The Dallas Cowboys blew a game they should’ve won, losing to the previously 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-16 in Week 5. After last week’s thrilling victory, the Cowboys were supposed to have righted the ship. Instead, it was another rudderless loss for a team that’s gotten used to embarrassing defeats.
Thursday night games often don’t go according to script, but the Cowboys had to leave with a victory. It didn’t need to be pretty; the game just had to go in the win column. That didn’t happen as two costly extensions, cornerback DaRon Bland and tight end Jake Ferguson, coupled with a bad defensive effort, proved to be the main culprits in defeat. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly in the Cowboys’ lackluster Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.
The Good: George Pickens breaks out
It had
been a quiet first four weeks for the All-Pro wide receiver, but Pickens broke out for his best game of the season. Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in the loss; it was his first game with over 100 yards and his first score on the year.
The best work from Pickens came in the fourth quarter, when the offense needed him most with fellow WR CeeDee Lamb hampered by a quad injury. On Dallas’ final two drives, Pickens caught five balls for 67 yards and a score to help give the team a chance to compete late.
It was Pickens’ coming out party for the 2026 season, but it wasn’t enough.
The Bad: The defensive effort
Christian Parker’s defense was putrid on the night, allowing 419 total yards to an offense led by a rookie quarterback. Pick a category and the defense failed miserably.
They allowed 241 yards on the ground, including a crushing 72-yard run to running back Bucky Irving start the second half. Irving had 165 rushing yards, running for nearly eight yards per carry.
Even when the defense had rookie QB Jalon Daniels and the Bucs offense behind the chains, they couldn’t stop them. The Cowboys allowed the Buccaneers to convert on two 1st-and-20s, a 2nd-and-20, as well as a 3rd-and-21, which all led to Tampa Bay points. Some of the conversions were due to poor defense, and some were the result of being called for horrendous penalties, but either way it’s inexcusable defense.
The Buccaneers have set season highs in points (24), total yards (352), rush yards (181), TD (3), and first downs (20) today against the Cowboys…in 3 quarters. https://t.co/8BLZjqbE6D
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) October 9, 2026
A bad Buccaneers’ offense was 7-for-13 on third downs and had two drives of over eight minutes, which was not to be outdone by two quick scoring drives (two and five plays) as well.
It doesn’t get any worse for the Cowboys’ defense, who had no answers for an offense that was 28th in the NFL coming into the game.
The Ugly: DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson
It was hard to watch Bland fumble through an awful performance. Just a few years removed from his All-Pro season, Bland was torched by the Buccaneers.
The veteran CB was beaten in coverage for a 64-yard gain, allowed a 3rd-and-21 completion for a first down, had a penalty that gave Tampa’s offense life after a third-down sack and dropped a likely Pick-6 that could’ve tied the game late.
With the Buccaneers up eight points and facing a 3rd-and-eight with just under four minutes remaining, the Cowboys had a chance to rattle the young QB and tie the game when Jalon Daniels threw it right to Bland. The NFL’s all-time single season leader in pick-sixes had an easy interception and score right in front of him but he dropped the ball.
Oh my goodness. DaRon Bland had a chance to grab it and dropped it. Nothing but green grass in front of him and the end zone.
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) October 9, 2026
Instead of a tie game, or being down two-points with time to spare, the Cowboys forced a punt and needed a long drive to tie the game. That ended up being an issue as Ferguson’s ugly drop on a pass deep in Buccaneers’ territory helped seal the loss.
Ferguson deflected the pass up in the air and it ended in the arms of LB Alex Anzelone. It was Ferguson's second drop of the night, the first stalling a drive that could've put Dallas up 14-7 in the second quarter.
Dallas pays way too much for these two players to be liabilities like they have been. Bland is technically in the first year of a four-year, $90 million extension signed before last season. Ferguson is likewise in the first year of a four-year, $50 million extension. Fortunately, the Cowboys structured both deals where they can be escaped rather easily after this season.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: $140M of extensions helped buy Cowboys lackluster Week 5 performance
