Bucky Irving rushed for a career-high 165 yards and accounted for two touchdowns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers collected their first victory of the season, prevailing 24-16 over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night at Arlington, Texas.
Alex Anzalone recorded an interception with 1:12 left for the Buccaneers (1-4), who had three second-half takeaways.
Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie from Kansas, completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown for Tampa Bay. He made his second start in place of Baker Mayfield (dislocated thumb).
Irving, who carried 21 times, ran for one score and caught another. Emeka Egbuka also rushed for a score for Tampa Bay.
Dak Prescott completed 24 of 42 passes for 316 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions off caroms for Dallas (2-3). George Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown catch and Javonte Williams rushed for a score.
Dallas star CeeDee Lamb had just two receptions for 9 yards before leaving in the second half with a quadriceps injury.
The Buccaneers led by 14 when Sean Tucker was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 8:32 remaining.
The Cowboys then sped 99 yards on 10 plays and Prescott hit Pickens on an 18-yard pass with 5:26 left. The two-point conversion pass failed, leaving Dallas behind by eight.
The Cowboys were driving again when Prescott’s pass bounced off the hands of Jake Ferguson. The ball ricocheted high in the air before Anzalone made a diving grab at the Tampa Bay 12-yard line. The Bucs then ran out the clock.
Dallas cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (illness) was scratched before kickoff.
Tampa Bay needed just two plays to open the third quarter with a touchdown. Irving broke left for a 72-yard gain to the Dallas 14. On the next play, Egbuka headed left on the jet sweep for a 14-yard scamper to give the Buccaneers a 14-10 lead.
Later in the quarter, Prescott’s pass caromed off players from both teams and floated into the air before YaYa Diaby grabbed it at the Tampa Bay 25-yard line for his first career interception.
The Buccaneers moved 75 yards on five plays, including a 64-yard pass from Daniels to Tez Johnson. Irving finished it off with a 1-yard run as Tampa Bay took a 21-10 lead with 7:31 left in the period.
Dallas returner KaVontae Turpin lost the ensuing kickoff when Miles Killebrew poked the ball away. Kevin Knowles recovered it at the Cowboys’ 37 and Tampa Bay cashed in with Chase McLaughlin’s 41-yard field goal for a 14-point lead with 2:58 left in the period.
Dallas held a 10-7 halftime lead after Brandon Aubrey kicked a 41-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the first half.
The Cowboys opened the game with a nine-play, 70-yard drive and Williams scored from the 1.
Tampa Bay answered by driving 73 yards on 15 plays over 10:58. Irving caught a 5-yard scoring pass from Daniels seven seconds into the second quarter.
