Cowboys Defense Crumbles As Lamb, Guyton Injuries Mount
· Yahoo Sports
The Dallas Cowboys suffered a brutal loss on Thursday night, falling 24-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. This defeat leaves the team at 2-3 and sends them into a mini-bye week with more questions than answers. The offense struggled to move the ball, but the real story was the defense giving up 419 total yards to an opponent that had zero wins coming into the night.
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Tampa Bay won thanks to backup quarterback Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie who stepped in for the injured Baker Mayfield. Daniels ran the ball well and threw for 189 yards, but the Cowboys could not stop the run or cover the pass. A kickoff return fumble plus two interceptions gave KaVontae Turpin’s opponents a 3-0 edge in the turnover battle. This sloppy performance gave a winless team a chance to steal a game on national television.
Injury Woes Deepen in Arlington
Before the game even started, the Cowboys lost starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to an illness. He came down with flu symptoms and was sent home before kickoff. The injury list only grew worse as the night went on. Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb left the game with quad tightness, an issue he has dealt with for two straight weeks. He finished with just two catches for nine yards despite being targeted five times.
Left tackle Tyler Guyton also exited the game after sustaining a back injury on the final drive. While initial x-rays “looked good” according to reports, additional testing is scheduled for Friday. Per Dallas News, backup safety Alijah Clark left with a hamstring injury and did not return. The loss of these key players puts a massive strain on a roster that is already thin at critical spots.
Lamb’s absence is particularly damaging given his early season success. He was the league leader in both receiving yards and receptions when he entered the game. Without him, the offense lost its primary weapon. George Pickens stepped up with nine catches for 130 yards and a touchdown, but the team cannot rely on one player to carry the load every week. The depth chart is being tested, and so far, the results are not pretty.
Defensive Breakdowns Continue
The defensive struggles are becoming a major concern for the entire organization. Every quarterback the Cowboys have faced this season has posted a passer rating over 100. This includes Jalon Daniels, who finished with a 110.2 rating. The defense allowed a 72-yard run by Bucky Irving and failed to stop short passes that turned into big gains. DaRon Bland was called for multiple penalties, including a pass interference that extended a drive.
Coach Brian Schottenheimer admitted the defense has been a problem. The offense tried to make up for the loss, but they could not convert a two-point conversion to make it a six-point game late in the fourth quarter. Dak Prescott said he wished he had thrown to Ryan Flournoy near the pylon instead of CeeDee Lamb.
Owner Jerry Jones expressed his frustration with the outcome. “Certainly Jerry’s going to have his opinions and I respect his opinions certainly, but I do think that today was a disappointing day, but there has been things,” Schottenheimer said, referencing the owner’s views. The team has 10 days to fix these issues before they travel to face the Green Bay Packers. If they cannot stop the run or cover the pass against a rookie quarterback, they will face even bigger problems soon.