Dak Prescott Called Out for “Embarrassing” Loss, Undrafted Rookie QB Makes History and More as Cowboys Fall to Winless Bucs

Jahleel Addae had a theory before Thursday night: if the Dallas defense showed up, it could take the Cowboys where they wanted to go. The numbers said this would be a shootout. The over had hit in 10 straight games with an average combined score of 58.2. Dallas had gone over in eight of its previous nine games when the total was under 50. But the defense was the weak spot. And yesterday, it could not stop the Bucs from earning their first road win of the season.

The scoreboard showed a 24–16 result. But what it didn’t show was the unexpected moment Dak Prescott faced after the game, while the Bucs’ undrafted quarterback stood tall on the field. Let’s take a closer look at what happened.

How did the Cowboys’ defense fail yesterday?

Facing a Tampa Bay offense that entered the game ranked 28th in total offense, Dallas’ defense delivered a porous performance that unraveled in the second half.

The Cowboys surrendered 241 rushing yards to the Buccaneers, led by Bucky Irving’s 165 yards on the ground. The lack of a pass rush was also evident, as Dallas managed to pressure the Bucs’ undrafted quarterback, Jalon Daniels, only seven times all night. That gave the rookie comfortable pockets and plenty of time to operate. Now, let’s talk about DaRon Bland.

The former All-Pro cornerback had a nightmare outing, allowing 91 yards on three catches and dropping a potential pick-six. Cornerback Reddy Steward gave up completions on all five of his targeted coverage attempts, including a touchdown.

The situation worsened when the secondary lost depth, as cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was ruled out because of an illness.

Coming out of halftime with a 10–7 lead, Dallas surrendered back-to-back touchdown drives that covered a combined 161 yards in just seven plays.

In total, Dallas allowed a season-high 419 yards of offense to a previously winless Buccaneers team playing with a backup quarterback.

Now, let’s talk about the Bucs’ undrafted quarterback, Jalon Daniels.

Jalon Daniels reached a milestone

Filling in for an injured Baker Mayfield in just his second career start, Jalon Daniels played with poise, mobility, and efficiency to lead Tampa Bay (1–4) to its first victory of the season.

His stat line was 19-of-25 passing for 189 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He also added 23 rushing yards and finished with a 110.2 passer rating. So, how did he get there?

The quarterback set the tone early with a 15-play, 73-yard drive, completing all eight of his passes and capping it with a five-yard touchdown pass to running back Bucky Irving.

As a playmaker, Daniels showed impressive improvisation in the pocket, including a 64-yard deep pass to wide receiver Tez Johnson that set up a touchdown. And the night brought him another reason to celebrate.

Yesterday, Daniels became only the second undrafted rookie quarterback in NFL history to start a game and defeat the Dallas Cowboys, joining Washington’s Ed Rubbert in 1987. He also became the first undrafted rookie starting quarterback in the common draft era, which began in 1967, to win a game for a team that entered the matchup winless. He is now the fourth undrafted rookie to win a primetime game since 2000.

After the game, his emotions were understandably running high. During the postgame interview.

“Six months ago, if you would’ve told me that my first win would’ve been on a Thursday night, Prime football game, I don’t know what I would’ve told you. So obviously take it all in, like I keep saying, through all the highs and lows, the bads and the goods. Go through every single emotion because, at the end of the day, it makes you better and prepares you for any situation that comes down the line,” the rookie said. 

However, his counterpart didn’t have a good day.

Dak Prescott was heckled after the game

Yesterday, following the Cowboys’ home loss, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was involved in a viral incident in the AT&T Stadium tunnel as he walked back to the locker room.

As he made his way down the tunnel, an AT&T Stadium worker yelled, “Embarrassing!” in reference to the Cowboys’ performance and their loss to a previously winless Buccaneers team.

Prescott stopped, turned around, and looked back to identify the person who had made the comment. Reports indicated that the individual looked away when Prescott turned around but made another comment once the quarterback faced forward again.

Visibly frustrated by the heckler’s behavior, the 33-year-old responded and pointed the individual out to stadium and team security officers. Later, Prescott was asked about the incident.

“When he said it, I just happened to look at him at that point, and he looked away, and then I turned my head back, and he said something else,” Prescott revealed. “That’s the part: just as a man of a person, feel free to speak your mind. Just speak it. Don’t cower away from the reaction you’re going to get.”

When reporters pressed him on whether he personally considered the loss “embarrassing,” Prescott declined to use the exact word out of respect for opponent head coach Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers, while acknowledging that Dallas was “supposed to win this game.” 

And that wasn’t the end of the Cowboys’ troubles yesterday.

Cowboys player could face punishment

During the game, Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving scored a first-half touchdown after breaking away from Cowboys defensive back Reddy Steward.

Later, a video shared online showed Steward grabbing Irving by the hips and bringing his full body weight down onto the back of Irving’s legs to pin him to the ground.

The tackle sparked considerable debate on social media, with analysts pointing out that it closely resembled a hip-drop tackle, a technique the NFL officially banned in March 2024 because of the risk of serious injury.

Notably, Steward was not penalized for the play during the game. However, under NFL rules, a prohibited hip-drop tackle carries a standard fine of $17,911 for a first offense and $23,882 for a second offense. When called on the field, the foul also results in a 15-yard penalty. So, attention will now turn to the league’s review of the incident.

There was another memorable moment yesterday, too. After the game, Jalon Daniels’ mother, Star, joined the TNF on Prime desk and shared how proud she was of her son. The moment surely won the hearts of NFL fans.

The Cowboys now turn their attention to the Green Bay Packers, where they’ll face former star Micah Parsons after letting him go. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers will look to make it two wins in a row when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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