Bucky Irving Powers Buccaneers Past Cowboys for First Win
Bucky Irving ran for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium. The Week 5 win on Thursday Night Football moved Tampa Bay to 1-4 and dropped Dallas to 2-3. The Guardian
Irving carried 21 times for an average of 7.9 yards per attempt. He scored on a five-yard reception in the first half and a one-yard run in the second half. His biggest burst was a 72-yard run that set up the go-ahead touchdown.
That run set the table for Emeka Egbuka's 14-yard touchdown on a jet sweep, a play where a receiver sprints across the formation to take a handoff at full speed, to put Tampa Bay ahead for good. Tez Johnson then hauled in a 64-yard reception to set up Irving's one-yard plunge for a 21-10 lead. KaVontae Turpin fumbled the next kickoff, and Tampa Bay turned the short field into a field goal. Dallas never recovered.
Quarterback play told much of the story. Jalon Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards in his second start filling in for Baker Mayfield, including the first-half touchdown throw to Irving. Mayfield is expected to miss at least one more game with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Dak Prescott finished 24 of 42 for 316 yards with two interceptions for Dallas. He threw a 13-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to George Pickens to cut the deficit, but the Cowboys could not close the gap. Dallas was also without cornerback Joey Porter Jr., a late scratch in what would have been his second appearance since being traded from Pittsburgh.
The game kicked off at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Oct. 8 and was broadcast on Prime Video. Tampa Bay arrived in Texas still digging out from an 0-3 start, its first since 2014 after a 23-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Raymond James Stadium. Daniels had made his debut start the previous week against Green Bay, when Irving was held to 61 yards rushing.
What makes this stand out is how simple the formula was. Block it, hand it to Irving, and let a backup quarterback play without chasing the game. For fans, this means Tampa Bay has a path to stay afloat until Mayfield's thumb heals.
