By admin 
For the first time this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t No. 30 in anybody’s power rankings. A 24-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium was their first of the year, and Bucky Irving’s 165 yards let Bucs fans finally exhale.
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Those 165 rushing yards were a career high, and Irving scored twice. Jalon Daniels went 19 of 25 for 189 yards and a touchdown pass, and Tampa Bay played without a turnover for the first time this season, according to NFL.com.
All four rankings we track moved the Bucs up, by one to three spots, and they now sit between No. 27 and No. 29.
Pro Football Talk
This week’s ranking: 27
Last week’s ranking: 30
Mike Florio moved Tampa Bay up three spots and kept his note on the quarterback. He thinks the Bucs may have found something in Daniels.
The undrafted rookie gave them a night with zero turnovers, a big change from his first start, when he threw two interceptions against Green Bay.
ESPN
This week’s ranking: 27
Last week’s ranking: 30
ESPN’s panel also jumped the Bucs three spots. Jenna Laine called the defense inconsistent and pointed to linebacker Alex Anzalone, who struggled early in the season but sealed Thursday’s win with an interception after Dak Prescott kept testing him over the middle.
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Laine’s formula is simple: When the offense protects the ball and the defense takes it away, Tampa Bay can win. Dallas turned it over three times Thursday, and the Bucs finally found a winning formula.
Fox Sports
This week’s ranking: 28
Last week’s ranking: 30
Ralph Vacchiano bumped Tampa Bay two spots and credited Irving for an impressive night against a bad Dallas defense. He was much harder on head coach Todd Bowles, who he thinks nearly gave the game away over the final eight and a half minutes.
It started with Bowles’ goal-line gamble. Leading 24-10 with 8:36 left, the Bucs went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1 instead of kicking a field goal that would have made it a three-score game, and Sean Tucker was stopped short. Vacchiano also noted that the Bucs rank second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, though he doesn’t expect them to keep pace with the Steelers, Panthers, Falcons and Bears coming up.
CBS Sports
This week’s ranking: 29
Last week’s ranking: 30
Pete Prisco moved the Bucs up only one spot but liked what he saw. “That might have been a season-saving victory over the Cowboys,” he wrote, crediting Irving for bringing the run game to life.
Whether it saves anything depends on what comes next. Pittsburgh visits Raymond James Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, and Mayfield’s status is one of the questions Buccaneers fans are asking this week.
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More on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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- Latest Trade Proposal Suggests Buccaneers Ship Ben Bredeson to NFC North Contender
- Will Baker Mayfield Play vs. the Steelers? Answering 5 Questions Buccaneers Fans Are Asking
- Buccaneers’ Top-Ranked Defensive Lineman Could Be Perfect Trade Target for Packers Ahead of Deadline
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This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 5:30 AM.