Third-quarter surge lifts Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned their first victory of the season in Week 5, beating the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 behind Bucky Irving’s two touchdowns and a decisive third quarter. Tampa Bay entered halftime trailing 10-7, then scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to build a 24-10 lead. Dallas scored six points in the fourth, but the Buccaneers finished with an eight-point win. Tampa Bay improved to 1-4 after losses to Minnesota and Green Bay in the previous two weeks. Dallas fell to 2-3, unable to follow its Week 4 victory over Houston with another win.
Irving leads the offense
Irving carried 21 times for 165 yards and a touchdown, averaging nearly 7.9 yards per attempt. He added two catches for 10 yards and another score, giving Tampa Bay 175 yards from scrimmage. Jalon Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown while adding 23 rushing yards on seven attempts. Emeka Egbuka contributed in both phases, catching six of nine targets for 38 yards and turning his lone carry into a 14-yard touchdown. Tez Johnson gained 64 yards on his only catch. Chris Godwin Jr. caught all three of his targets for 37 yards and added a three-yard rush.
Pickens produces in defeat
George Pickens led Dallas with nine receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. Ryan Flournoy added 90 yards on three catches, giving the Cowboys two productive receiving options. Dak Prescott threw for 316 yards and a touchdown, but completed 24 of 42 attempts and had two interceptions. Javonte Williams rushed 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown, adding two receptions for 17 yards. For fantasy managers, Irving delivered the game’s highest PPR total at 31.5 points, followed by Pickens at 28.0. Egbuka’s rushing touchdown helped him reach 17.2, ahead of Williams at 14.2. Despite Prescott’s higher passing-yardage total, Daniels finished ahead of him in PPR scoring, 13.9 to 12.6.
Week 6 schedule
The Buccaneers host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. ET. The Cowboys visit the Green Bay Packers that evening at 8:20 p.m. ET.