls Out One of the NFL’s Most Flag-Happy Crews After Bucs Survive 13 Penalties
- Todd Bowles’ Goal-Line Gamble Nearly Cost Him, and 3 Other Takeaways From Bucs’ Win in Dallas
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This story was originally published October 9, 2026 at 9:30 AM.