“It’s the NFL”: Dak Prescott owns his mistakes after Cowboys’ loss to Buccaneers

The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of reasons to be frustrated with their defense. Allowing 419 total yards, surrendering 241 rushing yards and watching an undrafted rookie quarterback control the football for nearly 40 minutes is hardly a recipe for success. But Dak Prescott isn't interested in using the defense as an excuse.

Following Dallas' 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys quarterback delivered a straightforward assessment of what his team needs to do to turn its season around: score more points.

“Yeah, score. I mean, just honestly score. It's the NFL,” Prescott said when asked what he could do to help the defense. “Their hands are full, and they've got a tough task, and so do we on our side. So at the end of the day, I've got to control what I can control and that's score.” It was a candid admission from the quarterback entrusted with leading Dallas' offense, and it underscored a difficult reality for the Cowboys.

Their defense has struggled to consistently stop opponents, but the offense cannot expect to win games if it fails to capitalize on the opportunities it receives. Prescott knows the standard. If Dallas wants to overcome its defensive shortcomings, its offense must deliver considerably more than 16 points.

Dak Prescott refuses to hide behind the defense

The Cowboys' defensive performance against Tampa Bay provided plenty of ammunition for critics. The Buccaneers controlled possession for 39 minutes and 10 seconds, limiting Dallas' opportunities to get back into the game. Tampa Bay also produced 241 rushing yards, repeatedly exploiting a defense that has struggled to establish consistency.

Two explosive plays accounted for 136 yards and helped transform the game after halftime. Bucky Irving broke loose for a 72-yard run to set up Tampa Bay's opening touchdown drive of the third quarter. On the Buccaneers' next possession, rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels connected with Tez Johnson for a 64-yard completion after cornerback DaRon Bland slipped, leaving the receiver with substantial open space.

Those plays helped Tampa Bay build a 21-10 lead, putting Dallas in a difficult position. Yet Prescott refused to make the defense the primary explanation for the defeat. “I'm a positive guy, and at the end of the day, that was 24 points,” Prescott said. “I mean, we've been scoring 30 points a game. That's on us. That's on us.”

His point was clear. Dallas had established an expectation that its offense could consistently produce enough points to compensate for defensive deficiencies. Against Tampa Bay , it failed to meet that standard.

The Buccaneers entered the game winless, making the defeat even more damaging for a Cowboys team attempting to establish itself as a contender. Rather than taking advantage of an opponent looking for its first victory, Dallas allowed Tampa Bay to dictate the pace and leave with a 24-16 win.

The defense is allowing explosive play

The Dallas Cowboys have a problem that goes beyond their struggling defense: their entire formula for winning is breaking down. Dallas needs its offense to produce points in bunches because its defense cannot consistently stop opponents. But against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the offense turned the ball over three times, managed just 16 points and failed to sustain drives, leaving the defense on the field for nearly 40 minutes.

That is the contradiction at the heart of the Cowboys’ season. The defense is allowing explosive plays and struggling to get off the field, while the offense is failing to control possession, protect the football and deliver the points needed to compensate. Neither unit is doing enough to cover for the other.

Dak Prescott understands that Dallas cannot expect to win by scoring 16 points and blaming the defense for allowing 24. His responsibility is to make the offense more efficient, limit turnovers and capitalize on scoring opportunities. But the larger challenge belongs to the entire team: the Cowboys must find a way to become competitive on both sides of the ball rather than relying on one unit to rescue the other every week.

Dallas’ central problem is its lack of balance. Until the offense becomes more consistent and the defense becomes more dependable, the Cowboys will remain vulnerable to precisely the kind of defeat they suffered against Tampa Bay. The defense deserves scrutiny. But Prescott understands that the offense has a responsibility to keep the team competitive, especially when stopping opponents consistently has become such a challenge.