Jerry Jones calls Cowboys’ TNF loss to Buccaneers ‘extraordinarily disappointing’

October 9, 2026 4 Min Read

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After one of the most shocking results of the young NFL season, the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers beating the Dallas Cowboys 24-16 on “Thursday Night Football,” there was more than one seriously unhappy camper in the tunnels of AT&T Stadium.

But Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones may have been the most important.

“Extraordinarily, extraordinarily disappointing,” Jones said via video posted by local Dallas radio station 103.5 The FAN. “(We) really need to do it when possible.”

Dallas had made it a one-possession game and was on the Tampa Bay 24-yard line inside the two-minute warning as the clock continued to run and the team had its three timeouts. Quarterback Dak Prescott fired a wobbler that passed through the hands of tight end Jake Ferguson. The ball bounced straight through the air and into the hands of a diving Alex Anzalone, the Buccaneers linebacker. Prime Video cameras captured a disgusted Jones, whose demeanor didn’t change much by the time he appeared with the media outside the Cowboys locker room.

The Buccaneers totaled 241 rushing yards on 39 total attempts, with running back Bucky Irving leading the way with 165 rushing yards on 21 carries. Meanwhile, Dallas ran the ball 13 times, compared to Prescott’s 42 runs.

“They were basically very physical,” Jones said. “I thought about both of their fronts – I was really surprised at the way they passed the ball, the way they passed it between the tackles. It was surprising. We thought if they were going to run it, they would do it on the outside.”

Tampa Bay quarterback Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie from the University of Kansas, earned his first career win in his second career start as Baker Mayfield recovers from a hand injury. He led a scoring 11 minutes in the first quarter and finished with 189 yards and a touchdown through the air on 19-of-25 passing.

“I thought we were going to put it on their quarterback’s shoulders,” Jones said. “Their staff, their quarterback, all their players had a great win here tonight and it was a tough loss for us.”

The Cowboys had three turnovers and struggled to move the ball until the fourth quarter. Dallas’ next game is another primetime matchup, as the Cowboys travel to Lambeau Field for a “Sunday Night Football” showdown against the Green Bay Packers on October 18.