Jalon Daniels Gets First NFL Win as Buccaneers Rally Past Cowboys 24-16
Jalon Daniels led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 24-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, Oct. 9, 2026, in Dallas, recording his first NFL win and delivering Tampa Bay its first victory of the 2026 season. Daniels, an undrafted rookie, became the first undrafted rookie ever to start at quarterback for the Buccaneers and is the first rookie quarterback to start in the NFL this season. The win snapped a stretch in which Tampa Bay had lost four straight one-possession games.
Daniels was efficient in his second NFL start, completing 19 of 25 passes (76.0%) for 189 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 110.2 passer rating. Tampa Bay leaned on the ground attack against a Dallas unit that has struggled against the run, rushing for 241 yards as a team. Running back Bucky Irving posted a career-best 165 rushing yards as the Buccaneers ran on 39 of 65 offensive snaps in their heaviest ground script of the season.
Key explosive plays swung the game in Tampa Bay’s favor. Irving opened the second half with a 72-yard run, and the Buccaneers scored one play later on Emeka Egbuka’s 14-yard end-around. On the following possession, Daniels connected with Tez Johnson on a 64-yard completion that set up Irving’s one-yard scoring run, completing the pivotal sequence.
The Buccaneers finished with 419 total yards, a notable mark given Daniels is an undrafted rookie. Tampa Bay became just the ninth team in NFL history to eclipse 400 yards of offense while starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback. Head coach Todd Bowles said the game plan was to attack with the ground game and ease the burden on a young quarterback, and Daniels credited the offensive line and his playmakers for opening run lanes and creating explosive opportunities.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Tampa Bay’s victory highlighted how a balanced, run-first approach can help a young quarterback settle into the NFL. Daniels showed accuracy and poise, but the ground game and big-play ability from Irving, Tez Johnson and Emeka Egbuka were decisive in creating favorable down-and-distance and quick-strike scoring. With Dallas ranked second-worst against the run, Tampa Bay exploited a favorable matchup. The win provides momentum and a clearer short-term blueprint for integrating Daniels while protecting him with a powerful rushing attack.