The Buccaneers delivered an upset that caught most forecasters off guard, defeating the Cowboys 24-16 on Thursday night in Dallas to claim their first victory of the 2026 season. The result, per Pride Of Detroit, was not one nearly anyone saw coming heading into Week 5.
Tampa Bay's win came at a critical moment for both teams. The Buccaneers entered the game at 0-4, languishing in fourth place in the NFC South and desperately searching for their first win. Dallas, meanwhile, suffered its third loss in five games despite sitting at 2-1 after a Week 4 victory over Houston. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 2-3 and third in the NFC East, now on a one-game losing streak.
For Tampa Bay, the Thursday night result represented a turnaround in a season that had seen the team lose three straight games—falling 23-16 to Minnesota on Sept. 27 and 17-14 to Green Bay on Oct. 4 before breaking through in Dallas. The Buccaneers now sit at 1-4 with momentum heading into their next matchup against Pittsburgh on Oct. 18.
Meanwhile, Dallas' loss extended what has become a difficult start to the season. The Cowboys won 34-30 at Houston on Oct. 4, but that success came sandwiched between defeats to Baltimore (34-31 on Sept. 27) and now Tampa Bay. They travel to Green Bay on Oct. 18 in their next outing.
The upset result was among the key data points as SportsLine experts locked in their top picks against the spread for Week 5, per CBS Sports. The reporting did not specify which teams the experts were backing or fading beyond the Buccaneers' surprising victory, leaving the full slate of expert recommendations available through SportsLine's full coverage.
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