Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
2-2
44
FINAL
27
Dallas
Cowboys
3-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding performance, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the Dallas Cowboys 44-27 in Week 5 of the 2026 season. This victory not only solidifies Tampa Bay's position in the playoff race but also serves as a statement of their offensive prowess and defensive resilience.
Leading the charge for the Buccaneers was quarterback Jayden Daniels, who threw for an impressive 333 yards and four touchdowns. He connected brilliantly with receiver Terry McLaurin, who racked up 140 receiving yards, showcasing their chemistry. Meanwhile, Javonte Williams of the Cowboys put forth a strong effort on the ground with 84 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with Tampa Bay's explosive offense.
Defensively, the Buccaneers were equally impactful, with Khalil Mack dominating the pass rush, notching 2.5 sacks. Caleb Downs added an interception, helping to stifle any momentum the Cowboys tried to build. The turning point came in the second quarter when Tampa Bay scored 21 unanswered points, effectively putting the game out of reach and setting the tone for the rest of the matchup.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 23 | 15 | 65% | 333 | 4 | 0 | 148.0 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 41 | 19 | 46% | 223 | 1 | 1 | 61.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javonte Williams | HB | 18 | 84 | 4.7 | 35 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 17 | 76 | 4.5 | 44 | 1 | 32 | 0 |
| Kyle Monangai | HB | 9 | 41 | 4.6 | 13 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 4 | 19 | 4.8 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | — | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Rashid Shaheed | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elic Ayomanor | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Likely | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 5 | 140 | 28.0 | 71 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| Isaiah Likely | TE | 5 | 84 | 16.8 | 23 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Vincent Jackson | WR | 2 | 79 | 39.5 | 60 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 6 | 61 | 10.2 | 17 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Rashid Shaheed | WR | 5 | 60 | 12.0 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 16 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Elic Ayomanor | WR | 4 | 45 | 11.3 | 20 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Javonte Williams | HB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Charlie Kolar | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Carter | DT | 8 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Downs | SS | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | REDG | 4 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Shaq Thompson | WILL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caden Curry | LEDG | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Bosa | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerome Baker | SAM | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Forbes Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Chris Johnson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Izien | SS | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Garrett | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| John Franklin-Myers | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SirVocea Dennis | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deion Sanders | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jeffery Simmons | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Harrison | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Treydan Stukes | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedric Gray | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dennis Gardeck | SAM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 2 | 3 | 3 | 54 |
| Jake Elliott | K | 2 | 3 | 4 | 26 |

