Good & Not So Good From Dallas Cowboys' Epic Week 5 Collapse vs Buccaneers

The Dallas Cowboys walk away from Thursday night's primetime clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with nothing but disappointment and a lot of questions to answer.

From a the defense to the offense and even special teams, nothing seemed to go right for Dallas throughout the entire game.

It wasn't only the players, either, with the coaching staff failing to put the team in position to bounce back throughout the game. And ultimately, the Cowboys were embarrassed on the national stage while the entire NFL world was watching.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones speaks with a reporter before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, it is time to look back on what went wrong and where the team must put its focus moving forward.

There was very little to be proud of on Thursday night, but there were some slight highlights from George Pickens' long-awaited breakout game to the return of Tyler Smith, but a majority of the takeaways focus on where the Cowboys continue to have major room for improvement.

Good: George Pickens

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens makes a touchdown catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the lone bright spots on Thursday night came from George Pickens, who stepped up as CeeDee Lamb and the rest of the Cowboys' offense struggled.

Pickens hauled in 9 catches for 130 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Hopefully, this will be the first of many standout games for Pickens after a slow start to the year. And with Lamb injured, the team may need Pickens to step up just like he did during Lamb's absence last year.

Not Good: Entire Coaching Staff

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dallas coaching staff continues to struggle in all aspects of the game, but nothing has been highlighted as much as Christian Parker's inability to turn around the defense. Through five weeks, Parker appears to be outmatched every week.

Brian Schottenheimer hasn't done much better. Everything starts from the top, and he did not have his players or staff prepared on a short week, which is when elite coaches shine.

Not Good: DaRon Bland & Jake Ferguson Struggles Continue

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland drops an interception against Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson, who have both received major contract extensions in recent years, have become unplayable. Bland has struggled with consistency, and that was again an issue on Thursday night.

Bland committed multiple penalties and allowed big plays in the passing game to undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels. There was a brief shot at redemption near the end of the game when Dallas needed it the most, but Bland dropped a clear pick-six.

Ferguson, meanwhile, has been plagued by fumbles all season, but his ineffectiveness was highlighted mosts on Thursday when a pass from Dak Prescott tipped off his hands and resuslted in an interception that ended any comeback attempt for Dallas.

Good: Tyler Smith Is Back

Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Smith takes the field at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Any time you welcome an All-Pro talent back to the team, you should expect to see a massive improvement. Early in the game, Smith was busy opening running lanes and blowing defenders off the ball, and hopefully he will be able to take the extra few days to get back into top shape to maintain his level for an entire game.

Not Good: Team Is Spiraling Out Of Control

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The third quarter was an epic disaster that ultimately cost the Cowboys.

Dallas' offense produced an interception after getting into Tampa Bay territory, a turnover on downs, and the team even watched KaVontae Turpin cough up a fumble in between two 80-yard touchdown drives by the Buccaneers offense.

The team failed in every aspect of the game, and there was no recovering. There was a lack of leadership that needs to be figured out, or else it will continue to spiral out of control and watch any chance at redemption this season slip away.

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