The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their season alive with their 24-16 upset win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. 

The Bucs had their backs against the wall and stepped up to get a win they absolutely had to have. 

The defense was opportunistic, picking off Dak Prescott twice and holding the explosive Dallas offense to only 16 points. 

Special teams also came up big, with Miles Killebrew forcing a fumble from KaVontae Turpin on the ensuing kickoff after Tampa took a 21-10 lead. 

On offense, there were several standout performances. 

Jalon Daniels, in only his second career start, became the first undrafted rookie quarterback to lead a previously winless team to a victory. Daniels played like a seasoned veteran against the Cowboys and looked like he could become a solid starting quarterback one day. 

Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, whom the Bucs desperately needed to step up, had a big game. Egbuka helped Daniels get into an early rhythm with 3 catches on Tampa’s opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown. 

He finished the game with six catches for 38 yards, converted several critical third downs, and also scored on a beautiful 14-yard jet sweep, which put the Bucs up 14-10 to start the second half. Tampa would never give up the lead. 

However, the biggest star of the game was undoubtedly running back Bucky Irving. 

Irving turned 21 carries into a career-high 165 rushing yards and a touchdown, while adding two catches for 10 yards and another score. It was the first game in Irving’s career with both a rushing and receiving touchdown. 

Irving’s performance against Dallas showed that he must be the centerpiece of Tampa’s offense going forward. 

Even when starting QB Baker Mayfield returns from his dislocated thumb, the offense must run through Irving. 

The third-year back is back to being the explosive, game-breaking player he was as a rookie in 2024. Irving gashed the Dallas defense for a 72-yard run on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, setting up Egbuka’s score. 

He also ripped off several other big runs throughout the game, and his 22-yarder with about a minute remaining set the Bucs up in victory formation. 

For the season, Irving is up to 406 rushing yards and is averaging a stellar 5.3 yards per carry. He has also been a big contributor in the passing game. Irving has 15 catches so far and has scored three total touchdowns. 

When the ball is in Irving’s hands, good things happen. The offense had struggled before coming alive against Dallas, but Irving has been a bright spot all season. 

Daniels needed his teammates to step up to help take some of the burden off his shoulders, and nobody stepped up more than Irving. 

Irving proved he can handle a heavy workload against the Cowboys. He was given 23 touches and was the best player on the field. 

The Bucs need to put the ball in Irving’s hands as much as possible moving forward. When Tampa finally committed to getting Irving the ball, the team finally got its first win. 

That is no coincidence. 

If the Bucs continue to feed Irving, more wins will follow.