KaVontae Turpin had returned the kickoff 24 yards to the Dallas 28 when Miles Killebrew forced the football loose. Kevin Knowles recovered at the Dallas 37. Eight Tampa Bay plays later, the Buccaneers had a 41-yard field goal, and Dallas’ third quarter had acquired its defining image: the Cowboys had the ball, then suddenly did not.
That sequence helped explain Tampa Bay’s 24-16 victory over Dallas at AT&T Stadium on Thursday. Dallas led 10-7 at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, Tampa led 24-10. The return fumble did not cause every problem, but it made an already unstable stretch far more expensive.
The quarter’s possession ledger is harsher than the final score’s simple arithmetic. Dallas had three possessions end without points: Prescott’s interception at the Tampa 24, Turpin’s fumble and a turnover on downs at the Dallas 43. The first two changed possession immediately. The third handed Tampa the ball anyway. Dallas never answered either of Tampa’s early third-quarter touchdowns before the deficit reached 14 points.
The first giveaway came on a drive that had genuine promise. Prescott moved Dallas 41 yards in six plays, including a 27-yard completion to George Pickens, before Yaya Diaby intercepted a pass intended for Ryan Flournoy at the Tampa 24. The pass was deflected, according to the Cowboys’ account, so treating it as a routine quarterback error would flatten an important detail.
It still ended a drive that had reached scoring range.
Tampa’s conversion of that takeaway was more methodical than the box score’s touchdown notation suggests. A holding penalty erased the first play after the interception. Kenny Gainwell then ran for 6 yards.
Jalon Daniels followed with a 64-yard completion to Tez Johnson, moving the Buccaneers deep into Dallas territory. Bucky Irving gained 9 yards, added 5 more on the next rushing play and finished the possession with a 1-yard touchdown run. Tampa used the sudden extra possession well; Dallas had created the opportunity by giving it away.
Then came Turpin’s fumble. The ball was forced loose after the 24-yard return, and the recovery placed Tampa at the Dallas 37. The Buccaneers reached the 23 before settling for three points. Dallas’ defense limited the damage to a field goal, but that was only half the story. The Cowboys also lost the chance to respond immediately after falling behind by two scores.
Their next possession lasted five plays and ended on downs at the Dallas 43. Tampa then spent 8:14 on a 12-play drive that reached the Dallas 1. The Cowboys stopped the Buccaneers on fourth-and-1, a worthwhile defensive stand that nonetheless came only after Tampa had carried the game deep into the fourth quarter.
By the time Dallas got another full opportunity, the clock had become part of Tampa’s advantage.
Special teams magnified a larger problem. Tampa ran for 241 yards on 39 attempts; Dallas ran 13 times for 50 yards. Irving supplied 165 rushing yards, including a 72-yard burst on Tampa’s first offensive snap of the second half.
