Home Loss to Winless Bucs Dampens Cowboys’ Hopes That This Year Would be Different

The Amazon broadcast kept showing Jerry Jones in his owner’s suite, looking like some combination of confused, bored and irritated. All three feelings were warranted.

At 84 years old next week, Jones has seen plenty in his life. In football, he oversaw three titles and a dynasty. Now he’s seeing the same movie on an annual basis in a team hyped throughout summer just to flop in the fall.

On Thursday, Dallas was nearly a double-digit favorite to beat the hapless Buccaneers, who entered AT&T Stadium winless and reeling. They were playing an undrafted rookie at quarterback in Jalon Daniels, who threw two interceptions in a loss on Sunday to the Packers in his first start. Yet the Cowboys’ inept defense provided the perfect proving ground as Daniels and running back Bucky Irving dazzled with the help of myriad blown assignments and missed tackles in a 24–16 win.

All told, a Tampa Bay offense that ranked 28th in yards per play (4.7), 28th in total yards (278.2) and 25th in points (19.0) looked like the Greatest Show on Turf. The Buccaneers amassed 419 yards on 6.4 yards per play while rushing for 241 yards (6.2 YPC), including 165 and a touchdown from Irving. As for Daniels, he went 19-of-25 for 189 yards and a touchdown while adding 23 yards on the ground.

Bucky Irving out and running!@TBvsDAL on Prime Video
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— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2026

For what is closing in on 30 years, the Cowboys have fancied themselves contenders. America’s Team. The standard was built on the backs of names like Staubach, Landry, Pearson, White, Aikman, Johnson, Irvin and Smith. These days, that standard is nothing more than a rumor, proven true only by a glance at the Ring of Honor.

There’s no evidence, and hasn’t been for quite some time, that Dallas is capable of matching the hype. The Cowboys are in a weak NFC East with only the Giants sitting over .500, and they’re without starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, the Eagles just saw All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson suddenly retire before shipping Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens to the Ravens. Everything lined up for a waltz to the postseason and a high seed.

Instead, the Cowboys put all their issues on full display for a national audience, showing why they’re more likely to contend for a top-10 pick than another Lombardi Trophy.

While the defense was predictably awful (it has ranked 28th, 30th and 30th, respectively, since 2024), Dak Prescott looked lost all night. He missed one open receiver after the next and tossed a costly interception into tight coverage at the Buccaneers’ 25-yard line with Dallas trailing 14–10 in the third quarter. Trying to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to six points in the fourth quarter, Prescott had Ryan Flournoy wide open in the back of the end zone. His pass was short and was deflected. It typified his effort throughout.

This isn’t the first time Dallas has laid an egg in a big spot this season, young as it may be. In Week 1, the Cowboys couldn’t stop the Giants, who threw one pass after another into the flat and profited. New York went 9-of-11 on third down in its 28–20 win, racking up 394 yards and 29 first downs. In their three games since, the Giants have averaged 246.3 yards and 14 first downs.

Since Jones bought the Cowboys from Bum Bright in 1989, they’ve always had star power. This edition is no different. Dallas has a bevy of stars in CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Quinnen Williams, Javonte Williams, Tyler Smith, Brandon Aubrey, Prescott and others. The top talent isn’t a problem. The execution of it, and the coaching around it, is.

Brian Schottenheimer is in his second year, and he’s already on his second defensive coordinator after hiring Christian Parker to replace the zone-heavy Matt Eberflus. If things don’t change, there’s likely to be a third come 2027.

As for Schottenheimer, he’s now 9-12-1. Jones has often shown patience with coaches, giving Jason Garrett nine years, Mike McCarthy five and Wade Phillips four despite the trio combining for four playoff wins, all in the wild-card round. Even if this season goes the way of the past three decades, Schottenheimer could be given more time. Whether that’s the correct call is another issue entirely.

Ultimately, at 2–3, the Cowboys’ ownership and coaches will make the public case that there’s time. Technically, there is. Of course, Dallas fans might take that as a threat more than anything else. In reality, Dallas isn’t a good team, just as it wasn’t the year prior, and so many years before that. The names are recognizable and the uniforms are iconic, but nothing else is noteworthy about a team that once defined football and now only defines underachievement.

At game’s end, Jones was shown taking his glasses off. The Cowboys had lost to a previously winless opponent in their own building. Jones slapped the shelf in front of him before standing and walking out of the box, presumably to head for the locker room.

The elevator ride had to feel like forever. Enough time to think about what went wrong, and why his team always draws rave reviews until the curtain comes up.

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