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Jalon Daniels QB | TB
Buccaneers' Jalon Daniels: Notable improvement in second start
Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while rushing seven times for 23 yards in the Buccaneers' 24-16 win over the Cowboys on Thursday night.
Daniels didn't have the luxury of a normal practice week after making his starting debut in a Week 4 home loss to the Packers, but the undrafted rookie from Kansas looked like a significantly improved player just four days later on the road. Daniels commanded the Buccaneers offense with poise throughout the night, spreading the ball around to seven different targets and remaining free of turnovers after throwing a pair of interceptions against Green Bay. Daniels also connected with Bucky Irving for a five-yard touchdown pass to open the second quarter, his second career scoring toss. With some valuable experience now under his belt, Daniels will have some additional time to prepare for a Week 6 home matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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Brandon Aubrey K | DAL
Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey: Makes lone FG try Thursday
Aubrey made his only field-goal attempt and his lone extra-point try in a Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Aubrey didn't get many opportunities to kick, but he did nail a 41-yard FG just before halftime. The All-Pro kicker is now 9-for-12 on field-goal tries this season, with all of his misses (including two that were blocked) coming from at least 59 yards out. Aubrey is still one of the league's elite kickers, and he figures to continue getting opportunities from very deep considering the strength of his leg.
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Chris Godwin WR | TB
Buccaneers' Chris Godwin: Four touches in Week 5 win
Godwin secured all three targets for 37 yards and rushed once for three yards in the Buccaneers' 24-16 win over the Cowboys on Thursday night.
Godwin continued to fill a complementary role in the air attack on a night when Jalon Daniels threw for a modest 189 yards. The veteran wideout has been confined to a short-area role for the most part whether it's been Baker Mayfield (thumb) or Daniels under center, as Godwin has just a 19-179-0 line on the season and two receptions of 20-plus yards heading into a Week 6 home matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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Emeka Egbuka WR | TB
Buccaneers' Emeka Egbuka: Seven touches, one TD in win
Egbuka secured six of nine targets for 38 yards and rushed once for a 14-yard touchdown in the Buccaneers' 24-16 win over the Cowboys on Thursday night.
Egbuka comfortably led the Buccaneers in receptions and targets, but his receiving yardage figure was a distant second to Tez Johnson. Egbuka did round out his fantasy night nicely with the first rushing touchdown of his career, which came on a jet sweep from 14 yards out to cap off the first drive of the second half. The increase in chemistry between Egbuka and Jalon Daniels in the latter's second start was encouraging from a fantasy perspective, and they'll have additional time to continue building rapport before a Week 6 home matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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Dak Prescott QB | DAL
Cowboys' Dak Prescott: Piles up yards late in Week 5 loss
Prescott completed 24 of 42 passes for 316 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the Cowboys' 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Prescott's final yardage number was sure to please fantasy managers, but there was a pretty sizable gulf between that figure and the veteran signal-caller's actual play-to-play performance most of the night. Prescott and the air attack struggled through more than a half against an aggressive Buccaneers defense, including on a third-quarter interception that led to a Tampa Bay touchdown. However, he came alive on a mid-fourth-quarter drive where the Cowboys sped up the pace, capping that 10-play, 99-yard possession off with an 18-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens. Prescott had Dallas moving again the next time he had the ball, but a pass that went off Jake Ferguson's hands over the middle was secured by Alex Anzalone for what turned out to be a game-sealing interception. Prescott completed a season-low 57.1 percent of his throws and failed to throw multiple touchdown passes for the third straight game, but he'll still take an impressive 9:3 TD:INT into a Week 6 road showdown against the Packers on Sunday night, Oct. 18.
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Javonte Williams RB | DAL
Cowboys' Javonte Williams: Another TD in Week 5 loss
Williams rushed 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown and brought in two of three targets for 17 yards in the Cowboys' 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Williams' rushing opportunities were somewhat capped by a surprising second-half game script that included a 17-0 third-quarter advantage for Tampa Bay. However, the veteran running back had gotten Dallas started off on the right foot in the first quarter, when he capped off a nine-play opening drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Williams did a respectable job throughout the night grinding out yards against a tough Buccaneers run defense, but he's now averaged less than 3.8 yards per carry in four of the first five games, including two straight. Nevertheless, Williams does have six rushing touchdowns in the same span, and he should have a good chance at a heftier workload on the ground in a Week 6 road matchup against the Packers on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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George Pickens WR | DAL
Cowboys' George Pickens: Takes turn as workhorse Thursday
Pickens secured nine of 13 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Pickens was a bit player in the air attack during a Week 4 comeback win against the Texans during which CeeDee Lamb (quadriceps) recorded a massive 17-189-1 line on 21 targets, but it was the former's turn to shine Thursday. The fact Lamb was in and out of the game during the latter stages of the fourth quarter did have some impact on Pickens' involvement, but the latter was already having a big night that included his first receiving touchdown of the season on an 18-yard grab in the fourth quarter. Pickens ultimately finished with new season-high figures across his receiving line, and he'll be in line for a similarly busy night in a Week 6 road matchup against the Packers on Sunday night, Oct. 18 if Lamb is limited or misses that contest altogether.
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Bucky Irving RB | TB
Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Career-best rushing yardage in win
Irving rushed 21 times for 165 yards and a touchdown and brought in two of three targets for 10 yards and another score in the Buccaneers' 24-16 win over the Cowboys on Thursday.
The early portion of Irving's night offered no hint the third-year back would finish with a new career high in rushing yards, as he repeatedly scuffled for running room throughout most of the first half. However, he did put the Buccaneers' first points on the board with a five-yard touchdown catch on the second play of the second quarter, and he subsequently ripped off a nifty 72-yard scamper that saw him change direction several times within the first 10 yards on the first play of the second half. Irving would go on to cap off the next possession with a one-yard touchdown run, and he sealed Tampa Bay's victory with a 22-yard scamper on the final drive of the night that set up a pair of Jalon Daniels' kneel downs. Irving's carry total was also a season-high figure, and he's now averaging 5.3 yards per carry heading into a Week 6 home matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 18.
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Tyler Guyton OT | DAL
Cowboys' Tyler Guyton: Departs late during Thursday Night Football
Guyton exited Thursday's game against Tampa Bay due to a back injury and didn't return, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.
Guyton was deemed questionable late in the fourth quarter, and he didn't end up re-entering the contest. It's not clear if he'd have been able to get back on the field if there was more time left on the clock when he departed. As such, it bears watching Dallas' injury reports next week to get more insight about Guyton's status for Week 6 against Green Bay.
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CeeDee Lamb WR | DAL
Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb: Nursing quad injury
Lamb (quadriceps) is questionable to return to Thursday night's game against Tampa Bay, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Lamb was standing on the sideline with his helmet on in the fourth quarter, suggesting the injury isn't serious, but he watched as the offense marched down the field and put it in the end zone. Ryan Flournoy, Jonathan Mingo and KaVontae Turpin will soak up additional snaps at wideout, while George Pickens handles clear WR1 duties with Lamb sidelined. Prior to his injury, Lamb caught two of five targets for nine yards.