The Cowboys defeated the Buccaneers 24-6 on Sept. 13, using a pair of second-quarter touchdowns and a strong defensive performance to earn their first win of the season. Dallas improved to 1-1; Tampa Bay fell to 0-2.

William Freeman connected with Robert Goss for a touchdown to open the scoring, and Gerald Seymour’s extra point gave Dallas a 7-0 lead. Tampa Bay answered with a 36-yard Calvin Lejeune field goal in the second quarter, cutting the margin to 7-3.

The Cowboys extended their lead after Russell Lovelace intercepted Buccaneers quarterback Michael Lee near the Tampa Bay goal line. John Stanley ran four yards for a touchdown on the ensuing Dallas scoring drive, making it 14-3.

Interceptions disrupted both offenses. Tampa Bay cornerback Peter Gabriel had three picks, including two of Freeman’s passes. Lovelace recorded two interceptions for Dallas, while the Cowboys finished with two interceptions as a team. Freeman threw three interceptions, but completed 26 of 35 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Dallas added a 49-yard Seymour field goal in the third quarter. Later in the period, Justin Jackson ran 28 yards for a touchdown, and Seymour’s extra point made it 24-3. Lejeune’s 54-yard field goal with 2:40 remaining provided Tampa Bay’s final points.

The Cowboys’ ground game produced 148 yards on 34 carries and two touchdowns. Jackson led Dallas with 77 rushing yards and a score. Stanley had 51 rushing yards and a touchdown, plus 44 receiving yards.

Dallas also recorded six sacks, limiting Tampa Bay to 16 rushing yards on 18 carries. Anthony Meadows had three sacks and Porter Scott had two. The Buccaneers completed 19 of 29 passes for 165 yards, but did not score a touchdown and converted four of 14 third downs.

The Cowboys were not turnover-free: Freeman’s three interceptions offset some of the offense’s production. But Dallas converted two of four red-zone visits into touchdowns and held Tampa Bay without a red-zone touchdown. The final margin was 18 points.