Brian Schottenheimer did not treat Thursday night as a one-game problem. After the Dallas Cowboys lost 24-16 at AT&T Stadium to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that entered 0-4 with an undrafted rookie at quarterback, the second-year coach said he will use the mini-bye to examine the first five games in full.
"I'm going to look at everything," Schottenheimer said, according to DallasCowboys.com. He listed the tape, the stats and decisions he believes will give Dallas the best chance to play better next week, and CBS Sports reported that the review could include changes to his coaching staff. The loss was his 12th in 22 games since replacing Mike McCarthy ahead of the 2025 season, CBS Sports noted.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones was blunt in comments reported by CBS Sports. He said he was "extraordinarily, extraordinarily disappointed," that Tampa Bay was physical on both fronts and that he was surprised by how well the Buccaneers ran between the tackles.
What the tape will show
Tampa Bay rushed for 241 yards, held the ball for 39 minutes and 21 seconds and scored 17 points in the third quarter after trailing 10-7 at halftime, according to the team's game recap. Bucky Irving ran for 165 yards. Jalon Daniels, making his second career start with Baker Mayfield out injured, completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown.
Dallas gave the ball away three times and recorded no takeaways. Dak Prescott finished 24 of 42 for 316 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, both on tipped passes, DallasCowboys.com reported. CeeDee Lamb left in the fourth quarter with a quad injury after two catches for 9 yards. George Pickens had nine receptions for 130 yards and the late touchdown that made it 24-16.
Schottenheimer called the night a missed opportunity and said the Cowboys did not play well enough in all three phases to win in the NFL. Even after the mistakes, he noted, Dallas still had a chance in the fourth quarter. That chance ended when Alex Anzalone intercepted Prescott with 1:22 left.
