The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take an 0-4 record and an injury-driven quarterback change into Thursday night’s road game against the Dallas Cowboys, while Dallas looks to build on last week’s comeback victory over Houston and secure its first consecutive wins in nearly a year.
Tampa Bay has dropped eight of its past nine games dating to the 2025 season and has not won away from home in almost 12 months. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is set for his second NFL start as he fills in for injured starter Baker Mayfield.
Week ahead: Buccaneers at Cowboys on Thursday night
The Cowboys have been one of the league’s most productive offenses over the past three weeks, averaging an NFL-best 34 points per game. Tampa Bay has averaged 16.3 points during that stretch, ranking 29th.
Dallas rallied past the Texans last week, scoring 28 second-half points against a Houston defense that entered with a strong reputation. CeeDee Lamb fueled that performance with 17 receptions for 189 yards. By comparison, no Buccaneers player has surpassed 16 catches or 160 receiving yards through four games.
Tampa Bay’s defense has remained among the NFL’s top five units in fewest yards allowed, opponent third-down conversion rate and red-zone touchdown percentage. That group will be challenged by Dak Prescott, particularly with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. expected to miss the game because of a rib fracture.
- Baker Mayfield — injured; Jalon Daniels is starting in his place.
- Jalon Daniels — undrafted rookie quarterback expected to make his second career start.
- Antoine Winfield Jr. — expected to be unavailable with a rib fracture.
Dallas’ defense, now led by first-year coordinator Christian Parker, has struggled through four weeks. Opponents have produced a 60.6% success rate on dropbacks, the highest figure in the NFL and the second-highest recorded through Week 4 since Next Gen Stats began tracking the measure in 2016. Only the 2019 Miami Dolphins, at 61.8%, allowed a higher rate at this stage.
Quarterbacks facing Dallas are completing passes 8% above expectation, also the league’s worst defensive mark. The Cowboys remain the only NFL defense without an interception. Their pass rush has recorded four sacks, tied for the second-fewest in the league, and pressured C.J. Stroud on only 10 of 35 dropbacks in the Houston game.
That could encourage Parker to attack Daniels with additional pressure, though the rookie showed different results depending on where he was forced to play last week. On pressured throws from inside the pocket, Daniels went 4-for-8 for 34 yards and an interception. After escaping pressure, he completed three of four attempts for 15 yards and a touchdown, while also taking two sacks.
Dallas recently added Joey Porter Jr., but the secondary’s broader problems will not be solved by one acquisition alone. The Cowboys may have a favorable matchup, however, against a young quarterback working on a shortened preparation week and making his first road start.
Tampa Bay’s clearest formula for keeping the game competitive could be on the ground. The Buccaneers posted a season-best 141 rushing yards in their loss to Green Bay last week, although their run game has otherwise been middle of the pack in 2026.
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can lean on Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell and Sean Tucker in an effort to control possession and keep Prescott’s offense off the field. Daniels added 55 rushing yards himself last week. Dallas has allowed the NFL’s second-most rushing yards, ranks sixth-worst in yards per carry conceded and is ninth-worst in rushing yards over expectation allowed, leaving an opening for Tampa Bay to establish a more consistent rushing attack.
