The Dallas Cowboys are doing that thing again, and the 2026 version of it has been tough to watch at times. Despite sky-high expectations heading into the season, a loaded offense, and a defense with plenty of upside, the Cowboys are 2-3 after one of the worst losses imaginable. Following a heartbreaking last-second loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil, the Cowboys pulled off a stellar rally against the Houston Texans last week, bringing the optimism back to the forefront.
They've now followed that up with a primetime home loss to the previously 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and rolled out undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels under center. To Daniels' credit, he played a great game and deserves immense
praise. However, for the Cowboys, it's another disasterclass of a loss that raises big questions.
Not surprisingly, the real-time reactions to the loss from the likes of Jerry Jones and George Pickens (who nearly willed the Cowboys back into the game) were pretty telling.
- George Pickens
— mm (@muhtxm) October 9, 2026
- Jerry Jones
- Jake Ferguson
All disgusted pic.twitter.com/S4gifYllij
To be clear, this frustration came after the Cowboys drove down the field and immediately scored to take a 7-0 lead, and when the fourth quarter rolled around, they were trailing 24-10, with the Buccaneers facing an opportunity to extend their lead to three scores.
Todd Bowles made a head-scratching decision not to kick a short field goal (that's another story), which left the door open for Dallas prior to Dak Prescott's game-sealing interception. In reality, the Cowboys basically needed a miracle before their near-rally, so they were fortunate to even have a shot at tying the game.
This loss was devastating for the Cowboys, but give credit where it is due: Daniels, running back Bucky Irving (21 carries, 165 yards, two total touchdowns), and the Bucs defense deserve praise for their performances in a pivotal primetime road game.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: George Pickens, Jerry Jones reactions during Bucs loss say everything about the Cowboys
