Game 5

Bucs at Cowboys

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m.

TV: Amazon with Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung. (For those who still don’t have a computer, it will be available over the air locally on WTVT-TV Channel 13.)

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Radio: Buccaneers Radio Network WXTB-FM 97.9 in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region with Tony Castricone, Dave Moore and Jay Recher. (Transmisiones de radio en español en WTMP-FM 96.1 y WMGG-AM 1470 en Tampa, con Santiago Gramática y Martin Gramática.). Additional stations throughout Florida carrying the game on the Buccaneers Radio Network can be found here. The game will also be broadcast on SiriusXM Channel 193 (Buccaneers Radio Network feed). Additionally, the national Westwood One radio feed can be heard on SiriusXM NFL Radio Channel 88.

Weather: It may be October but it’s still Texas hot in the North Texas Metroplex. Even though Jerry’s World is a dome, there will be plenty of tailgating in the Walmart parking lot across from Jerry’s World in Arlington, about halfway between Fort Worth and Dallas. (Per AccuWeather.com,  tailgaters will have to deal with 90-degree heat late in the Texas afternoon. But that will quickly drop when the sun sets and it should be 84 by kickoff. At the end of the game, it should be a comfortable 76 degrees.

Odds: Per Hard Rock Bet, as of midnight, Bucs +8 (-105); over/under 48.

Referees: Alex Moore and his gang will work today’s game. Per Sharp Football Analysis, in games that Moore’s outfit worked, home teams are 10-6 in Moore’s first full season as an NFL referee last year.

Injuries: 

Outlook:  Tonight could be the nail in the coffin for the 2026 season. The odds of the Bucs turning things around to make the playoffs are already grim. Once again, just one team in NFL history has rallied from an 0-4 record to make the playoffs and that was the 1992 San Diego Chargers. And folks, Stan Humphries is not walking through those black curtains. And after last week’s games in which the Dixie Chicks and the Stinking Panthers looked like pretty good teams, the odds are even worse for the Bucs to salvage the season. After last weekend, some wonder if the Bucs went from having the best quarterback in the division (Baker Mayfield) to the worst (Baker Mayfield). The NFC South may not be the landfill it has been this decade. If the Bucs lose tonight, “this Joe” thinks there are only three things to pay attention to the rest of the season because only losses matter (for draft purposes). The three topics of interest will be when Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is relieved of his duties, if Team Glazer breaks with tradition and makes a coaching move midseason, and of course, the race for the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Fun facts: The last time the Bucs started 0-4 was in 2013 when then-Bucs commander Greg Schiano led the Bucs to an 0-8 start. … The Bucs are now 2-11 in their past 13 games dating back to last year’s bye. … Bucs QB Jalon Daniels completed 19 of 27 passes. (70.4 percent) for 148 yards and a touchdown while adding 55 rushing yards in his first career start. Daniels became the first undrafted rookie quarterback to start in the first month of the season since 1970 (not counting scabs in 1987). … RB Bucky Irving had 61 rushing yards in Week 4 and looks for his sixth game in a row with 50 or more scrimmage yards. Bucky had 92 scrimmage yards (68 rushing, 24 receiving and a rushing touchdown the last time the Bucs played the Cowboys. Bucky has 70+ scrimmage yards in 3 of his past 4 road games. … WR Emeka Egbuka has 78 catches for 1,092 yards and seven touchdown catches in 21 NFL games. He has 50+ receiving yards in 2 of his past 3 primetime games. … WR Chris Godwin has 628 receptions for 7,768 receiving yards and 41 touchdown catches in 124 career games. Godwin has 5+ catches in 6 of his past 7 Thursday night games. … ILB Josiah Trotter led Bucs with 9 tackles in Week 4. Aims for his fourth-straight game with at least nine tackles. Is fourth among rookies with 30 tackles this season. … OLB YaYa Diaby has a tackle for loss in three of his last four road games. … CB Jacob Parrish had five tackles, a tackle for loss, a pick and two passes defended in a loss last week to Green Bay. Parrish is just one of four corners to pull that off in one game this year. … S Tykee Smith had six tackles and a forced fumble last week. Looks for his fourth game in a row with at least five tackles. … Cowboys QB Dak Prescott completed 32 of 45 passes (71.1 percent) for 335 yards and a touchdown last week. Looking to extend his touchdown pass game streak to five tonight. Prescott has 250 yards or more passing in 9 of his past 10 home games. Prescott usually tears up defenses on Thursday night. In three of his last four Thursday night games he has thrown for over 300 yards. … RB Javonte Williams had 83 scrimmage yards (62 rushing and 21 receiving) with a career-high three rushing touchdowns last week. Williams has 70+ scrimmage yards and a touchdown in three of his last four games. Tied for fourth with six touchdowns (five on the ground and one catch). … WR CeeDee Lamb recorded a career-high 17 receptions for 189 yards with a touchdown last week. Fourth player in NFL history with 17+ catches, 185 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in the same game (the other three were Hall of Famers Tom Fears and Terrell Owens along with Brandon Marshall). Last time the Cowboys played the Bucs, Lamb had 7 catches for 105 yards. Has 100+ receiving yards in two of the three times he has faced the Bucs. … DT Quinnen Williams had a sack and two tackles for loss last week. Looks for his fourth straight game with a tackle for loss. … LB Dee Winters had 5 tackles in Week 4. … DB Caleb Downs had 5 tackles in Week 4. Has 5+ tackles in 3 of his first 4 games. Ranks fourth among rookie defensive backs with 22 tackles.